2022 FIFA World Cup Day 1 Preview: Host country Qatar takes on Ecuador; match timing, live streaming and more

Finally, one of the most controversial football World Cups ever will get underway on Sunday in Doha. Yes the most popular sporting event on the planet always sees some sort of troubled build-up – whether it was in Brazil, South Africa, or anywhere else. But the level of controversies has certainly broken the previous record, with headlines hogging the limelight on the Qatari regime and related controversies—on alleged human rights violations, attitudes toward the LGBTQ community, or providing poor working conditions to migrant workers. Now, it’s time to leave everything behind and focus on the beautiful game. The action will begin today. Here’s something to warm-up before the actual action begins.

Host Qatar will open the tournament against Ecuador, and this will be their first World Cup appearance. The challenge for the home team is to make its presence felt in Group A, which also has other top teams: Senegal and the Netherlands. Qatar can put up a good fight against Ecuador, which is ranked just five places above it at No. 44 in the FIFA rankings. Undoubtedly, Qatar can provide a shock as the team has had decent success in the 2019 Copa America, 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and title victory in 2019 Asian Cup.

Meanwhile, Ecuador is another potential surprise package. But their preparation was marred by controversy, as Chile and Peru claimed that Ecuador fielded defender, Byron Castillo who was actually Colombian. Though the claim was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the team has had to cope with unnecessary attention, which might have affected their preparations. We will get to know more about that today.

Related FAQs:

1. When will the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony take place?
   The opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup will take place on Sunday at 1400 GMT and in India, the event will begin at 7:30 p.m. IST. The ceremony will kick off before the start of Group A match between host Qatar and Ecuador.
2. Where will the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony take place?
   The opening ceremony will be at the Al Bayt Stadium, 40 km (25 miles) north of Doha.
3. Where to watch the live telecast and live stream of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in India?
   The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be televised live on Sports 18 in India. The Live stream of the tournament can be viewed on the Jio TV app.