'My only problem is banning alcohol'
Ecuador mints commemorative coin to mark World Cup participation.
'So being here means we deserve to be here, it's not a change or because we are women.'
Twelve cameras in each stadium will track 29 points on the body of each player and a sensor inside the match ball will send data to the VAR operations room 500 times a second to allow a highly accurate assessment of when the pass was played.
A stellar season thus far has propelled the 43-year-old into the top 15.
Though many outsiders expect Qatar to be soundly drubbed in all three games, home fans know forwards Akram Afif and Almoez Ali have both talent and experience and pray they can penetrate an Ecuador team themselves struggling to score of late.
Just a few days back it seemed like Qatar, which has strict controls on alcohol, would relax their laws for the football extravaganza as consuming alcohol in public places is illegal in the Gulf country.
'After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the US league to experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day.'
Sadio Mane injured his right fibula playing for German club Bayern Munich.
Spectators have been urged to respect Qatar's legal and cultural norms, including its restrictions on drinking, drugs, sexual activity, and attire.
One could argue that his relationship with the World Cup over the last 12 years reflects his entire career -- a tale of hope, disappointment, controversy, pain and underachievement.
A delegation from Israel's foreign ministry will be allowed to provide consular assistance from Doha for its citizens coming for the World Cup matches.
The decision to award Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup has been marred by controversy, including allegations of corruption and human rights violations, since it was first announced 12 years ago, ensuring how the host country treats visitors will be heavily scrutinised.
Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden lost to Russian pair of Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov.
Qatar no playground for playmakers as defenders clamp down
La'eeb is an Arabic word meaning 'super-skilled player'.
Soccer fans at the almost alcohol-free World Cup are ready to pay high prices for a beer, a few have tried to smuggle booze into stadiums but most simply accept that drinking is off limits at the first tournament in a Muslim country.
Bopanna had scripted history in March to become the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion when he and Ebden won the BNP Paribas Open.
Argentina and Mexico fans lit up the World Cup on Saturday with their vast and vociferous followings creating a thunderous atmosphere in and around Qatar's Lusail Stadium.
PSG forward Messi, 35, was next on the list after bringing home a combined $130 million while club team mate and France captain Mbappe -- the youngest on the list at 24 -- earned $120 million to sit third.
"They had a few biters, guys who are hot on your heels. Then you have to act quickly, and (we) could have dealt with that better. We should have done better in possession of the ball," said Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk.
Some soccer players have raised concerns over the rights of fans travelling to the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against.
Balloons in the national colours of Israel and Qatar festooned the departure gate for the first commercial flight between the countries on Sunday, permitted by Doha for fans of the World Cup despite the absence of formal bilateral relations.
After years of pressure from human rights groups, Qatar changed its labour laws to dismantle much of its "kafala" sponsorship system, absolving workers of the need to get the permission of the employer who sponsored their visa in order to change jobs or leave the country.
Argentina's World Cup winning captain Lionel Messi was named the Laureus Sportsman of the Year, while sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bagged the top women's honour.
Qatar will be the first team since Italy in the second World Cup in 1934 to participate in the finals for the first time as a host without having previously qualified for the tournament.
They all spoke of their disappointment at the decisions, given the historic moment of it being held in the Middle East.
England's Football Supporters' Association said the decision raises concerns about Qatar's ability to fulfil its promises to visiting fans on "accommodation, transport or cultural issues."
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With immense pressure on him to match the late great Diego Maradona and send the trophy back to Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi has lit up the Qatar tournament while others in the superstar stratum - Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo - have underwhelmed and gone home.
Dutch fans right to boycott World Cup-Van Gaal
A summary of Friday night's action in the season-opening leg of the Diamond League in Doha on Friday.
IMAGES from the Group A match played between the Netherlands and Qatar on Tuesday.
The evacuation came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Saudi Arabia counterpart and Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan.
The Qatar World Cup has delivered a rich feast of soccer for the past month
Qatar is expecting an unprecedented 1.2 million visitors during the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament.
Budweiser World Cup campaign curbed, not crashed, by Qatar beer ban
In 2015, FIFA recommended that Qatar host a shorter World Cup over the cooler months of November and December in a move that was sure to put soccer's world governing body on a collision course with the major European leagues.
Neeraj Chopra beat a star-studded field with a best throw of 88.67m to begin his season in style.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will begin the season at the Doha Diamond League.
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