Spain are the first European side to name two teenagers (Gavi and Pedri) in their starting XI for a World Cup match since Bulgaria against England in 1962 (Jechev and Sokolov).

Both Spain and Costa Rica have named their youngest ever players in a World Cup match, in Gavi (18y 110 days) and Jewison Bennette (18y 161d) respectively.

Image source, getty

Gavi was only six years old when Spain beat the Netherlands to lift the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar

Image source, BBC Sport

It's quite a trek to make it to this stadium - you definitely get your steps done for the day - but the Spain fans have travelled here in numbers judging from the red and yellow flags taking over one end.

Spain know what it is like to be champions of the world, having won the title 12 years ago.

Watch Andres Iniesta score the winning goal as Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 World Cup final at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

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Get your thinking caps on because it's quiz time!

You have got two minutes on the clock to name these seven World Cup players.

Give it a go and share your score on #bbcfootball

Good luck!

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland fans already know the answer to that question but BBC commentator Vicki Sparks picked him out as one of her players to watch at this tournament for the following reason - there are nine other 'new' talents to learn about here, too... including a couple from Spain.

Vicki Sparks: "He is yet to make his full Sunderland debut after signing in the summer but Jewison Bennette has certainly settled in at the Stadium of Light.

"The left-winger is a fans' favourite for his raw speed and first touch - and the fact he gets the bus to training with his dad, who was also a Costa Rica international.

"Bennette became the youngest Costa Rica player in their history when he made his debut against El Salvador in August 2021 and quickly became a key player. He set up Joel Campbell's winner over New Zealand in the play-off that sealed their place in Qatar."

What a day it is for 18-year-old Costa Rica and Sunderland midfielder Jewison Bennette as he starts against Spain.

Costa Rica face a tough task to progress to the knockout phase with both Spain and Germany in their pool, but have upset the odds before including qualifying as group winners in 2014 ahead of Uruguay, Italy and England.

They then beat Greece on penalties in the last 16 before losing to the Netherlands on spot kicks in the quarter-finals.

Colombian boss Luis Fernando Suarez said: “We have to ask a lot from each player. They are happy to be here and are really excited as well for the first World Cup game.

“We have been preparing for a long time for this and have only been focused on this World Cup. We are here now.”

Image source, Getty Images

Watch highlights as Costa Rica beat 10-man New Zealand in an intercontinental play-off to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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This match will be the first competitive encounter between Spain and Costa Rica.

The Central American nation have made big strides in international football in the past decade, reaching the quarter-finals – their best finish – in 2014 and qualifying for Qatar to make it three consecutive appearances at World Cup finals.

Los Ticos ensured their place at this year’s global showpiece with a play-off victory over New Zealand and boss Luis Fernando Suarez believes they have now reached “the pinnacle”.

“This is the pinnacle of the sport,” he said. “We came through very challenging times and cruel times.

“No-one thought we had even had the slightest chance of qualifying. Everyone was so pessimistic and we came together and were so successful. The most important thing is that we never lost sight of our ambition.”

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Qatar

Image source, BBC Sport

You have to get a shuttle bus from Doha to Al Thumama Stadium and then there is a 20-minute walk from the point where you are asked to get off.

There's no sign of the stadium when you are despatched on to a ring road and that was enough to confuse several fans on my bus who could not believe this was their stop.

Once they did start walking, the Spanish fans did their best to build some atmosphere on the way - although it's quite a while before you get your first glimpse of the ground.

Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

It should be straightforward for Spain - but we've said that a few times now.

It's a tough one because we've heard that Spain are going to be free-flowing and attacking but there is a vulnerability there with them and this Costa Rican team: they're dogged, they have clean sheets in the bag. They know how to play these games, they know how to sit in and they have the experience at the back.

If Spain can't find the key after about half an hour, I just think whether they keep going with plan A or whether they can change it - and I'm not too sure with this team.

It's going to be interesting. It's one where you say they should win, they should be favourites but as we've seen so far, that doesn't always happen.

Image source, Getty Images

Head coach Luis Enrique believes having selected a young squad will prove a positive for Spain.

A decade has passed since the Spaniards last picked up a major trophy, with their ‘golden generation’ winning the World Cup in 2010 and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

It will be a new-look Spain on the quest for glory at Qatar 2022, with an overall squad average age of just 25.

Luis Enrique, who opted to omit the likes of Thiago Alcantara, David De Gea and 36-year-old Sergio Ramos from his travelling party, has an exciting crop of young players at his disposal including the likes of Pedri, Ansu Fati and Gavi, and he is looking forward to seeing what they can achieve.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, he said: “It’s positive because young players bring energy to the team.

“We try to manage that with the experience we have as staff and try to get the best for any player.

“The players know that the training sessions are where you can win your position for the game, and the intensity has been really high.”

Germany players covered their mouths during the team photograph before their World Cup opener against Japan amid the row with Fifa over the OneLove armband.

The gesture follows Fifa threatening players with a booking for wearing the OneLove armband during games in Qatar. The captains of seven European nations were set to wear it to promote diversity and inclusion.

"It wasn't about making a political statement," said the Germany football federation (DFB) on Twitter. "Human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn't the case. That's why this message is so important to us.

"Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position."

Germany were one of the teams that had planned to wear the OneLove armband, along with England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Fifa has brought forward its own 'No Discrimination' campaign, which had been due to start from the quarter-finals. Captains will now be permitted to wear a No Discrimination armband for the duration of the tournament - Germany captain Manuel Neuer wore the Fifa armband against Japan.

Image source, Getty Images

The Qatar World Cup is "the most political major sporting event I have ever been to", says the head of European football anti-discriminatory body Fare.

England, Wales and five other European nations dropped plans to wear the OneLove armband because of Fifa's threat of players being booked.

Wales fans said they were told to remove rainbow bucket hats, while Iran declined to sing their national anthem in an apparent expression of support for anti-government protests back home.

"I have never seen anything like this," Fare executive director Piara Powar told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.

"We know that when the Fifa security people see a rainbow flag or rainbow paraphernalia being presented at security they will wave it through. For them it is acceptable. Their rules allow for that.

"When it is the police or the other security services, they turn those individuals away."

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Pat Nevin
Former Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Spain should be able to take Costa Rica but the thing that we have learnt from the opening games so far is if you play at a high tempo against teams from the "big nations", you can worry them and they don't want to play against that - and they certainly don't want to do it so early on in the tournament.

So, I'm weary of giving predictions now...

Watch highlights as Japan produce a stunning comeback to win 2-1 and shock four-time winners Germany in the World Cup Group E opener.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Khalifa International Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

A stunning late comeback from Japan saw four-time winners Germany fall to a shock defeat in their opening World Cup game in Qatar.

Germany dominated a frenetic match for large spells but failed to capitalise on their pressure - before Japan caused the Khalifa International Stadium to erupt into a mix of celebration and surprise.

Substitute Takuma Asano squeezed in a thumping strike from a tight angle to make it 2-1 to Japan and ran over to the photographers in the corner of the stadium in sheer delight.

There was a collective pause in the arena as the ball rolled down from the roof of the net before supporters realised it had gone in.

Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan had given Germany the lead from the penalty spot in the first half, before Japan substitute Ritsu Doan equalised in the 75th minute.

The equaliser came after a string of stunning saves at each end - Japan's Shuichi Gonda pulling off a double stop to deny Serge Gnabry and Jonas Hofmann, before Germany's Manuel Neuer got his fingertips to Junya Ito's effort.

Germany, who finished bottom of their group in Russia in 2018, had missed several chances to extend their lead when the score was 1-0.

Today's opening match did not quite have as much drama as yesterday's game between Saudi Arabia and Argentina, with 2018 runners-up Croatia opening their campaign with a battling goalless draw against Morocco.

Click on the video above for the highlights. Or if you prefer a written match report you can find that here.