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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Malik Ouzia

World Cup 2022 party quickly loses its fizz as Qatar freeze on biggest stage and fans flock to exits

Twelve years and infinite controversies later, yet somehow still a day earlier than planned, this World Cup is finally underway.

It began, in truth, with a bit of a whimper, the host national outplayed by an Ecuador side who seemed to shake hands at 2-0 as the Al Bayt Stadium emptied from the half-time whistle onwards.

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