Qatar vs Ecuador: How to watch live, stream link, team news – NBC Sports

Hosts Qatar do battle with Ecuador as the 2022 World Cup kicks off on Sunday with excitement and intrigue levels through the roof.
This will be the first time Qatar has ever played in the World Cup.
STREAM LIVE QATAR vs ECUADOR 
Qatar have the hopes of a nation on their shoulders and despite being the third lowest ranked team in the tournament the hosts nation have fared pretty well in recent years. They won the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 and reached the semifinals of the Gold Cup in 2021.
As for Ecuador, they have an exciting crop of young players coming through as Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan (both at Brighton) and Jose Cifuentes are some of the rising stars. Both Qatar and Ecuador will be pleased with this draw but know that Senegal and the Netherlands are favorites to get out of Group A.
[ LIVE: World Cup 2022 schedule, how to watch, scores, hub ]
Here is everything you need for Qatar vs Ecuador.
Kick off: 11am ET, Sunday
Stadium: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
TV channels en Español: Telemundo
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)
Qatar have been led by Spanish coach Felix Sanchez since 2017 and their entire squad plays in the domestic league. This is a tight-knit group and five of their World Cup squad have over 100 caps, as they are primed and ready for a first-ever World Cup appearance. Qatar’s captain Hassan Al Haydos has an incredible 169 caps to his name and the Al Saad star has 36 goals at international level. Almoez Ali and Akram Afif are also dangerous up top, while Abdulaziz Hatem is a star in midfield.
For Ecuador, the young aforementioned group are extremely talented but Enner Valencia is La Tri’s main man. He’s scored 35 goals in 74 outings and he’s having a sensational season with Turkish giants Fenerbahce as he’s scored 13 goals in 12 league games. To get out of World Cup qualifying in South America is a huge achievement and Ecuador should not be underestimated. They reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup and have qualified for four of the last six tournaments.
Current FIFA world ranking: 50
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 0
How they qualified: As hosts
Coach: Felix Sanchez
Key players: Abdelkarim Hassan, Almoez Ali, Hassan Al-Haydos
Current FIFA world ranking: 44
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 3
How they qualified: Qualified automatically from CONMEBOL (4th place)
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Key players: Enner Valencia, Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan
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It’s almost here. While there’s long been a debate about whether the 2022 World Cup would arrive in Qatar, the winter tournament is hitting Middle East pitches for the next five weeks.
The mid-season timing has provided for lots of intrigue and injuries but there are still a lot of traditional favorites as Brazil, France, and England duke it out to be named World Cup winners.
[ MORE: Sadio Mane out of 2022 World Cup ]
There are new faces like Canada and (sorta) the United States men’s national team, too, as the CONCACAF neighbors are joined by fellow confederation mates Costa Rica and Mexico.
It’s set to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup and probably Cristiano Ronaldo’s as well, though the Portuguese is gathering headlines for any number of reasons heading into Qatar.
Our staff of Joe Prince-Wright, Andy Edwards, and Nick Mendola have laid out their group stage, knockout round, and award predictions below, also making some USMNT projections ahead of the Yanks’ Group B fight with Wales, England, and Iran.
Group A
JPW: Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, Qatar
Andy: Netherlands, Senegal, Qatar, Ecuador
Nick: Netherlands, Senegal, Qatar, Ecuador
Group B
JPW: England, Wales, USMNT, Iran
Andy: England, Wales, Iran, USMNT
Nick: England, USMNT, Iran, Wales
Group C
JPW:  Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Saudi Arabia
Andy: Argentina, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Poland
Nick: Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia
Group D
JPW:  France, Denmark, Australia, Tunisia
Andy: France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia
Nick: France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia
Group E
JPW: Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica
Andy: Germany, Spain, Japan, Costa Rica
Nick: Spain, Japan, Germany, Costa Rica
Group F
JPW: Belgium, Croatia, Canada, Morocco
Andy: Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, Canada
Nick: Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, Canada
Group G
JPW: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Andy: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Nick: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Cameroon
Group H
JPW: Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana, South Korea
Andy: Uruguay, Portugal, South Korea, Ghana
Nick: Uruguay, South Korea, Portugal, Ghana
JPW – Round of 16
Netherlands def. Wales
Denmark def. Argentina
France def. Poland
England def. Senegal
Croatia def. Spain
Brazil def. Uruguay
Germany def. Belgium
Serbia def. Portugal
JPW – Quarterfinals
Brazil def. Croatia
Netherlands def. Denmark
Germany def. Serbia
England def. France
JPW – Semifinals
Brazil def. Netherlands
England def. Germany
JPW – Final
Brazil def. England
Andy – Round of 16
Wales def. Netherlands
Argentina def. Denmark
Germany def. Croatia
Brazil def. Portugal
England def. Senegal
France def. Mexico
Belgium def. Spain
Uruguay def. Serbia
Andy – Quarterfinals
Argentina def. Wales
Brazil def. Germany
France def. England
Uruguay def. Belgium
Andy – Semifinals
Argentina def. Brazil
France def. Uruguay
Andy – Final
Argentina def. France
Nick – Round of 16
Netherlands def. USMNT
Argentina def. Denmark
Spain def. Croatia
Brazil def. South Korea
England def. Senegal
France def. Mexico
Japan def. Belgium
Uruguay def. Switzerland
Nick – Quarterfinals
Argentina def. USMNT
Brazil def. Spain
France def. England
Uruguay def. Japan
Nick – Semifinals
Brazil def. Argentina
France def. Uruguay
Nick – Final
Brazil def. Uruguay
JPW
Golden Ball: Vinicius Jr.
Silver Ball: Harry Kane
Bronze Ball: Jamal Musiala
Andy
Golden Ball: Lionel Messi
Silver Ball: Kylian Mbappe
Bronze Ball: Emiliano Martinez
Nick
Golden Ball: Neymar
Silver Ball:  Kylian Mbappe
Bronze Ball: Bruno Guimaraes
JPW
Golden Boot: Harry Kane
Silver Boot: Vinicius Jr.
Bronze Boot: Kylian Mbappe
Andy
Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappe
Silver Boot: Vinicius Jr.
Bronze Boot: Romelu Lukaku
Nick
Golden Boot: Neymar
Silver Boot: Luis Suarez
Bronze Boot: Richarlison
JPW: Alisson
Andy: Emiliano Martinez
Nick: Alisson
JPW: Jamal Musiala
Andy: Eduardo Camavinga
Nick: Eduardo Camavinga
JPW
Alisson
Trippier, Marquinhos, Van Dijk, T. Hernandez
Casemiro, Musiala, Kimmich
Neymar, Kane, Vinicius Jr.
Andy
Martinez
Pavard, Varane, Gimenez, Tagliafico
Casemiro, Bentancur
Vinicius Jr, Messi, Mbappe
Lukaku
Nick
Alisson
Koulibaly, Kounde, Gimenez
Betancur, Camavinga, Mitoma, De Bruyne
Mane, Mbappe, Neymar
JPW: Christian Pulisic
Andy:
Nick: Christian Pulisic
JPW: Out in group stage with 3 points
Andy: Out in group stage with 1 point
Nick: Out in group stage on tiebreakers
JPW: Out in group stage with no wins
Andy: Out in group stage with 0 points
Nick: Out in group stage with no goals, one point vs Wales
JPW: Round of 16
Andy: Round of 16
Nick: Round of 16
JPW: Quarterfinals
Andy: Quarterfinals
Nick: Semifinals
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Follow @NicholasMendola
Sadio Mane will miss the 2022 World Cup, darkening the hopes of the one of the tournament’s fashionable dark horses in African powers Senegal.
[ MORE: World Cup 2022 schedule, scores, hub ]
Mane, 30, was injured during Bayern Munich’s 6-1 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday and his injury will keep him out of the competition as the ailment requires surgery.
This is a huge blow for not only Mane and Senegal but also the World Cup overall. This is the player who came second in the recent Ballon d’Or vote and is at the very peak of his powers.
Bayern Munich had released a statement saying: “Sadio Mane suffered an injury to his right fibula during FC Bayern vs Werder Bremen. He will miss the game against Schalke. Further examinations will follow in the coming days, and FC Bayern are in contact with the medical staff of the Senegalese Football Association.”
As for Senegal, The Lions of Teranga had included Mane in their squad for the tournament in the hopes that he would only miss the group stage. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
X News #Mané: He will remain in Munich in the next days and will be treated here. Mané is behaving in a highly professional manner. New medical examinations in 10 days. His attendance at the World Cup is unlikely but not yet 100 % ruled out at this stage. @SkySportDE 🇸🇳
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 11, 2022

The reigning AFCON champions seemed set for a big tournament under Aliou Cisse as they are more than capable of causing shocks against the favorites from South America and Europe. But having Mane available was a significant part of that.
After all he has achieved on the club and international stage, it’s very cruel to not see him leading the African champs in a World Cup where they are expected to make a run in the knockout rounds.
Reece James has confirmed he’s been ruled out of England’s World Cup squad.
James, 22, has been sensational for Chelsea this season but he suffered a knee injury two weeks ago. The attacking right back has been working hard to recover in time to be named in the squad but he won’t be included as he will miss a large chunk of the tournament.
Reportedly Gareth Southgate wasn’t willing to see James miss the entire group stage, while in his statement the player hinted that he was willing to risk his long-term fitness to be available for England at the World Cup.
pic.twitter.com/VHkxLenJhH
— Reece James (@ReeceJames) November 9, 2022

This is a big blow for James and England as he was in incredible form early in the season and was nailed on to be England’s starter at right wing-back in their 3-4-3 formation.
Luckily for the Three Lions, they have Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker (who should be fit) and Ben White who can all play in that position.
Below is a list of players who are confirmed to miss the World Cup through injury, plus details on players who are still on the bubble and could miss out.
Brazil: Diego Carlos, Arthur Melo
England: Reece James, Ben Chilwell
France: N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba
Germany: Timo Werner
Mexico: Jesus ‘Tecatito’ Corona
Netherlands: Georginio Wijnaldum
Portugal: Diogo Jota
Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal
In doubt: Mike Maignan (France), Ronald Araujo (Uruguay), Raphael Varane (France), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Kyle Walker (England), Raul Jimenez (Mexico), Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia), Paulo Dybala (Argentina), Giovani Lo Celso (Argentina), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
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The 2022 FIFA World Cup features 32 nations competing in soccer’s biggest event in Qatar, the first World Cup ever held in the Middle East. This year marks the final edition of the tournament with a 32-nation field – that number is set to increase to 48 for the 2026 World Cup, which will have venues across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
This year’s Copa Mundial looks different for several reasons, including the dates (due to Qatar’s intense summer heat, the schedule was shifted to November-December instead of its traditional summer timing). But as always, the event features the world’s top fútbol nations vying for global glory as well as individual awards for top performers, including the coveted prize for attacking players: the Golden Boot.
At the last iteration of the World Cup, England’s Harry Kane, also a star for Premier League side Tottenham, took home the award thanks to his six goals, which likely helped soften the blow of the Three Lions falling 2-0 to Belgium in the third-place match. One of the top storylines to watch at this year’s World Cup is the swan song for two of the game’s biggest stars: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo. Neither player has ever won the Golden Boot, and neither of their teams has won the World Cup during their tenures. Defending champions France will likely field some contenders for the award, including Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. For more on the latest Golden Boot standings, odds and predictions throughout the tournament, follow along with ProSoccerTalk and NBC Sports Edge.
RELATED: World Cup 2022 schedule – groups, calendar, match schedule, brackets, dates
The Golden Boot is the award given to the top goal-scorer at each edition of the World Cup. If at the conclusion of the tournament two or more players are tied at the top of the list with the same number of goals, the award will go to the player with the most non-penalty goals, and if they are still tied, it will go to the player with the most assists. While there has always been a top goal-scorer at the tournament, the specific award has been given since 1982. It was known as “The Golden Show” until its re-christening in 2010.
RELATED: World Cup 2022 rankings: Who are the favorites?
1982: Paolo Rossi (ITA) – 6
1986: Gary Lineker (GBR) – 6
1990: Salvatore Schillaci – 6
1994: Oleg Salenko (RUS) / Hristo Stoichkov (BUL) – 6
1998: Davor Suker (CRO) – 6
2002: Ronaldo (BRA) – 8
2006 – Miroslav Klose (GER) – 5
2010 – Thomas Muller (GER) – 5
2014 – James Rodriguez (COL) – 6
2018 – Harry Kane (GBR) – 6
The World Cup begins Sunday, November 20th with host nation Qatar taking on Ecuador in the opener. The group stage runs through December 3rd before the knockout rounds begin. The final is set to take place on Sunday, December 18th.
RELATED: USMNT squad confirmed for 2022 World Cup
Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, scores, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and be sure to subscribe to NBC Sports on YouTube!
The USA and Wales clash in what seems to be a crucial Group B opener at the World Cup in Qatar.
STREAM LIVE USMNT vs WALES
Gregg Berhalter’s young side are at their first World Cup since 2014 and there are big things expected of Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Co. in Qatar. After a bumpy qualifying cycle in CONCACAF, there are still plenty of doubts around this team and Berhalter but a big World Cup this time will set things up nicely for the 2026 World Cup on home soil. In the here and now, getting off to a good start at this tournament is vital.
As for Wales and Rob Page, they got through a top qualifying cycle in UEFA via the playoffs and are at their first World Cup since 1958 and just their second-ever tournament. This is the culmination of a career for Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey as Wales’ star duo are both fit and ready to go. After reaching the semifinals of the European Championships in 2016 and then the last 16 at EURO 2020, this Welsh side has success in recent major tournaments.
[ LIVE: World Cup 2022 schedule, how to watch, scores, hub ]
Here is everything you need for USA vs Wales.
Kick off: 2pm ET, Monday (November 21)
Stadium: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
TV channels en Español: Telemundo
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)
For the USMNT their midfield core is going to be their strength but there are still plenty of question marks around the defense. Veteran Tim Ream could start at center back to provide experience, while the midfield trio of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah are locked in as the main men in midfield. Ahead of them Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah are all battling for a starting spot in attacking midfield but there is no clear winner to start as the No. 9, so perhaps the USMNT will start with a false nine?
🗣 I spoke with Wales and Tottenham defender Ben Davies about facing the #USMNT at the World Cup.
He had plenty of respect for the Americans and he believes both teams know how important the Group B opener is to their hopes of progression 👇 https://t.co/lh6LLfT8Ko
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) November 17, 2022

Wales love to sit deep and soak up pressure and their back three and fluid system will be tough for the USMNT to break down. Going forward the quality of Ramsey and Bale speaks for itself and Wales will rely heavily on set-piece situations and swinging in crosses for Kieffer Moore to attack. Watch out for Harry Wilson and Daniel James in the attacking areas too. Wales are a robust, experienced team and they are very good at sitting back and then springing counter attacks. Their nation expects them to get out of this group and this game against the USMNT is going to be so close to call.
Current FIFA world ranking: 16
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 9
How they qualified: Qualified automatically from CONCACAF (3rd place)
Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Key players: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams
Current FIFA world ranking: 19
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 1
How they qualified: Qualified from UEFA via playoffs, Path B
Coach: Rob Page
Key players: Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Ben Davies
Follow @JPW_NBCSports

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