Qatar supporter tells Ecuador fan to ‘shut up and sit down’ in World Cup opener

Ecuador defeated Qatar in the opening game of the World Cup and their fans took pleasure in brutally mocking the host nation.

Ecuador fans have mocked Qatar during their 2-0 win over the host nation in the opening game of the World Cup on Monday morning (AEDT).

Qatar faced off against Ecuador shortly after the opening ceremony, and the off-field controversy quickly made its way onto the pitch when a dubious VAR call for off-side denied Ecuador’s Enner Valencia a goal.

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Just hours before kick-off, match fixing allegations emerged that Qatar had bribed multiple Ecuadorian players to lose the opening match on purpose, using a total sum of $US7.4 million ($11.1 million).

The result suggests that wasn’t the case but Ecuadorian fans sitting in the stands at the Al Bayt Stadium made their disapproval of Qatar very clear.

pic.twitter.com/Qgrkk93FbG

— Out Of Context Football (@nocontextfooty) November 20, 2022

In a video circulated on social media, an Ecuadorian supporter was seen rubbing his fingers together in a money gesture in the direction of Qatar fans — taking a not-so-subtle dig at the World Cup hosts amid the damaging allegations.

The fan’s antics went down as expected with nearby fans of Qatar, with one furious supporter yelling out: “shut up, sit down”.

The Ecuador fan seemed shocked the response, yelling out “relax” to the angry Qatar fan.

Vision of the incident quickly went viral, with one video racking up 16.6 million views by Monday morning AEDT.

An Ecuadorian fan mocks allegations of Qatar match fixing.

The gesture didn’t go down too well.

In a heartwarming twist to the incident, the two fans later came together to share a video after they realised the video of their altercation had gone worldwide.

“This is Peter, he is an Ecuadorian and he is here to watch the match today,” the Qatar fan said, while shaking hands with Peter.

“In the end we’re all here to watch this beautiful game,” Peter said.

“We come together for sport, sport brings people together, so we’re very friendly with each other.

“I wish Qatar the best and it’s a beautiful World Cup so far, you guys are so friendly I love it.”

🇶🇦⚽️🇪🇨 | QATAR 2022: pic.twitter.com/lmTukTQryV

— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) November 20, 2022

The build up to the World Cup has been overshadowed by controversy, ranging from the poor state of fan accommodation to a ban on the sale of beer at World Cup stadiums.

The strong contingent of Ecuadorian fans attending the game against Qatar weren’t happy about the lack of beer.

Swathes of Ecuadorian supporters sitting in the stands could be heard chanting “Queremos cerveza”, which translates in Spanish to “we want beer”.

Ecuadorian fans are chanting "Queremos cerveza" now.

That translates to “we want beer.”

Elite fanbase. @StoolFootball

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— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 20, 2022

Tournament organisers took everyone by surprise when they reneged on the $112 million sponsorship deal beer giant Budweiser had with FIFA.

The Muslim nation had promised organisers FIFA it would relax its strict laws to allow fans to drink beer at matches and inside fan zones, but backtracked at the last minute.

Alcohol is still expected to be sold in corporate zones, which wealthy fans can pay thousands of dollars to enter.

Ecuador’s fans were out in force for the World Cup opener. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

“Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA fan festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” a FIFA spokesman said.

“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.

“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.

“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

On the pitch, Ecuador’s 2-0 win over Qatar sees the South American nation move to the top of Group A.

Qatar supporters look dejected after Ecuador won World Cup opener. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP)

Qatar claimed an unwanted record, becoming the first host country to lose the tournament opener in the 92-year history of the World Cup.

Ecuador thought they had taken the lead through Enner Valencia, only for the goal to be ruled out for off-side.

The former West Ham man thought he’d scored but VAR cut short his celebrations by deeming him to be off-side when floundering keeper Saad Al Sheeb came rushing out to try and clear the ball.

Fans in the stadium and across the globe were left stunned by the decision to rule out Valencia’s header.