France's hopes of defending their World Cup crown were dealt a huge blow as Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema was ruled out of the tournament in Qatar with an injured left thigh on Saturday evening.
Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said the hosts were excitedly looking forward to a "historic moment" when his team open the 2022 World Cup against Ecuador on Sunday.
FIFA 2022 World Cup Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador 20 November 2022 Al Bayt stadium, Al Khor KO- 18:00 (SA Time)
On Saturday the 19th of November, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe will visit African nations partaking in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, starting with African champions.
There is a thread that connects the three leading favourites to win the World Cup starting in Qatar on Sunday.
FIFA and Qatar on Friday banned beer sales around the eight World Cup stadiums in a stunning policy u-turn just two days before the start of the tournament.