The opening match of the 2022 World Cup sees Qatar take on Ecuador in Group A action.
Amidst several controversies within and outside of the tournament, the Maroons are in the world showpiece for the first time ever and are the first nation to make their debut as hosts since Italy in 1934.
Ecuador are making their fourth-ever World Cup appearance with La Tri's best-ever showing coming in 2006, where they narrowly lost to England on a goal by David Beckham in the Round of 16.
This is the second meeting between Qatar and Ecuador with their only prior match taking place in a 2018 friendly as the Maroons held on for a 4-3 victory after jumping out to a 4-1 lead.
Team news
The Maroons haven't had a lot of action in recent months as they didn't need to go through qualifying as the host nation, but have recently recorded friendly victories against Albania, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.
Hassan Al-Haydos will be capped for the 166th time and lead the Qatar midfield while the attack is driven by the duo of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif.
Following a surprise run through CONMEBOL qualifying, La Tri's participation was in jeopardy following eligibility issues surrounding Byron Castillo, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared him.
Moises Caicedo will drive the side along with Brighton teammate Pervis Estupinan while Enner Valencia is the main attacking threat for Gustavo Alfaro's side.
Likely line-ups
Qatar: Al-Sheeb; Hassan, Al-Rawi, Khoukhi; Ahmed, Boudiaf, Al Haydos, Hatem, Miguel; Ali, Afif
Ecuador: Domínguez; Estupiñán, Hincapié, Torres, Castillo; Ibarra, Gruezo, Caicedo, Plata; Estrada, Valencia
Key players
Almoez Ali (Qatar)
The Maroons most decorated goal-scorer with 42 will get a chance to show what he's all about on the world stage after stints in Australia and Spain.
Domestically, he was a part of the Al-Duhail side that went undefeated during the 2017-18 Qatar Red Stars league campaign and topped the scoring charts at the 2021 Gold Cup.
If Qatar are to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages, Ali will need to be at his very best.
Moises Caicedo (Ecuador)
The midfielder is one of the brightest young stars at the World Cup and will take to the pitch shortly after his 21st birthday. Alfaro has made him the main man in the middle of the park.
Caicedo can operate as a box-to-box midfielder and is capable of dictating the tempo of any game while versatile enough to work down either flank as evidenced with club team Brighton in England.
Already the team leader at such a young age, it would surprise no one if he won the Best Young Player award regardless of how La Tri fare.
Match facts
Where is the match being played?
The Al-Bayt Stadium, which will host nine matches during the competition and seats 60,000, is the venue for the World Cup curtain-raiser.
What time is the match?
Kick-off is set for 7pm in Al-Khor, the northeastern coastal city where the tournament will get underway.
How can I watch the match?
The tournament will be broadcast worldwide with FOX and Telemundo handling coverage in the United States and the BBC, ITV and SC4 showing all of the action in the United Kingdom.