Qatar has done the “impossible”: for the first time in history, the host country of a World Cup loses in its debut

A different World Cup could not fail to have a disruptive event… and Qatar 2022 did it. Never, ever, an organizing team he had lost his first game in the maximum appointment, but those of the Middle East suffered the strength of Ecuador and its captain Enner Valenciaauthor of a double of great workmanship.

The clarification is that the opening matches of the World Cup have not always had the same characteristics. In the first there were simultaneous matches, then the kick-off was given by the last champion and since the 2006 World Cup the first match is the responsibility of the host country. Since then, it’s the first time the host has lost in his opening game.

Qatar’s performance was bad, especially in the first half, when Ecuador closed the match with two goals from Valencia, the first from a penalty and the second with a great header. A) Yes, the Qatari team became the first organizing nation to lose on their debut.

Up until the 1966 World Cup in England, only two World Cups had unique and non-simultaneous opening matches. For example, in 1934, all 8 round of 16 matches were played at the same time. Instead, in 1950, Brazil defeated Mexico 4-0, and in 1958 Sweden beat the Mexicans 3-0.

It is in the land of the inventors of football that only one match is played for the first time on the first day of the competition: England draw 0-0 with Uruguay. Four years later, another 0-0 between Mexico and the Soviet Union. That was the host’s last time until 2006.

Since 1974, the opening match was played by the champion. In Germany Brazil drew 0-0 with Yugoslavia and, in Argentina 78, West Germany and Poland also finished goalless, closing a sequence of four games in a row to zero.

The streak was ended by Argentina in 1982, who lost 1-0 to Belgium, while in Mexico 86, Bulgaria and Italy drew 1-1. Again Argentina lost at the opening in 1990, against Cameroon 1-0. Then, Germany 1-Bolivia 0 in USA 94, Brazil 2 – Scotland 1 in France 98 and France 0 – Senegal 1 in Korea/Japan 2002.

In 2006 the current mode began and the first host nation to win was Germany, who beat Costa Rica 4-2, with a brace from Miroslav Klose. That match was officiated by Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo. Four years later, South Africa drew 1-1 with Mexico, who equalized with six minutes remaining.

In 2014, Brazil started with a 3-1 defeat of Croatia and once again there was a brace for one player: Neymar. As in Russia 2018, where Denis Cheryshev he scored two of five goals for the Russians against Saudi Arabia.