Today, Thursday, the International Football Association announced that the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be moved forward by 24 hours.
The opening match between Qatar and Ecuador will be held on Sunday, November 20, at 7:00 pm local time, and it will be the only confrontation on the first day of the World Cup competitions.
Thus, the first match and the opening ceremony of this year’s edition will be presented at Al Bayt Stadium for one day.
The timing of the match between Senegal and the Netherlands, on Monday, November 21, was changed from one in the afternoon to seven in the evening local time.
This decision was taken after evaluating its consequences for the competitions and the practical aspect of the tournament, in addition to in-depth consultations and agreements with the concerned authorities and the host country.
FIFA announced that this change comes to maintain the tradition followed in the World Cup, by organizing the opening ceremony before the opening match, in which one of the parties is the team of the host country or the team that holds the title.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is responsible for organizing the World Cup, issued a statement supporting FIFA’s decision to advance the date of the opening ceremony and the first match.
“The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy affirms its support for the unanimous decision issued today by the FIFA Council Bureau,” the statement continued.
He noted, “FIFA was keen to evaluate the impact of the announced decision on the public, and the Supreme Committee continues to work with FIFA to facilitate the fans who were affected by the decision to advance the start of the tournament.”
With the countdown to the start of the World Cup, the Supreme Committee confirms Qatar’s readiness to host the tournament at the end of this year.
