When is 2022 FIFA World Cup kicking off in Qatar?
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FIFA World Cup 2022 First Match Qatar and Ecuador
The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar will begin one day sooner than initially planned, with the opening ceremony now taking place just before the opening match. The FIFA Men’s World Cup, which had previously been held in June and July to align with the European club offseason, will now be held in November and December of 2022, representing a major departure from the established practice.
Due to the extreme temperatures in the host country of Qatar, the tournament was eventually shifted. After the FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan in 2002, this tournament will be the second to be held in the Asian football confederation and the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East.
Also Read: Is Qatar the first Arab country to host FIFA World Cup?
Who will play the first match of FIFA World Cup 2022?
The World Cup begins in Qatar, where the hosts face Ecuador in their inaugural game on the international stage. Both teams have to acquire three points in this crucial Group A match to advance. This is due to the contest between the two group favorites, Netherlands and Senegal. A victory for Qatar or Ecuador would give them a strong head start in this competition.
When is the first match of FIFA World Cup 2022?
The season opener of the contest will take place on November 20 in Al Bayt Stadium between hosts Qatar and Ecuador in Group A action.
It is customary for the host nation to participate in the tournament’s opening game. And when the schedule for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was announced back in April, there were questions because it did not contain the customary inaugural game featuring the host nation Qatar.
Instead, per the schedule at the time, Qatar was scheduled to play the second of four games on Monday, November 21, after Senegal vs. the Netherlands. FIFA declared the alteration in the schedule that would ensure Qatar would start the tournament a day earlier only three months before it began.
When is the World Cup final?
The 2022 World Cup final will begin at 6 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. GMT) on Sunday, December 18 at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
The World Cup final falls on the same day as Al-Yawm al-Watani li-Qatar, or Qatar’s National Day, which commemorates the country’s unification in 1878.
What is the FIFA World Cup group draw?
The 2022 World Cup will commence with 32 nations divided into eight groups of four:
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
What are the World Cup format and schedule?
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be structured similarly to previous editions, with a 32-team group stage limiting the field to 16 teams — only the top two teams among each of the eight groups advance. These 16 group-stage teams will proceed on to the single-game knockout phase — Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final — where the winner advances and the loser is eliminated.
Every knockout-round match must result in a winner on the day, and the extra time and penalty kicks will be used if required to establish the winner. Unlike at Euro 2020, a third-place play-off match will be held on December 17.
Read More: Is 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup going to be alcohol-free?
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