FIFA confirms change of date of World Cup

The men's 2022 World Cup in Quatar will begin on the 20th of November, as the FIFA confirmed on Thursday. The World Cup was originally scheduled to start on the 21th of November. This change allows the host nation, Quatar, to play the first game against Ecuador. The opening game was intended to be Senegal vs. the Netherlands.

"The FIFA World Cup 2022 will kick off with an even greater celebration for local and international fans as host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday, 20 November at 19:00 as part of a stand-alone event."

The FIFA

It is a long tradition that the host nation or the defending champion plays the first game. Senegal vs. the Netherlands will now take place on the 21th of November in the evening (it was intended that the match takes place in the afternoon). The FIFA also noted that "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." The tournament will take place from November 20 to December 18.