Cyrille de la Morinerie 10:45 a.m., November 21, 2022

For the opening match of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar faced Ecuador on Sunday.

The Qatari team couldn't resist for long and lost 2-0.

The atmosphere at the Al Bayt stadium did not last long either, the Qatari fans did not wait for the end of the match to leave the stadium.

A funny opening match to start the 2022 Football World Cup. Qatar wanted to impress, it was successful for the opening ceremony.

But for football, we will have to come back.

The national team lost 2-0 to Ecuador.

A match that will remain in the annals despite everything since the stadium has been emptied of its supporters.

The Qataris did not deign to stay until the end of the match.

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Qatar disappoints its supporters

At the time of the anthems, the Qataris proudly sing their national song.

At kick-off, it's festive then Qatar concedes a goal, a second and there, it's too much.

This is the beginning of a long procession of Qataris towards the exit.

The fans of the small emirate leave their seats, so that at the end of the match, the stadium is practically empty.

"I think they got bored"

The atmosphere being provided by the Ecuadorian kop.

But Smaïl, in traditional white dress, is not surprised by the attitude of his compatriots.

"It sends back a negative image of not staying until the end. I think they were bored, they don't believe in their team", he says at the microphone of Europe 1.

A Cameroonian journalist met on the spot tells us "never to have seen that", he who has already covered four World Cups.

"It was curious, it's regrettable but it was the frustration that was above fair play," he judges.

Originally, the opening match was to be the very good Senegal-Netherlands poster but Qatar insisted on starting its World Cup.

Result, an infamous spectacle and an inglorious image of empty stands.

This Monday morning, FIFA, which had given in, is probably biting its fingers.