2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to start a day earlier than scheduled

Qatar may take on Ecuador on November 20, a day earlier than originally scheduled, to mark to start of the World Cup, according to Associated Press. Quoting a person familiar with the matter, AP stated that a decision could be made within days by a committee comprised of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the heads of the six continental soccer bodies.

The proposal to create a 29-day tournament instead of the long-planned 28 has been favoured by Qatari officials and South American soccer body CONMEBOL, with talks also involving the Qatar and Ecuador soccer federations, the person said.

The World Cup is set to open on Nov. 21, a Monday, with the Netherlands facing Senegal at 1 p.m. local time in Doha. Qatar and Ecuador are also in Group A, but that match was scheduled to start six hours later on the same



day.

The match schedule — with the official opening ceremony at the third match when Qatar was scheduled to play — was finalized after the draw was made in Doha on April 1. A Sunday start for the World Cup had been ruled out several years ago when a shorter, 28-day schedule requiring four games each day during the group stage was agreed to by FIFA after talks with influential leagues in Europe which will play club games through Nov. 13.

However, a Qatar-Ecuador game involves a few players who are with European clubs and would give the host nation an exclusive day to open its tournament. The 2022 World Cup is the first in the tournament's 92-year history to be played outside of the traditional northern hemisphere summer.  The previous 21 editions were all played between late May and the end of July.