FIFA World Cup 2022 Start Date and Time
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the 22nd of the quadrennial international men’s football competition, contested by the senior national teams of counties that are members of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). It is set to be held in Qatar, which would be the first Arabian, and second Asian country to ever host the World Cup tournament.
The International Football tournament has been scheduled to start on Monday 21st November and will conclude on Sunday 18th November 2022. This would be the first world cup tournament not played in May, June, or July since the inception of the tournament in 1930.
This year’s competition features a total number of 32 national teams from 5 different continents competing in knockout rounds for the ultimate title of world champion taking home the trophy.
This would be the last time only 32 countries would be qualifying for the tournament since the format started in 1998, as the next World Cup in 2026 would include a total of 46 teams in the finals.
When Does The World Cup Start?
The 22nd FIFA World Cup which is set to kick off on the 21st of November 2022, would be played at the capital city of DO, in the AL Thumama Stadium, by 1 p.m. Arabian Standard Time, 5a.m European Time, 10a.m Greenwich Mean Time(GMT), 9p.m Eastern Daylight Time(EDT) and 3:30p.m Indian Standard Time(IST).
The tournament would kick off with a match-up between Senegal and Netherlands, this would be the first time the host country would not be playing the opening match. This is due to the plans of the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the opening ceremony.
Since the first match is scheduled by FIFA to be played during the day, it would not be suitable for the fireworks and traditional celebration planned by the Emir, and therefore the opening celebration would take place after the first match of the tournament.
After the opening celebration scheduled to take place later in the evening, the host country Qatar would then take on Ecuador by 7 p.m. Arabian Standard Time (AST), 11a.m European Time (ET), 4p.m Greenwich Mean Time(GMT), 3a.m Eastern Daylight Time(EDT), and 9:30p.m Indian Standard Time. The match would be played at the AL Bayt Stadium in the city of Al Khor.
The 2022 World Cup has been scheduled within a relatively shorter period of time compared with its traditional longer period of time. A total of 64 matches (with 48 group stage matches and the remaining 16 in the knockout rounds) would be played in 25 days across 8 stadiums which includes;
● Khalifa International Stadium
● Al Thumama Stadium
● Al Bayt Stadium
● Al Janoub Stadium
● Education City Stadium
● Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
● Stadium 974
● Lusail Stadium
These stadiums are across 5 host cities. The cities to be played in include:
● Doha
● Lusail
● Al Khor
● Al Rayyam
● Al Wakra
The competition would be played in a set of 4 teams spread across 8 groups (A-H). The top top of each group would progress to the knockout out stages.
The first knockout stage is the Round of 16, where 16 promoted teams would then play in pairs, and winners would advance to the quarter-finals of 8 teams, facing off again in pairs to advance to the Semi-Finals of 4 teams.
The Semi-Final team of 4 would match off for a spot in the Finals(Grand Finale). The winners of the Semi-Finals would advance to the Final Match to battle for the legendary World Cup Gold Trophy, and a gold medal. While the losers of the Semi-Finals would play one last match for the third-place position and a bronze medal.
When Would the 2022 World Cup End?
The 2022 FIFA World Cup would be concluded on Sunday the 18th of December, 2022, in a final matchup between the winners of the semi-finals round to take home the Golden World Cup Trophy and be crowned Champions of the World with a gold medal, while the loser would finish as runner up of the competition and be given a silver medal to commend their tournament run.
The final match would be played at the Lusail Stadium, Lusail. By 6 p.m. Arabian Standard Time(AST), 10a.m European Time(E.T),3p.m Greenwich Mean Time(GMT), 2a.m Eastern Daylight Time(EDT), and 8:30p.m Indian Standard Time.
The third-place match would be played at the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan. On Saturday 17th December 2022 by 6 p.m. Arabian Standard Time (AST), 10a.m European Time (ET), 3p.m Greenwich Mean Time(GMT), 2a.m Eastern Daylight Time(EDT), and 8:30p.m Indian Standard Time.