Qatar World Cup rescheduled to kick off one day earlier

ZURICH, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The FIFA World Cup 2022 is rescheduled to kick off one day earlier with host Qatar to play in the opening match, FIFA announced on Thursday.

According to the original calendar, the 2022 World Cup would raise the curtain with the opening match between Senegal and the Netherlands at 13:00 on November 21, while the opening ceremony would be held before the clash between Qatar and Ecuador at 19:00.

Following a unanimous decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, the quadrennial event will kick off with an even greater celebration for local and international fans as Qatar will now play against Ecuador at 19:00 on November 20 as a part of a stand-alone event. Consequently, the encounter between Senegal and the Netherlands has been rescheduled to 19:00 on November 21.

"The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the FIFA World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions," FIFA noted.

The rest of the schedule is unchanged with the final set to kick off on December 18 at Lusail Stadium.