FIFA Officially Moves Qatar World Cup 2022 Start Day To November 20

FIFA WC Date: FIFA on Thursday officially brought forward the opening match of the Qatar World Cup 2022 by one day to November 20.

A partial view shows the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha on August 10, 2022.

Source : AFP

FIFA WC Date: The first match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 has been updated and the fixture will now feature the host nation — Qatar. The footballing governing body (FIFA) on Thursday officially brought forward the opening match of the Qatar World Cup 2022 by one day to November 20.

"Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event. The opening match and ceremony of this year's tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council today," said FIFA in an official statement. 

"The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions," added FIFA.

Qatar will now play Ecuador in Doha on November 20, stretching the FIFA World Cup to 29 days. Under the new plan, the Group A game between Senegal and the Netherlands has been shifted from 1:00 pm (1000 GMT) on November 21 to a 7:00 pm start. There is no change to England's opening Group B clash against Iran.

“FIFA will seek to address any issues arising from this change in a case-by-case basis,” soccer’s world body said Thursday regarding fans whose travel plans are affected.

Qatar Welcomes FIFA's Decision

Qatari organisers, who have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event, immediately welcomed FIFA's gesture.

"Opening the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and the Arab world is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Qatar," said the organising 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.

(With agencies' input)