World Cup’ fans are excited for the biggest football extravaganza of the century. The tournament will be held in the energy-rich Arab country of Qatar from November 20 to December 18. It will be the first time the tournament will be held in an Arab nation. However, it has already faced a slew of scandals and allegations over its treatment of women and migrant workers.
The tournament is set to take place in a country that has long been the target of international criticism over its treatment of women and migrant labourers. It is believed that migrant workers are often not paid fairly or are forced to work in unsafe conditions. In addition, Qatar has faced mounting criticism over its treatment of LGBT rights.
Despite all the scandals and allegations, the FIFA World Cup kicks off today in Qatar. The tournament will see 32 teams compete for the title of world champions. The tournament will be held in eight stadiums.
France and Belgium will both hope to defend their 2018 titles. But with France aiming to avoid the ‘Champions Curse’ in 2022, they will have to overcome adversity. The country has been rocked by late injuries to KARIM BENZEMA and Christopher Nkunku. The French are also in the midst of a training crisis with Leicester star James Maddison ruled out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, England are set to face Iran in their first World Cup match on Monday. The match will take place at 1pm UK time. However, England manager Gareth Southgate has said that James Maddison will not be in the squad.
In Group A, Ecuador are top of the table after the opening match. The team’s goal came when Enner Valencia headed in. However, the VAR ruled that the goal was offside.
The first group stage will see teams play four matches each day. They will then progress to the knockout stage. The first two rounds of matches will take place at 7pm. The final round will start at 6pm.
Spain are in Group E and will play Costa Rica. Despite being a group weakened by the withdrawal of Cristiano Ronaldo, Spain have won eight of their 10 qualifying games. But they have conceded four goals in qualifying. They are ranked 20th in the world.
England’s Group A matches will take place at Al Thumama, Education City, Ahmad Bin Ali, and Lusail Stadiums. Meanwhile, the Netherlands will play Senegal on Tuesday. It will be the first time that the two teams will meet since they played in the 1958 World Cup in Wales.
Germany have also qualified for the tournament, but they will have to face Japan in Group E. Despite the draw, Germany were eliminated from the group stage in 2018. In the last four World Cups, Germany have been eliminated in the group stage.
France will open the tournament with a match against Belgium, but will be without Karim Benzema. The forward has been ruled out with an injury to his left thigh.
