Anything to keep Qatar happy
FIFA are considering bringing forward the start date of the Qatar World Cup by one day so the host nation can kick off the tournament.
Senegal and the Netherlands were due to be the curtain raiser, with their game taking place on November 21.
The Athletic has since reported that Qatar want to be the opening game to maintain the tradition of the host nation playing the first game of the competition.
Their game against Ecuador is now set to kick off on November 20 at 7pm (2pm ET).
The decision still needs to be fully ratified by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, which is made up of president Gianni Infantino and the leader of each continental confederation.
It is expected that they will agree with the decision, meaning that the tournament will run from November 20 to December 18.
Qatar had initially declined the chance to play the opening game of the World Cup, which would have kicked off at 1pm local time, as it would have denied Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani the chance to host a fireworks display to commemorate Qatar’s first appearance at the World Cup.
Only one game will be affected by the change in schedule. The other group A game between Senegal and the Netherlands will now kick off at 7pm local time (1pm ET).
England’s opening game against Iran will remain at 4pm local time (12pm ET) while Wales’ first World Cup finals game in 56 years against the USA, kicks off at 10pm local time.
The Qatar World Cup will start a day earlier
On @SkySportsNews pic.twitter.com/dBxnOtPfoM
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 10, 2022
Related links:
- Philipp Lahm to boycott World Cup in Qatar over human rights abuses
- Leaked image of England World Cup away kit suggests it’s coming home
- No beer will be served inside stadiums at World Cup in Qatar
