The waiting is over and the World Cup is finally here. These Qatar vs. Ecuador predictions take a look at the opening game of the tournament – one that will tell us a lot about how well the hosts are likely to perform.
Qatar vs. Ecuador odds
1 – The draw – 11/5
2 – Under 2.5 goals scored – 4/6
3 – Both teams to score – 11/10
4 – Qatar to score under 1.5 goals – 2/9
5 – Almoez Ali to score at any time – 10/3
The build up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup hasn’t always gone to plan for the hosts, but now the Qatar team will be able to put all controversies aside and show that they can perform at the highest level of international football.
Catalan coach Félix Sánchez will not be able to blame a lack of preparation for any defeats. He has been able to run the rule over his squad in a number of friendlies against top-level competition over the last few years – and should be pleased with the results.
The first ever Middle Eastern World Cup hosts have won their last five games against the likes of Panama and Albania and will be keen to get at least a point on the board here ahead of tougher games against Senegal and the Netherlands.
Ecuador will be viewed as the weakest opponent in the group by Qatar, but any team that gets out of the South American qualifying tournament should really be considered a good side. Results have not been quite as impressive since the World Cup berth was achieved, but La Tri will be just as confident as the hosts of a good start.
Head coach Gustavo Alfaro will be in charge of one of the youngest squads at the World Cup and has put his faith in a new generation of Ecuador players after dismantling the side when he took over in 2020.
Goals have been scarce in recent games though. Add to that the fact that opening games at World Cup finals are notoriously cagey, and this could be a tight game with few goal-scoring opportunities. Don’t be surprised if the World Cup starts off with a whimper rather than a bang.
How to stream Qatar vs. Ecuador
Different countries will have different official broadcasters for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But Qatar vs. Ecuador will be eagerly anticipated and should be available in your location.
Qatar vs. Ecuador last five matches
Qatar last five matches
Qatar 2-2 Chile
Qatar 2-0 Guatemala
Qatar 1-0 Honduras
Qatar 2-1 Panama
Qatar 1-0 Albania
Ecuador last five matches
Mexico 0-0 Ecuador
Ecuador 1-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 0-0 Ecuador
Ecuador 0-0 Japan
Ecuador 0-0 Iraq
Qatar top goalscorers
Almoez Ali – 3
Hassan Al Haydos – 2
Karim Boudiaf – 1
Akram Afif – 1
Khalid Muneer – 1
Ecuador top World Cup qualification goalscorers
Michael Estrada – 6
Enner Valencia – 4
Gonzalo Plata – 3
Moisés Caicedo – 2
Ángel Mena – 2
Qatar vs. Ecuador line-ups
Qatar (3-5-2): Sheeb; Khoukhi, Rawi, A Hassan; Ró-Ró, Hatem, Haydos, Boudiaf, Amin; Afif, Ali
Ecuador (4-4-2): Domínguez; Castillo, Torres, Hincapié, Estupiñán; Plata, M Caicedo, Gruezo, Ibarra; Estrada, E Valencia
Qatar team news
Félix Sánchez will be well used to coaching this squad now and will rely on the dangerous Almoez Ali up front to sniff out any goal opportunities, while Akram Afif has returned from injury at just the right time to be the star of the show in front of the home fans.
Ecuador team news
This is a young Ecuador squad but Gustavo Alfaro is putting his faith in the Brighton duo of Moisés Caicedo and Pervis Estupiñán to provide some level heads and lead La Tri to glory. There are some major players missing because of injury though, so it will be interesting to see if the replacements can step up on the world stage.