MADRID, 2 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
The teams from Senegal and the Netherlands will play the opening match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA announced this Saturday, so for the first time the host will not play the first match of a World Cup event.
Officially, Qatar and Ecuador will play the opening match on November 21 at 5:00 p.m. Spanish peninsular time, but before that, at 11:00 a.m. Spanish time, the other two members of Group A, Senegalese and Dutch, will meet at Al Thumama Stadium.
One of the Group B duels, England-Iran (2:00 p.m. Spanish peninsular time), will also be played before the opening ceremony of the tournament prior to the host’s match. The second match of Group B between the United States and Ukraine, Scotland or Wales is also played on the opening day, at 8:00 p.m. Spanish time.
The group stage will run until December 2 and the knockout rounds will begin the following day, with a first rest day on December 7 after the completion of the round of 16. There are two more rest days, each one after the quarter and semi-finals, and the final will be on December 18 at 3:00 p.m. Spanish peninsular time.
The World Cup in Qatar is a little shorter than previous editions, mainly because the group stage will have four games every day to complete it in 12 days instead of the usual 15.
For the first time, the match schedule was not made before the draw, but after it, in order to find the best kick-off times for fans, the media and the global audience.