The 2022 Qatar World Cup made few changes from the original schedule, with the host nation facing Ecuador in the opening match one day earlier than the original November 21 kick-off. In the original schedule, the opening match was between Senegal and the Netherlands, while the opening ceremony would be held before the Qatar-Ecuador game. Catch our soccer predictions today!
The host’s match against Ecuador will now be a standalone event on November 20, while the Senegal-Netherlands match has been rescheduled the following day. “The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the FIFA World Cup™ with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions,” FIFA said in a statement.
The formal opening ceremony will still be before Qatar’s first game, which was originally set for just an hour of free time after the final whistle of the second game. Although there are no changes in the schedule, England could have been placed in the second game of the tournament. The rest of the schedule will follow the original calendar, with the final set to kick off on December 18 at Lusail Stadium.
“The decision followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a thorough consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country,” the statement added. “The release period, as previously decided and as governed by the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, will remain unchanged, beginning on 14 November 2022.”
The move has been made following disputes about dismissing the previous tradition of making the host nation as the tournament opener and the opening ceremony to be ahead of the tournament’s first game. CONMEBOL were also reportedly requested for changes in the time slot. The Qatari organizers welcomed FIFA’s decision in a separate statement. Don’t miss free betting tips and odds here!
“Opening the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Qatar,” said the organizing committee in a statement. “The impact of this decision on fans was assessed by FIFA. We will work together to ensure a smooth tournament for the supporters affected by the change,” they added without giving details.”
Earlier, FIFA made the biggest change in the World Cup calendar when they agreed to move the tournament to the November-December window, previously set for the usual June-July period. This agreement with the soccer officials and stakeholders was due to the expected weather condition in the host nation, as temperatures routinely hit 45 degrees Celsius during summer in Qatar.
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