Enner Valencia’s brace gave Ecuador a vital three points against the South American side in their opening FIFA World Cup Group A match, leaving the hosts the first team to lose their opening game of the tournament.
Group A heavyweights Senegal and the Netherlands will face Ecuador in Doha on Monday to ensure they stay on.
Senegal have entered the World Cup in 2021 after winning their first Africa Cup of Nations title. Meanwhile, the Oranje are looking to make up for lost time at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Senegal’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals in 2002, Qatar’s unfamiliar territory at the World Cup, Ecuador’s comeback after their own World Cup absence, and a resurgent Dutch side provide plenty of twists and turns as we wait to see. will be in Group A.
More: Complete FIFA World Cup schedule 2022
World Cup Group A standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
| 1. Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| 2. Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| 3. Senegal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| 4. Qatar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
World Cup Group A Results and Fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium | Final Result |
| Sun, Nov. 20 | Qatar 0 vs. Ecuador 2 | 11 a.m. | Al Bayt | 0-2 |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | Senegal 0 vs. Netherlands 2 | 11 a.m. | Al Thumama | 0-2 |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Qatar 1 vs. Senegal 3 | 8 a.m. | Al Thumama | 1-3 |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Netherlands vs. Ecuador | 11 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l | |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Netherlands vs. Qatar | 10 a.m. | Al Bayt | |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Ecuador vs. Senegal | 10 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
World Cup Group Tiebreaker
FIFA has confirmed the continuation of its group stage final standings and tiebreaking criteria for the 2022 World Cup, with the final placings ranked according to the system below.
Points scored in all group matches
Goal difference in all group matches
Number of goals scored in all group matches
Points scored in matches played between contested teams
Goal difference in matches played between contested teams
Number of goals scored in matches played between competing teams
Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction may be applied to a player in a single match):
Yellow card: -1 point;
Indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
Direct red card: -4 points;
Yellow card and direct red card: -5 points;
Drawing of lots.
World Cup 2022 Group A Betting Odds
Below are the pre-tournament betting odds for the Netherlands and other Group A sides in the major global regions (BetMGM for the US, Sky Bet for the U.K., Sports Interact for Canada, and Ladbrokes for Australia).
| Team | To win group |
| Netherlands | -250 (US) 1/2 (UK) 1.41 (CAN) 1.50 (AU) |
| Senegal | +450 (US) 4/1 (UK) 5.61 (CAN) 5.50 (AU) |
| Ecuador | +500 (US) 11/2 (UK) 5.79 (CAN) 5.50 (AU) |
| Qatar | +1600 (US) 11/1 (UK) 16.00 (CAN) 13.00 (AU) |
| Team | To qualify |
| Netherlands | -1400 (US) 1/7 (UK) 1.13 (CAN) 1.10 (AU) |
| Senegal | -105 (US) 5/6 (UK) 1.92 (CAN) 1.91 (AU) |
| Ecuador | -110 (US) 11/10 (UK) 1.82 (CAN) 1.91 (AU) |
| Qatar | +375 (US) 7/2 (UK) 3.77 (CAN) 4.50 (AU) |
| Team | To win World Cup |
| Netherlands | +1400 (US) 14/1 (UK) 9.39 (CAN) 13.00 (AU) |
| Senegal | +8000 (US) 100/1 (UK) 75.10 (CAN) 81 (AU) |
| Ecuador | +15000 (US) 150/1 (UK) 92.00 (CAN) 126 (AU) |
| Qatar | +25000 (US) 500/1 (UK) 156 (CAN) 251 (AU) |
Do third-place teams advance to World Cup 2022?
In short, they don’t.
FIFA has confirmed that only the top two nations from each group will progress to the knockout stages, with the third-placed teams not making it to the last 16.