Finally football

Yu Hirasawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:21 JST, November 21, 2022

AL KHOR, Qatar — Jubilant Qatari and Ecuadorian supporters gather ahead of the opening match of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on Sunday.

The tournament’s opening ceremony and opening match were held at the stadium, which is north of Doha. Past tournament mascots also made an appearance to enhance the ceremony.

The 32 participating teams are playing in eight groups. Japan’s first match in Group E will be against Germany on Wednesday. The final match will be played Dec. 18.