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proposal in FIFA for the Cup to start a day earlier and change the opening match

Almost 100 days after the start of the Qatar World Cup 2022 there is a chance of having to advance the countdowns. Is that the indicated date for the beginning of the appointment in the Middle East could have a minor but very significant change, from Monday, November 21 to Sunday, November 20. And for one key reason: the protagonists of the opening match.

The initiative would be an increasingly insistent topic of conversation in FIFA according to sources he was able to access Clarion. It is worth remembering that according to what is established, match 1 of the World Cup between Qatar y Ecuadorfor Group A, should be played in the third shift on Monday 21 (at 13 in Argentina), after the duels between Senegal and the Netherlands (at 7) and England against Iran (at 10).

Nevertheless, The idea that is beginning to take shape is that the host country and the team led by Gustavo Alfaro advance their meeting to Sunday the 20th at 9:00 p.m. (6 hours less in Argentina) wielding different arguments that would make the proposal feasible.

One of them points to tradition that has been imposed in the World Cups that the host country or the last champion be the team that is in charge of playing the first match of the competition.

The clash between Qatar and the South Americans will be played at the Al Bayt stadium, in the Qatari town of Jor, located 48 kilometers from Doha, and a full house is expected given the importance of the match. Now, the discussion is set on the day and time.

The Qatari Ali Almoez, figure of the host team. Photo: REUTERS/Aziz Karimov.

Both the Qataris and the Ecuadorians, with the support of Conmebol, they would be willing to advance their match one dayand FIFA would be studying the viability of the possible change according to what they point out from Switzerland.

Another fact in favor of the possible change is that in the face of the complications offered by an already tight calendar, this match would not generate problems with the clubs due to the calls linked to the transfer of players.

In addition, the change would allow the chance to move the Senegal vs. Netherlands match to central time that would leave the Qatar vs. Ecuador clash vacant, at 1:00 p.m. in Argentina, when in Europe it is 6:00 p.m. and there are many more people in front of the screens.

Gustavo Alfaro before the chance to lead the first World Cup of his career.  Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP.

Gustavo Alfaro before the chance to lead the first World Cup of his career. Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP.

The impact that this change could generate in the fans and the logistical problems regarding trips and transfers would have also been evaluated. In that case, it is estimated that the biggest inconvenience would be the Ecuadorian fans who travel that same day, if there are any, although it is expected that the stands will be mostly made up of local public.

If this proposal is confirmed, it will be the FIFA Council Bureau, the entity in charge of time-trial decisions related to the World Cup, which will have the power to give the “ok” or thumb down to the initiative. This Bureau is made up of a maximum of 7 members: the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, and the 6 representatives of each of the confederations.

Qatar and Ecuador would be willing to change the day and time of their match: an idea that closes everyone except the millions of fixtures that are already being printed around the world.

The fixture until today

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This is how the groups for the World Cup remained. The Argentine National Team already knows its rivals.

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