Qatar will play in their first World Cup ever and the expectation is enormous for the opener against Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium. Felix Sanchez’s squad have given hopes to thousands of fans after winning the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and reaching the 2021 Gold Cup semifinals as a guest team in CONCACAF.

Ecuador had great performances in CONMEBOL to qualify for their first World Cup since 2014 (thirdoverall) and survived a major controversy off the pitch with Byron Castillo’s case. Now, after defending themselves from Chile’s legal claims, they’re ready to fight in Group A with the Netherlands, Senegal and the hosts.

For the opening game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a very important aspect is the referee named by FIFA. Throughout history, the man who gets the nomination is often recognized as one of the best in the world considering the importance of an inaugural match.

Who is the referee for Qatar vs Ecuador?

Great referees have been part of the inaugural matches of the World Cup. Arturo Brizio Carter (1994), José María García-Aranda (1998), Horacio Elizondo (2006), Ravshan Irmatov (2010), Yuichi Nishimura (2014) or Nestor Pitana (2018).

Daniele Orsato will be the referee for the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador. The Italian is one of the best in the business. In 2020, Orsato was in charge of the Champions League final played by Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich. That same year, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics named him the best referee in the world. A few months ago, Orsato was the referee for the crucial second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Manchester City.

For the match between Qatar and Ecuador, Ciro Carbone (Italy) will be Assistant Referee 1 and Alessandro Giallatani (Italy) will be Assistant Referee 2. Istvan Kovacs (Romania) will be the Fourth Official.

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daniele orsato

Qatar vs Ecuador: Who will be the referee for the 2022 World Cup opening match?