November 10 – His country having just been cleared to play in the World Cup despite an appeal by Chile and Peru that they should have been thrown out for fielding an eligible player in qualifying, Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso (pictured) has decided not to attend the high profile opener against Qatar, citing domestic unrest.
“I have thanked the Emir of Qatar for the invitation to witness the opening match between our teams,” Lasso tweeted. “However, I have decided not to go. Attending the national security situation is my priority.”
Lasso’s presidency has been shrouded by violence in the country. He will be replaced in Doha by his vice president Alfredo Borrero.
Although Ecuador was cleared to play at the tournament by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Ecuador did, however, get a three-point deduction for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and a fine of CHF100,000 for using a document with false information.
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