FIFA announced the complete match schedule for the World Cup, with dates and stadiums, and the most shocking thing is that Qatar will not play the opening match, something that was presupposed by the fact of being hosts.
Félix Sánchez’s men will debut in the third round of the first day, despite the fact that everyone took it for granted that their duel against Ecuador would be the one that would open the tournament. However, according to the composition of matches offered by FIFA, the match that opens the World Cup will be … Netherlands-Senegal.
This meeting will be at 1:00 p.m. local time in Doha., two less in continental Europe. No one expected a match to open the tournament without the host and not even the champion, another option that FIFA has historically handled. Dutch and Senegalese will steal the spotlight unexpectedly and unexpectedly.
That there is no champion or host in the first match of the World Cup is a fact that has not happened for 64 years. It was in Sweden 1958 when several games were played at the same time, without giving preference to the Swedes or the champions of that time. From there, there was always either the hosts or the winner in said first match.
In the stretch from 1974 to 2002, the reigning champion always acted. Since 2006 and until the last appointment in Russia 2018, he was the host. In 2022 neither one thing nor the other will happen. Although Qatar plays on the same day, the first game of its World Cup will be between Senegal and the Netherlands.
These are the schedules of Spain in the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup
Debut: Wednesday, November 23 at 5:00 p.m. against the winner of New Zealand / Costa Rica
Second round: Sunday, November 27 at 8:00 p.m. against Germany
Last group stage match: Spain – Japan on Thursday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m.