Thousands abandon World Cup opener at half-time

Qatar is also the first World Cup host in history to lose the opening match

Posted Monday, November 21, 2022 by Marca.com

Qatar has become the first FIFA World Cup hosts to lose their opening game, but that was not the only major embarrassment as hundreds of spectators seemed to leave the game at halftime.

Enner Valencia scored goals in the 16th and 31st minutes as Ecuador defeated the home team 2-0.

And for some ticket holders, that was it. By the time the final attendance at Al Bayt Stadium was announced in the second half, it had significantly decreased to 67,372.

Qatar only persuaded FIFA to reschedule their team's opening game as a standalone fixture this year, more than a decade after winning the right to host the event.

Originally scheduled for Monday as the third game of the opening night, Qatar-Ecuador was set to be played.

I would guess that the stadium's been 2/3 full for most of the second half. And that feels like it's quite a generous estimate. https://t.co/WsIflCewdP
— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) November 20, 2022

Instead, the hosts were the center of attention and fell short of the occasion, giving up the first goal after only 160 seconds.

Enner Valencia, the captain of Ecuador, had a goal disallowed by VAR because Michael Estrada had been flagged for offside in the buildup, although no harm had ever come to Ecuador as a result of the decision.

Valencia scored twice in the 2-0 victory-once from the penalty spot and once on a gorgeous header.

Thousands of empty seats after halftime

In the meantime, it was revealed that Qatar had paid people to attend the competition, which led to the strange image of a packed stadium gradually emptying throughout the second half.

The organizing committee used travel, lodging, and money as enticements to bring in supporters. But those supporters were informed that they would no longer receive the promised money when the scam attracted widespread ridicule in the days leading up to the debut.