Sources reveal the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will begin on November 20, one day earlier
2022 World Cup sources informed AFP on Wednesday that the World Cup‘s first game, between the hosts Qatar and Ecuador, would be moved ahead one day earlier to November 20.
The decision, which must be ratified by the FIFA Council before the 100-day countdown begins this Monday, will maintain the custom of having the host nation play first.
According to the current schedule, on November 21, Senegal and the Netherlands play their first game, and then later that day, Qatar and Ecuador play in the actual inaugural game.
According to World Cup sources, confirmation of the modification should come soon. The Qatari organizing committee and FIFA declined to comment.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity since the decision has not yet been made publicly, a World Cup source told AFP that there had been conversations and agreement between the two teams’ respective delegations as well as a request from CONMEBOL, the South American organization.
The insider continued, “We wanted to uphold the custom that either the host nation or the current champions take part in the opening match.
Another tournament source told AFP that “any disruption would be managed with so impact is minimized” for spectators who purchased tickets for the November 21 game.
Under the new schedule, the start time of the Netherlands vs. Senegal match on November 21 would be 7:00 pm instead of 1:00 pm (1000 GMT). According to the World Cup source, “it is a better time for both teams in terms of broadcast and other sectors.”
AFP
