The Qatar World Cup, which is mired in controversy, has kicked off with the host nation taking on Ecuador after a glitzy opening ceremony that featured Morgan Freeman and K-Pop star Jung Kook. The plight of migrant workers in Qatar, along with LGBTQ+ rights in the Gulf state, has sparked a backlash against the tournament long before a ball was even kicked. The tournament is the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East, and also the first to take place during the northern hemisphere’s winter. As the soccer showpiece began, Ecuador thought they had opened the scoring through Enner Valencia just minutes after kickoff, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside after a check by the Video Assistant Referee. Ecuador took the lead after 16 minutes when Valencia converted a penalty to score the first goal of the World Cup.
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