Qatar FIFA World Cup Start Brought Forward To November 20: Sources

11.08.2022 - 20:49 sports.ndtv.com

The World Cup's start will be brought forward by a day to allow hosts Qatar to play the opening game, sources told AFP on Wednesday, just over three months before the competition gets underway.

Qatar will now play Ecuador on November 20, 24 hours earlier than planned, in a move that FIFA's ruling council was expected to confirm soon, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

The change will see the tournament, which was switched to November-December to avoid the Gulf country's searing summer heat, keep to its tradition of the hosts playing the opening match.

Senegal and the Netherlands had been scheduled to play the first game on November 21, followed by England against Iran and then the official inauguration match, Qatar's World Cup debut, that evening. "There were discussions and agreement between the two respective teams and there was a request from CONMEBOL -- the South American confederation," one World Cup source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as no official decision has been announced. "We wanted to follow the tradition that either the reigning champions or the host country be involved in the opening match," the source added.

Football FIFA cup Qatar Netherlands Usa Senegal Iran Ecuador

An image of the FIFA 2022 World Cup trophy adorns a building in the Qatari capital Doha on August 16, 2022. (Photo by Mustafa ABUMUNES / AFP)

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