Qatar host the first World Cup in the Middle East in 2022, but when is the opening game at the 22nd edition of the quadrennial Fifa tournament when the Maroon and Ecuador meet?
Fifa awarded Qatar host nation honours way back in 2010 after a vote by the 22 members of the executive committee. The Arabian peninsula country beat rival bids from the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan to bring the event to a nation of 3 million people.
The voting process came down to a decision between Qatar, who hoped Fifa would take a ‘bold gamble’ on taking the World Cup to the Middle East, and the US. The Guardian cited at the time that America received eight votes in the fourth round while Qatar received 14.
Qatar received the most votes of any bid through all four voting stages with 11 during the first, third and fourth rounds. The Maroon earned 10 in the second round, as Japan joined Australia in being eliminated before South Korea were removed in the third voting round.
When is the opening game for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
After 12 years of planning and preparation, Qatar are now set to host the first World Cup in the Middle East this November and December. Fifa agreed to sanction an event during the European winter due to the scorching conditions the region gets during June and July.
The first match takes place on November 20 when Qatar meet Ecuador after the opening ceremony is over. Fifa initially scheduled the Maroon to face La Tri on November 21 in the third fixture of the tournament, but moved the tie forward a day to be a standalone game.
Qatar will now hold the opening ceremony on November 20 before kicking off in the first game of the 2022 World Cup at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT). Fifa’s decision to move the match forward by 24 hours follows the tradition of the host nation playing in the first tie.
England play Iran in their opening fixture for the 2022 World Cup with the second match of the tournament on November 21 at 16:00 (13:00 GMT). Senegal and the Netherlands, who were set to play in the first tie, now meet in match three at 19:00 (16:00 GMT) on the 21st.
When is the first knockout game for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
The group stage for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will run from November 20 through until December 2. Cameroon against Brazil and Serbia against Switzerland mark the final games of the first round with 22:00 (19:00 GMT) kick-offs to determine the standings for Group G.
Round of 16 ties start a day after the last group stage affairs, with the first knockout games played on December 3 at 18:00 (15:00 GMT) and 22:00 (19:00 GMT). The winner of Group A faces the Group B runners-up, before the Group C winner and Group D runner-up meet.
The last 16 stage will take place from December 3 to the 6th, before two days of rest. Two games are played on each day during this period with the same kick-off times to determine who reaches the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, as group winners meet runners-up.
When are the other knockout stages played and when is the final?
Quarter-final games will start on Friday, December 9 at 18:00 (15:00 GMT) and will run to Saturday, December 10 at 22:00 (19:00 GMT). The final eight affairs take place with two a day at the same kick-off times, before Fifa have scheduled a further two days off for rest.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar then resumes for the semi-finals, with one tie held at 22:00 (19:00 GMT) on Tuesday, December 13 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor will host the other semi-final tie at 22:00 (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday, December 14.
The winner of semi-final A will then return to the Lusail Iconic Stadium on December 18 at 18:00 (15:00 GMT) to play the final against the winner of semi-final B. The two losing semi-finalists meet at the Khalifa International Stadium on the 17th for the third-place play-off.
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