We're 1 afloat week of enactment into the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar and already, there's been an full tournament's worthy of talking points some connected and disconnected the field.
On the pitch, the likes of Spain, England, France and Saudi Arabia person impressed with notable wins, portion Argentina (who mislaid to the Saudis), Germany (who were stunned by Japan) and Wales person each struggled to marque an impact.
We've had FIFA U-turns and issues with protests against the hosts, we've had much 0-0 draws than we saw successful the entirety of Russia 2018, and determination are immoderate caller stars making their people connected the sport's biggest stage.
ESPN's reporters successful Qatar sermon their talking points and best/worst moments of the opening week some connected and disconnected the field, based connected games they've attended truthful far.
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Best on-field infinitesimal of week one?
Rob Dawson: Saudi Arabia arrived successful Qatar arsenic the 2nd lowest ranked squad astatine the World Cup, gave Argentina and Lionel Messi a 1-0 headstart and inactive came backmost to triumph 2-1. How bash you apical a infinitesimal similar that?
Gab Marcotti: Takuma Asano's onslaught past Manuel Neuer that sent Japan to a 2-1 come-from-behind triumph implicit Germany. It came moments aft Japan's equaliser and it turned the crippled -- and the communicative -- connected its head.
Mark Ogden: Richarlison's 2nd extremity for Brazil against Serbia. The Tottenham guardant is astir the forgotten antheral successful Brazil's beforehand 3 alongside Neymar and Vinicius Junior, but helium claimed the spotlight for himself by not lone winning the crippled for the World Cup favourites, but his scissor-kick extremity was the champion of the tourney truthful far.
James Olley: Bukayo Saka's brace for England successful the 6-2 triumph against Iran. Saka was racially abused aft missing a punishment successful past year's shootout against Italy and 498 days later, the Arsenal prima scored doubly connected Monday. It wasn't rather redemption -- that volition hopefully travel aboriginal successful the contention -- but his archetypal tourney quality since that Wembley trauma was immensely satisfying.
Tom Hamilton: The show of seeing Christian Eriksen backmost connected the transportation for Denmark successful a large tournament. It was intimately followed by Breel Embolo's decorativeness successful the 1-0 triumph against Cameroon, which ended my idiosyncratic drought of two-and-a-half games without seeing a goal.
Julien Laurens: To spot Olivier Giroud adjacent Thierry Henry's extremity scoring grounds for France (51 successful 115 caps) was a peculiar moment. I've known Olivier for 10 years, we are friends and helium deserves truthful overmuch recognition for his unthinkable career. No 1 believed him erstwhile helium was younger but helium ne'er gave up. He kept moving hard, kept believing successful himself and made it each the mode to the precise top. Respect.
Jeff Carlisle: It would person to beryllium Tim Weah's extremity successful the 1-1 gully against Wales, 1 of the fewer times that the United States capitalized connected a modulation moment. Such a deft finish, too.
Sam Borden: Weah's extremity for the US is hard to top, but I'll spell a small much planetary and item the emotion from the Tunisia players -- and their unthinkable fans -- during the nationalist anthem up of their archetypal match, which was a 0-0 gully with Denmark. One of the champion parts of this tourney being successful Qatar is seeing the African and Asian teams play successful beforehand of immoderate fantastic support.
Kyle Bonagura: Weah's extremity was a beauteous series from the US, but let's retrieve however unsocial that infinitesimal was: The lad of a existent caput of authorities (Liberia), and the lone African to triumph the Ballon d'Or (George Weah), scored astatine a World Cup portion representing different country.
0:52
Julien Laurens confirms Neymar volition miss the remainder of the World Cup radical signifier for Brazil aft wounded successful the triumph against Serbia.
Worst on-field infinitesimal of week one?
Marcotti: Neymar limping to the sidelines aft twisting his ankle towards the extremity of Brazil's 2-0 triumph implicit Serbia. This whitethorn beryllium his last World Cup and, similar him oregon loathe, him, the crippled is richer with him connected the pitch.
Ogden: Every clip the 4th authoritative has raised the committee for stoppage clip and signaled for acold excessively galore further minutes. Football isn't basketball: The referee has ever been capable to usage discretion arsenic to erstwhile to adhd clip and erstwhile not to. Adding clip for extremity celebrations is pointless; the ref should conscionable archer the players to chopped them abbreviated connected the pitch.
Olley: Alphonso Davies' punishment miss for Canada against Belgium. Playing astatine their archetypal World Cup successful 36 years, Canada were superb successful the 1-0 nonaccomplishment against Belgium, and Davies had the accidental to people the opening extremity from the spot aft conscionable 10 minutes. Thibaut Courtois is simply a maestro of redeeming penalties and helium repeated the instrumentality again, repelling a poorly taken spot-kick and giving Belgium the level to sneak a win.
Dawson: The look connected Inaki Williams' look aft helium had missed the accidental to equalise successful the past 2nd against Portugal. You could archer helium knew it was a immense infinitesimal for Ghana.
Hamilton: The entirety of Croatia 0-0 Morocco. Morocco were the amended team, but it was a dire crippled lacking clear-cut chances.
Carlisle: Walker Zimmerman conceding a punishment to Wales' Gareth Bale. The US was truthful adjacent to seeing this crippled retired and claiming a captious 3 points. Now the Americans are successful a dogfight to get retired of the group.
Borden: Watching location squad Qatar fundamentally beryllium retired of the tournament-opening lucifer aft fractional an hr against Ecuador was disappointing, particularly arsenic it took truthful overmuch vigor retired of the Qatari crowd. Literally too, arsenic it turned out, since truthful galore fans near agelong earlier the last whistle.
Laurens: I miss Eden Hazard (I deliberation we each do) but the existent one, not the mentation that I saw connected Thursday for Belgium against Canada. Not that Hazard. I cognize helium is retired of signifier and not lucifer fit, but I was inactive expecting more. He lasted 63 minutes, his stats were mediocre and helium had nary interaction connected the game. I americium inactive hoping to spot him getting amended done this tournament.
Bonagura: Uruguay and South Korea understood however detrimental a nonaccomplishment would beryllium to get retired of the radical and their 0-0 effect was an implicit bore: Neither squad recorded a changeable connected extremity arsenic prima forwards Luis Suarez and Son Heung-min were some invisible.
Best off-field infinitesimal successful week one?
Dawson: The celebrations successful the stands erstwhile Saudi Arabia scored their 2nd successful the daze 2-1 triumph against Argentina. A substance of joyousness and disbelief.
Marcotti: The feline selling (probably unlicensed) Qatar-Ecuador half-and-half scarves earlier the opening game. And the information that helium misspelled Ecuador, calling it "Equator." And the information that nary of the folks buying it seemed to care.
Ogden: A Qatari connected the Metro earlier Brazil vs. Serbia, sitting unsocial successful a carriage afloat of fans, spotted a Brazil protagonist struggling to crook his Brazilian emblem into a keffiyeh caput scarf and walked across, introduced himself and asked if helium could bash it for him. Ten seconds later, the Brazilian had a perfectly neat caput scarf and aqel rope.
Olley: Germany's closed-mouth gesture successful effect to the "One Love" armband fiasco. They recovered a mode to explicit their constituent of presumption without FIFA authorisation done a almighty ocular representation projected astir the world.
Borden: I cognize it didn't presage a bully show successful the lucifer itself, arsenic they mislaid 2-1 to Japan, but I appreciated the Germany players covering their mouths successful their squad photograph arsenic a mode to item that FIFA was muzzling them from speaking retired against intolerance.
Hamilton: The sound of the Tunisia fans was conscionable unthinkable successful their 0-0 gully with Denmark, made adjacent much raucous by the cheerleading skills of their fantastic midfielder Aissa Laidouni.
Carlisle: The US grooming league with migrant workers. Yes, successful immoderate ways this was a photograph op for the Supreme Committee. But bully connected the US players for stepping up and trying to make immoderate lasting memories for those workers who took part.
Laurens: My squad winning the ESPN FC four-a-side lucifer against Nedum Onuha's team. Nedum is my feline of people but it was saccharine to bushed him. He volition accidental that helium scored 4 goals, which helium did to beryllium fair. I lone scored 1 but I gave 4 assists and was the cleanable maestro starring my team. The video of the crippled is disposable here connected the ESPN FC YouTube channel truthful spell and dainty yourself!
Bonagura: The small moments person near the biggest content for me. It's encouraging to spot fans from each implicit the world, irrespective of language, travel unneurotic to stock impromptu moments of laughter and joy.
1:49
James Olley recaps a singular code from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, successful which helium called retired the "hypocrisy" of nations criticising Qatar.
Worst off-field infinitesimal of week one?
Marcotti: Gianni Infantino's quality conference to unfastened the tournament, which turned into an interminable and overmuch mocked code astir colonialism and Western entitlement. He wanted to speech astir inclusion and the tangible steps FIFA and Qatar person taken together; helium ended up achieving the opposite.
Ogden: Where bash you start? The last-minute stadium intoxicant ban, the menace of punishment for teams who wore the "One Love" armband, the bare seats successful stadiums? There has been excessively overmuch contention for a shot tournament, but the "One Love" armband contented was by acold the worst. A brainsick determination by FIFA.
Olley: The full "One Love" armband was symptomatic of FIFA tackling favoritism lone connected their presumption but the bigger model into the organisation's mindset came successful Infantino's alarming pre-tournament quality conference. An hour-long monologue mixing delusion and astir despotic behaviour.
Dawson: The determination by European FAs to wantonness their program to deterioration the "One Love" armband. Risking a yellowish paper is thing compared to the hazard progressive successful being a cheery antheral oregon pistillate successful Qatar, and immoderate things are much important than football.
Hamilton: The wide regularisation of rainbow-coloured clothing, and attire. This was meant to beryllium a World Cup for all, alternatively than a censored tournament. Infantino's opening code conscionable down successful 2nd place.
Carlisle: Wales fans getting their rainbow bucket hats confiscated. Just 1 of galore instances of the authorities being heavy-handed.
Borden: Infantino's quality conference, and by immoderate distance. Rambling, absurd and astatine times outright offensive, it was a simply atrocious opening.
Laurens: France prima Karim Benzema's wounded conscionable earlier the tournament. He had been waiting 8 years for different accidental to play successful a World Cup and was looking guardant to it. Just similar that, it each went to dust! It was a bittersweet moment. The Ballon d'Or victor near Doha connected a formation astatine 8 a.m. past Sunday heartbroken and leaving his squad behind.
Bonagura: The acquisition of attending Wales' archetypal World Cup quality successful 64 years was spoiled for immoderate fans, who were not allowed to bring their rainbow bucket hats into the venue. Chalk it up arsenic different shameful infinitesimal for FIFA, which aboriginal clarified the hats would beryllium allowed.
Player who's impressed you the most?
Marcotti: Vinicius Jr. I thought helium was the lone attacking subordinate to execute during Brazil's archetypal fractional against Serbia and played a cardinal portion successful the goal. There are precise fewer antidotes to velocity and commitment.
Ogden: Gavi. This is simply a adjacent 1 with Jude Bellingham, but if you go the youngest subordinate since Pele to people successful the World Cup, that's immoderate achievement. And what a extremity it was, too.
Olley: Jude Bellingham. A 19-year-old charged with the work of solving a presumption (central midfield) that's been a occupation successful the English squad for years. He could hardly person made a amended commencement against Iran, scoring the opening extremity and displaying present diagnostic maturity beyond his years successful possession.
Dawson: Bruno Fernandes. He was pushed retired wide for Portugal's opener against Ghana, but it was his power that won them the crippled arsenic helium acceptable up his side's 2nd and 3rd goals.
Hamilton: Aissa Laidouni. From the matches I've seen, Tunisia's antiaircraft midfielder takes this. Magnificent against Denmark arsenic helium tackled thing and everything successful sight.
Carlisle: Tim Ream. The US team's elder statesman has been a steadying power connected what is the second-youngest squad astatine this World Cup. So far, the past 3 weeks person been rather the capstone to a coagulated career.
Borden: Tyler Adams. He's hardly a concealed astatine this constituent fixed his commencement with Leeds United, but Adams continues to amusement himself arsenic a top-class planetary midfielder. He's the motor that makes the USMNT go.
Laurens: Stephen Eustaquio. The Canada midfielder was superb against Belgium contempt the defeat. He bossed the midfield and unopen down Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans and Axel Witsel. He is lone 25 but this season, helium has been of the champion midfielder successful the Champions League with FC Porto. He has confirmed each his imaginable and rising endowment already successful this World Cup.
Bonagura: Gavi. Not lone was Gavi the youngest subordinate connected the tract successful Spain's 7-0 rout of Costa Rica, helium was the best. And his extremity -- to go the third-youngest scorer successful World Cup past -- mightiness person been the astir awesome connected Matchday One until Richarlison's stunner for Brazil.
1:56
Mark Ogden has a look astir Ras Abu Fontas instrumentality colony 10 miles southbound of downtown Doha.
Every squad has played astatine slightest 1 game. Who's winning this World Cup?
Marcotti: Might arsenic good instrumentality with Brazil.
Ogden: Portugal. This is simply a agelong shot, and Brazil and Spain some impressed, but Portugal are beardown successful each departments and they stepped up a cogwheel to bushed Ghana successful their opener. It's besides nary longer each astir Cristiano Ronaldo. They're a unsafe side.
Olley: I'm sticking with Brazil. Spain were evidently awesome successful winning 7-0, but that came against a mediocre Costa Rica team. Brazil had a akin level of power against a stronger Serbia side, and that bodes good fixed the comparative deficiency of mentation time. However, losing Neymar for immoderate magnitude of clip would intelligibly beryllium a large blow.
Dawson: Argentina were mediocre successful the 2nd fractional against Saudi Arabia, but successful 1990 they mislaid their opener to Cameroon and inactive reached the final. They've surely got the players to triumph it.
Hamilton: I said Argentina going into the tournament, and I'm not bailing connected them aft 1 round.
Carlisle: I'll instrumentality with Brazil. The archetypal fixture against Serbia was a tricky one, yet they managed to get the win.
Borden: It's hard to support this prime aft the Saudi Arabia game, but I'm inactive riding with Lionel Messi and Argentina. I similar a bully story, and there's nary amended communicative than Messi yet winning successful his past World Cup.
Laurens: What a question! We each cognize the answer. Everyone wrote France disconnected aft each their injuries -- particularly the Benzema 1 -- but this squad is getting stronger for it, much agreed than ever and with large belief. It is their destiny to support the World Cup. Sixty years aft Brazil, against each likelihood and adversity, they volition clasp their title.
Bonagura: Spain. The show against Costa Rica mightiness person been the azygous astir ascendant show successful World Cup history. That won't proceed against amended opposition, but it was rather the statement.
Biggest astonishment (good oregon bad) since arriving successful Doha?
Marcotti: I was genuinely amazed seeing truthful galore Qatar fans permission earlier the extremity of the opening crippled nonaccomplishment to Ecuador, particularly fixed the lengths this state has gone to big it.
Ogden: The inability of the section authorities to grip crowds of people, whether it is successful a Metro presumption oregon extracurricular a stadium. Qatar is small, with a tiny population, truthful neither the constabulary oregon locals cognize however to respond erstwhile truthful galore radical are trying to inhabit the aforesaid space.
Olley: The somesthesia astatine night. Leaving the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium aft Belgium bushed Canada (Kick off: 10 p.m. section time), it felt, well, not cold, but determination was a coolness successful the aerial I didn't anticipate. The 10 p.m. footwear offs are a existent vantage to avoiding the vigor of earlier successful the day, and adjacent that is offset by the ferocious air-conditioning successful the stadiums. With much than 3 weeks to go, I mightiness person to bargain much lukewarm clothing.
Dawson: So far, the infrastructure successful Doha appears to beryllium coping with the influx of fans from astir the satellite and the vigor hasn't been arsenic utmost arsenic immoderate were predicting.
Hamilton: The eye-watering prices successful definite restaurants, adjacent for a vessel of water. The implicit demolition of my laundry regular from the expected one-shirt-a-day policy, ruined by the heat.
Carlisle: I'd accidental transport, mostly successful a bully mode acknowledgment to the inferior of the subway system. That said, the frequence of immoderate roadworthy closures has been maddening astatine times.
Borden: The vigor or, really, the deficiency thereof. Obviously we're playing this tourney successful a Northern Hemisphere wintertime for a reason, but the temperatures haven't been atrocious astatine all. They'll astir surely beryllium much utmost astatine immoderate venues during a summertime tourney successful North America successful 2026.
Laurens: We are lone a week successful but it has been a hectic week. However, I person loved the vigor that you find successful Doha. We spell to furniture late, usually aft 4 a.m. due to the fact that of the assorted ESPN FC TV shows we bash and the clip quality with the US; we are up aboriginal to spell to matches oregon quality conferences, chasing quality story, penning features and yet we are inactive successful apical signifier due to the fact that the vigor is there. The vibe is bully successful Qatar. We are staying successful a vibrant area, Mushaireb, wherever tons of fans from each astir the satellite stitchery and it's large to see.
Bonagura: I accidental I could person researched this beforehand, but I was decidedly caught disconnected defender by sunset coming successful the 4 o'clock hour. The prima is aggravated during the day, but successful the upwind has been comfy successful the evenings erstwhile astir of the enactment is happening.
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