Soccer fans rejoiced on Sunday with the start of the 2022 World Cup. Well, unless they were rooting for the host nation.
With a 2-0 loss to Ecuador, Qatar became the first World Cup host to lose its opening match. Based on reactions from the stadium and online, people weren’t feeling terribly sorry for the home team.
Inside Al Bayt Stadium, one Ecuadorian fan was giving it to the Qatari supporters:
Despite the heated moment, the two fans made amends in the stands:
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Elsewhere in the crowd, Ecuadorian fans had their mind on something else beside the play on the field. A large section of supporters started chanting for beer, which was banned from stadiums just days before the tournament kicked off:
Enner Valencia gave people from Ecuador plenty to be excited about in the opening World Cup match. The nation’s all-time leading scorer added to his tally with two first-half goals, and he could have had a third if not for a VAR review negating a goal in the opening minutes.
People on Twitter were in awe of Valencia’s performance, even making some lofty comparisons for the forward:
Ecuador came away with a 2-0 victory, and people were not hopeful about Qatar’s chances:
Ecuador and Qatar are back in action on Friday for more Group A matches. Ecuador will face the Netherlands, while Qatar will take on Senegal.
