The World Cup 2022 will start a day earlier than planned on Sunday, 20 November with hosts Qatar facing Ecuador. The game was scheduled to be played on November 21 as the third game, with Senegal taking on the Netherlands earlier that day.
The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward a day following a unanimous decision taken by FIFA; Qatar vs Ecuador will kick off the tournament on 20 November; Senegal will now face the Netherlands at 7pm (4pm UK time) on 21 November.
However, the administrative arm of world governing body Fifa submitted a proposal to move the Qatar game. The tournament will begin at 16:00 BST, continuing the tradition of the hosts or holders commencing the competition. The move will not effect player release dates, and Senegal’s match against the Netherlands will now take place at 16:00 on Monday, as only three games will be played instead of four.
England’s Group B match with Iran, which is being played at 13:00 on 21 November, is unaffected, as is Wales’ opening match against the United States of America at 19:00 on the same date.
“The decision followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a comprehensive consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country,” according to a FIFA statement released on Thursday.
