The start date of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to be moved forward by one day to allow hosts Qatar to be involved in the first match.
The tournament had originally been scheduled to get underway on Monday 21 November with African champions Senegal taking on The Netherlands in Group A. However, FIFA now plans to move host nation Qatar’s opening clash against Ecuador – also in Group A – forward to Sunday 20 November as the curtain-raiser.
This has yet to be confirmed with approval being sought from by the Bureau of the FIFA Council (comprised of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the leaders of each continental confederation) but it is thought to be a formality, according to multiple reports. It will mean that the tournament will now be staged from 20 November through to the 18 December final.
The host nation have participated in the opening game of each of the last four editions of the tournament; Germany beat Costa Rica in 2006, South Africa were held 1-1 by Mexico in 2010, Brazil defeated Croatia in 2014 and Russia eased past Saudi Arabia four years later.
The last tournament in which the hosts did not begin the tournament was in 2002, when Senegal memorably beat defending champions France in the opening game of the tournament held in South Korea and Japan. Tradition in the tournament subsequently changed from the competition holders playing in the first game to the host nation.
England’s scheduled match against Iran in Group on 21 November is not going to change date or time, but that will no longer be the opening day of the tournament.
