Outside of World Cups, the most notable incident in the career of Enner Valencia perhaps came as he lay on the back of a golf buggy and was chased, cartoon style, out of a stadium by police over allegations of unpaid alimony to his ex-wife. In World Cups, however, Ecuador’s record goalscorer has now made his mark at two tournaments, scoring the opening goals of Qatar against the hosts to trigger thousands to leave their seats and consigning the curtain-raiser to a rather drab formality.
Valencia did not quite make World Cup history. Only two players, but none since 1934, had scored a hat-trick in the opening match of the tournament and for over an hour it was a record that was in reach. After winning and scoring a penalty, and then powering a brilliant header into the corner, he may have even had a first-half hat-trick if Ecuador did not have an opening goal disallowed by VAR and Fifa’s semi-automated offside system - which came much to the confusion of everyone watching at the stadium and at home.
