Fifa have moved the 2022 World Cup to start one day earlier so Qatar meet Ecuador in the opening game, so which nation has the best record in the first match of past tournaments?
Fifa move Qatar vs Ecuador so host nation contest opening game in 2022
Qatar will now raise the curtain for the 2022 World Cup against Ecuador after Fifa brought forward the tournament. The first edition to be held in a Middle East nation will now begin on Sunday, November 20 at 19:00 (16:00 GMT) so the host country play in the opening tie.
Senegal were due to face the Netherlands on Monday, November 21 at 13:00 (10:00 GMT) in the opening fixture. That will now be at 19:00 (16:00 GMT) on the same day, following England vs Iran at 16:00 (13:00 GMT) and before the USA face Wales at 22:00 (19:00 GMT).
Fifa have moved Qatar’s fixture with Ecuador forward so the host nation will feature in the opening game. The opening ceremony has also been moved to Sunday, November 20, and will be prior to kick-off at Al Bayt Stadium after a unanimous decision from the Fifa council.
The decision to bring the opening ceremony and Qatar’s match against Ecuador forward to be a stand-alone event ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition that the first game at the Fifa tournament will either see the defending champions or the host nation feature.
Host nations first played exclusively in opening Fifa World Cup game in 1950
Between 1930 to 1962, only the 1950 edition in Brazil and in 1958 in Sweden saw the host nation kick things off in a stand-alone tie. England in 1966 and Mexico in 1970 started with games as the hosts, while defending champions played the first fixture from 1974 to 2002.
Qatar were due to break from the tradition that started in 2006 with the host nation playing the opening game. Per ESPN, Fifa agreed to the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s request for their first match to be later in the day after insisting on a huge firework display.
Sheikh Tamim wanted to revel in an extravagant display during the opening ceremony, but the light levels during an afternoon kick-off would have limited the show. Thus, Fifa agreed to move Qatar’s tie with Ecuador and give Senegal and the Netherlands the opening game.
But it has now been decided by key Fifa stakeholders and the host country that Qatar will face Ecuador a day earlier than planned, to maintain the tradition of the hosts playing in the opening game at the 2022 World Cup. So, which nation has the best opening game record?
Brazil boast best record in opening games at past tournaments
Brazil boast the best record in the opening games of past World Cup tournaments as the only nation with six wins. The Selecao kicked off editions in 1950, 1954, 1962, 1974, 1998 and 2014 with victories – including as hosts in 1950 and 2014 against Mexico and Croatia.
The 1954 and 1962 editions saw Brazil feature in the opening match when multiple games occurred at the same time. Four matches kicked off in unison in 1954 in Switzerland, while four also took place concurrently in 1962 in Chile. The most at once was in 1934 with eight.
Germany hold the second-best record in the opening game at past World Cups with three wins – including as West Germany. Die Mannschaft were also involved in the first opening game to end as a tie after regulation time back in 1938 when they drew with Switzerland.
Nati would advance over Germany in the first fixture of the finals held in France with a 4-2 win in extra-time. The 1938 tournament only had 16 teams and started with knockout ties. It was Switzerland’s second and most recent opening game win following a victory in 1934.
Sweden, Austria and Uruguay are the only other nations to win multiple times in the opening match at a World Cup finals with two. France, USA, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Senegal, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Chile, Argentina, Belgium, Cameroon and Russia have all won in one.
Mexico and Brazil have contested the most opening games at World Cups
Alongside winning the most with six, Brazil have also contested the opening game at World Cups the joint-most. The Selecao and Mexico have each featured in the first fixture seven times, ahead of Germany (5) – including as West Germany – plus France and Argentina (4).
Belgium, Switzerland and Uruguay have contested the opening fixture on three occasions. While the United States of America plus Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Scotland, Bulgaria and Russia/Soviet Union have featured in the first match twice to date.
Spain, Hungary, Egypt, Romania, the Netherlands, Colombia, Chile, England, Poland, Costa Rica, Cameroon, Bolivia, Senegal, South Africa, Croatia and Saudi Arabia have played in the opening game once. This year will be Qatar and Ecuador’s first time in the opening game.
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