FIFA decided today that the Soccer World Cup 2022 starts one day earlier than previously planned, namely on Sunday, November 20th, 2022. The host Qatar should now have the honor of kicking off the first game of the World Cup. Opponents on Sunday evening, November 20th, will be Ecuador in Group A of the World Cup. Originally the game would have been only the 3rd match of the tournament. Now they want to honor the proven tradition of the host or the defending champion. The rest of the World Cup schedule will remain as it is, and the German games will also take place as planned.
Host Qatar opens the 2022 World Cup
There was astonishment on April 1st, the day of the World Cup draw for the final groups, when the 1st game of the World Cup schedule started at 11 am on the 1st matchday Senegal against the Netherlands and at 2 p.m England was against Iran. Due to the time difference to South America, the host should not take place until 5 p.m. local time in the evening, then it would be early in the morning in Ecuador.
Now FIFA decided to move the game forward by one day so that the host Qatar gets full attention. in the Al-Bayt Stadium north of Doha the ball will roll for the first time on Sunday, November 20th, 2022. This decision was taken after a unanimous vote by the FIFA Council Committee.
The tournament will thus be extended by one day and will now last 29 days. The World Cup final will take place on Sunday afternoon, December 18th. The official FIFA suspension period from November 14 is to be retained, and nothing will change in the rest of the World Cup schedule, according to FIFA. The German preliminary round matches will take place on 23.11. vs. Japan on 11/27 versus Spain and on 1.12. against Ecuador.
World Cup tradition of the World Cup opening game remains true
Originally, the World Cup host was allowed to host the World Cup opening game kick off, at least in the years 1958 to 1970. After that, this rule was changed and from 1974 to 2022 the defending champion was allowed to kick off the 1st game of the tournament. It has been the host again since the 2006 World Cup, just like Germany did against Costa Rica (4-2) at the 2006 World Cup.
