Former Manchester United forward - and now free agent - Cristiano Ronaldo starts for Portugal in their 2022 World Cup opener. The 37-year-old also takes the captain's armband. Ronaldo's former team-mate Bruno Fernandes is in midfielder, alongside Ruben Neves of Wolves.
Manchester City duo Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias start at the back. Portugal XI: Costa, Cancelo, Dias, Pereira, Guerreiro, Neves, Otavio, Fernandes, Felix, Silva, Ronaldo. There is plenty of English-based interest in the Ghana side too. Former West Ham and Swansea front man Andre Ayew skippers the side, the striker plays his club football just a few miles from here at Al Sadd.
Leicester's Daniel Amartey, Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu, Reading full-back Baba Rahman and Arsenal's Thomas Partey all start. Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey is on the bench. Ghana XI: Zigi, Amartey, Seidu, Djiku, Salisu, Rahman, Abdul Samed, Partey, Kudus, Williams, Ayew.
There was a real party atmosphere outside the ground before kick-off, which Ghana fans singing and dancing on the walk to Stadium 974. One fan spoken to was confident his side would score two against Portugal tonight, with Andre Ayew grabbing a goal.
What do you do when your national team is struggling for form ahead of the World Cup? Aside from calling up a host of new players, switching formation or changing coaches, you can always look for divine intervention. The last option is what the government of Ghana and the country's football association (GFA) decided to do just one month before the tournament in Qatar. Two national days of prayer and fasting were announced in the country. Whether it can help the Black Stars squad remains to be seen, with Ghana the lowest-ranked of the 32 teams in Qatar at 61st in the world.
