Qatar v Ecuador, 20 November 2022

Kick-off: 7.00pm local (4.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Qatar 50, Ecuador 44 . This was the first-ever World Cup finals game to be played in an Arabian country and the second edition to be staged within the Asian confederation after Japan / Korea Republic in 2002. It was also the first to be staged midway through a domestic season in winter. . Qatar became the first host nation to lose their opening game of a World Cup finals. The hosts had avoided defeat in their opening match in all of the 21 previous editions (won 16). . Qatar became the third nation to play their first-ever game at a World Cup finals in a tournament they hosted after Uruguay (1930) and Italy (1934). . Senegal remained as the last nation to win their first-ever game at a World Cup finals (versus France in the opening game played in Seoul). . This was the first time that the first goal at a World Cup tournament had been scored with a penalty. . Ecuador had now won two of their five opening games at World Cup finals; also 2-0 versus Poland in 2006. . With the opening goal, Enner Valencia became the first player to score four goals at the World Cup finals for Ecuador. He had now scored their last five goals at World Cup tournaments.