FIFA has just released the match schedule for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
This is also the first time when FIFA World Cup will not be held in June-July; the tournament is instead scheduled for late November until mid-December. It is to be played in a reduced timeframe of around 28 days.
FIFA World Cup has been designed to be held in the middle of domestic football season in Europe and elsewhere. So 2022-23 season would be affected as it has to accommodate World Cup in between.
Qatar World Cup 2022 Schedule
Qatar World Cup 2022 will start on November 21, with Qatar kicking off the competition at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium at 13:00 local time.
The final will take place at Lusail Stadium on Qatar National Day (December 18) at 18:00 local time, while it has also been confirmed there will be four games per day during the group stage.
The group stage will last 12 days and, with four matches per day. The schedule is compact and promises a exciting time for fans. As there will be no air travel involved to move between the venues, this would also allow organisers, to optimise specific match demands for the benefit and comfort of teams, media and fans.
Kick-off time for the first two rounds of matches will be 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm and 10 pm local time, and with the stadiums all within a 40-mile radius of each other, it will enable supporters and media to realistically attend two games on the same day.
The match schedule is now in place, but there is plenty of work left yet to be completed before the tournament gets underway in 856 days.
For Qatar, they have to complete the construction for stadiums and other infrastructure required for arrangement of the World Cup. For Six confederations, they have to play for qualification rounds to select rest of 31 teams from 211 member countries – as the world is struggling to cope with Coronavirus pandemic.
FIFA and organisers hope they can pull through the tournament, which will act as a global celebration of overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
