Ecuador defeated Qatar 2-0 in the opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.

Qatar is the first host nation lost its opening match at the World Cup. They managed 0 shots on goal over 90 minutes played.

"We did not play at our best level," Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez said. "Maybe the responsibility and the nerves got the better of us. We just have to let go and forget about it and be more competitive. We can do it."

Enner Valencia, Ecuador's all-time leading goal-scorer, scored both goals in the first half. This was after a video review already disallowed a second-minute goal by Valencia for a close offside call.

"I dreamt so many times about winning this opening match. This was a dream that I managed to score and help my team get the three points," Valencia said.

"We managed to score a couple of quick goals which helped us to get control of the game and win the three points ... We think we can go very far and perform well."

Ecuador moves to first place in Group A with 3 points and Qatar sits in last place with 0 points and a -2 goal difference.

Day 2 (Monday) Matches:

• Group B: England vs. Iran, 8 a.m. ET
• Group A: Netherlands vs. Senegal, 11 a.m. ET
• Group B: USA vs. Wales, 2 p.m. ET