Fifa world cup 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will start a day prior than originally organized allowing the host nation to play the first game when it faces Ecuador, FIFA — the global governing body for the sport of football — officially confirmed on Thursday.
A unanimous conclusion by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, the tournament will now set about on November 20 in place of November 21 when three games had been arranged, with Senegal vs. the Netherlands previously set to open the event.
“The FIFA World Cup 2022 will kick off with an even greater celebration for local and international fans as host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday, 20 November at 19:00 as part of a stand-alone event,” a statement from FIFA said.
The settlement will ensure “the continuity of a long-standing tradition” in which the first match of a World Cup features either the hosts or the defending champions.
It “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 continued.
As a repercussion of this move, Senegal’s match against the Netherlands has been rearranged from the afternoon to the evening of November 21.
Nevertheless, the release period for players will stand unchanged, starting on November 14.
FIFA also noted that “ticket holders will be duly notified by email that the relevant matches have been rescheduled and their tickets will remain valid irrespective of the new date/time.”
