Regional head of British Center for Middle East Studies alleges Qatar bribed 8 Ecuador players $7.4M to lose opening game of 2022 FIFA World Cup: Reports

According to the regional head of the British Center for Middle East Studies, Qatar bribed eight Ecuadorian players $7.4 million to lose the opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Qatar and Ecuador are set to clash in the opening fixture of the tournament on November 20 at the Al Bayt stadium. Ahead of the fixture, this serious allegation has come up.

Amjad Taha, the Regional head of the the British Center for Middle East Studies, tweeted out:

"Exclusive: Qatar bribed eight Ecuadorian players $7.4 million to lose the opener(1-0 2nd half). Five Qatari and #Ecadour insiders confirmed this.We hope it's false. We hope sharing this will affect the outcome.The world should oppose FIFA corruption."

Qatar are currently ranked No. 50 in the world and will head into the 2022 FIFA World Cup under the guidance of Felix Sanchez.

Ecuador, meanwhile, are ranked No. 44 in the world at this point in time. Gustavo Alfaro is in charge of the team. Moises Caicedo and Enner Valencia are among the most notable players in the Ecuadorian side.

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Lionel Messi drops retirement hint ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup

2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Previews

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has dropped a huge retirement hint ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Speaking to CONMEBOL, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar said (via Hindustan Times):

"I love football, I love playing it and I enjoy it, the only thing I’ve done all my life is play football, and I’m sure that whatever I do after will be related to it, although I don’t know what. I don’t think I’ll play much more."

Messi was further asked about a return to his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys. He said:

"I don’t know, so many things happen… It was a dream that I always had as a child, of being able to play in Argentine football, that I would go to the pitch and I wanted to be there. But today it depends on many things, I have my family, three children, I just had a very big change in my life that was difficult for me and my whole family. Now I have gotten over it and we feel spectacular."