Damilola
The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world with over 2 billion viewers. The 2022 World Cup is taking place in Qatar, the first time FIFA will host the event in a Muslim country.
To keep our audience updated with happenings at the Qatar World Cup, we are putting together a listicle on events that happen for the first time at the World Cup in Qatar.
A thread (Twitter and on the blog) updated after every first at the world cup – First Yellow Card, First Goal, First Red, etc.
- First Country in the Region to Host: Qatar is the first country from the middle east to host the FIFA World Cup. Qatar is also the first Muslim country to host the biggest football event in the world.
- First Game: The host nation Qatar played the first game of the world cup, facing South American side Ecuador. The game was also Qatar’s first game ever at the World Cup.
- First Goal: Ecuador’s captain Enner Valencia scored the first goal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After a disallowed goal in the third minute of the game, the Ecuador captain calmly slotted in a penalty in the 16th minute to give his team the lead.
- First Yellow Card: Qatar’s Goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb was the first player to be booked at the 2022 World Cup. He got booked for a foul on Ecuador’s captain Enner Valencia in the 16th minute.
- First Penalty: Qatar’s Goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb conceded the first penalty for tripping Ecuador’s Enner Valencia in the opening game. This was the first time the opening goal at a FIFA World Cup was scored from a penalty.
- First Brace: Enner Valencia’s first-half double is the first brace of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- First Host to Lose a game: Qatar is the first host to lose the opening game at the FIFA World Cup. Their 2-0 loss to Ecuador is the first time the host has been unable to avoid defeat in the modern history of the FIFA World Cup.
- First First player born after 2000 to score a goal at a World Cup: Jude Bellingham’s opener for England against Iran is the first time a player born after 2000 scored in the FIFA World. The English teenager, who is just 18 grabbed his first goal for the Three Lions in their opening game of the World Cup.
- First Draw: USA and Wales played a 1-1 draw in their opening game of Group B. This is the first draw at the ongoing World Cup in Qatar. America’s forward and the son of current President of Liberia Timothy Weah opened the scoring for the USA before Wales’s all-time highest goalscorer Gareth Bale scored the equalizer for Wales after he was fouled in the box by defender Walker Zimmerman.
