Fans of victorious Ecuador were heard chanting “we want beer” during their World Cup-opening win over Qatar, while the host nation’s supporters left en masse before the end of the game on Sunday.
Large swathes of empty seats in the second half summed up the Qatar soccer team’s disappointing start to their first ever World Cup, but a lively and outnumbered group of Ecuadorians in the stands provided some levity by chanting for beer toward the end of the first half.
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It was a humorous intervention two days after Qatar decided to ban beer sales at the stadiums during the World Cup. It was a late change by the conservative Islamic nation where access to alcohol is strictly limited, with only alcohol-free Bud Zero sold at the game.
The night started with more than 67,000 mostly Qatari fans filling the cavernous Al Bayt Stadium, enjoying an opening ceremony that showcased the tiny Arab emirate to a global audience 12 years after winning the right to host soccer’s biggest event.
It ended with Qatar’s overmatched team trudging off the field, their unwanted place in soccer history secure and with many of their dismayed fans having long disappeared.
The controversy-laced tournament opened Sunday with the 2019 Asian Cup champions getting outplayed in a 2-0 loss to Ecuador, ensuring a host team lost their opening game for the first time at a World Cup.
