(Football news) The opening game of the 2022 World Cup will take place a day earlier than originally planned with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador on Sunday, November 20. Originally, Senegal was set to take on the Netherlands in the opening fixture on Monday, November 21st at 1pm (3:30 pm IST) but the fixture has now been moved to 7pm (9pm IST). With the match between Qatar and Ecuador being moved ahead, the opening ceremony will be held as a stand-alone event prior to the first game at the Al Bayt Stadium. 

Traditionally, the host country or the reigning champions have played the opening fixture at the World Cup and this time will be no different. The decision was taken by the FIFA President along with presidents of the six FIFA confederations and the verdict was a unanimous choice between everyone involved. A statement released by FIFA said “The decision 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 release period, as previously decided and as governed by the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, will remain unchanged, beginning on 14 November 2022. 

“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. In addition, FIFA will seek to address any issues arising from this change on a case-by-case basis." The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be the first ever such tournament to be held in winter, a decision that was taken keeping in mind the country’s weather. This means that the domestic seasons around the world will temporarily pause to accommodate the tournament and will resume when it ends. The World Cup usually takes 32 days to complete and this time around, the format is slightly shorter (29 days).

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