As of: 08/11/2022 11:59 p.m
In order for hosts Qatar to get their opening game, the 2022 World Cup will start a day earlier than planned. The FIFA Council Committee has decided to take this step.
“The 2022 FIFA World Cup begins with an even bigger spectacle for the domestic and foreign fans as hosts Qatar now play Ecuador exclusively on Sunday 20 November at 7pm. The opening match and opening ceremony at al-Bayt -Stadion were brought forward by one day today by a unanimous decision of the FIFA Council Committee,” said the world football association on Thursday evening (08/11/2022).
For this reason, the game between Senegal and the Netherlands on Monday, November 21, will be postponed from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Qatar prevails
The sports show and several international media had previously reported that the FIFA Council Committee is considering an application from the host. Qatar wanted to host their opening game against Ecuador on November 20th as the sole highlight – and not as the third game of the day on November 21st. The world association FIFA initially did not comment on the process. In addition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the Council Committee includes the presidents of the six confederations, such as UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
No influence on German games
The change should not affect the other World Cup games, including the German group games against Japan (November 23), Spain (November 27) and Costa Rica (December 1).
The final of the World Cup is scheduled for December 18 – the national holiday of the emirate. The postponement of the first Qatar game would not be the first change in the schedule, albeit one with a much smaller impact than that decision in 2015, when FIFA decided to move the tournament from summer to winter, also due to great public pressure. Temperatures in Qatar are around 40 degrees during the traditional World Cup months of June and July.
Inaugural games since 1966
The history of the official opening matches only began in 1966 – before that, the World Cup finals often featured simultaneous matches. However, FIFA has now recognized the first matches of the final tournaments from 1930 to 1962 as opening matches. From 1958 to 1970, the host always opened the tournament, after a change in the statutes, the world champion had the honor from 1974 to 2002, France at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea for the last time. Germany reopened the 2006 home World Cup as hosts with a 4-2 win over Costa Rica.
World Cup under criticism
The World Cup in Qatar has been criticized for a variety of reasons, most notably human rights violations and the exploitation of foreign workers, as well as the criminalization of homosexuals.
Source: sportschau.de