The International Football Association (FIFA) announced that the date of the opening ceremony and the first matches of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be moved to Sunday, November 20, instead of November 21.
The announcement came after the FIFA Council unanimously decided to hold the opening match of the tournament between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday, November 20, with only one match on that day.
The decision to advance the date of the opening match comes as FIFA seeks to maintain the continuity of the tradition followed in previous versions of the World Cup, which requires the participation of the host country team or the heart holder in the first matches of the tournament, preceded by the opening ceremony of the World Cup, and the decision was taken after evaluating the effects of the operations Operational for the tournament, and in consultation with its partners and the host country.