New World Cup 2022 start date: Qatar vs Ecuador, opening ceremony moved but USA, England schedule unaffected

Roughly three months before the 2022 World Cup is set to kickoff, the biggest sporting event in the world has a new start date.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup schedule was set back in April when the groups were determined. But it raised eyebrows when it did not include a traditional inaugural match involving host nation Qatar. Instead, the schedule had Qatar playing the second of four matches on opening day on Monday, November 21, behind Senegal vs. Netherlands.

That has now been rectified.

The host has played in the opening match of each World Cup since 2006, superseding the previous tradition of the defending champions playing in the opening match.

FIFA announced the schedule change on Aug. 11, moving Qatar’s tournament opener a day earlier on Sunday, Nov. 20. That way, Qatar vs. Ecuador will now be the standalone inaugural match accompanied by the pomp and circumstance of a formal opening ceremony.

The change effectively moves up the start of the tournament by a day, and changes the kickoff time of the other Group A match between Senegal and the Netherlands which moves to a later slot on November 21.

According to reports, a letter submitted by World Cup 2022 organizers to FIFA requesting the modification to the schedule, which then required approval by a board of FIFA executives, including president Gianni Infantino and the heads of all six FIFA confederations. That approval was granted.

MORE: Complete World Cup 2022 calendar with dates, times and stadiums

When does the World Cup start?

The revised schedule that was announced in mid-August will see the tournament open play on Sunday, November 20 instead of Monday, November 21.

“The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council today,” FIFA stated in their official release of the schedule change.

The changes impacted all four Group A teams. The Qatar vs. Ecuador match date was moved, as was the kickoff time for the other Group A match between Senegal and the Netherlands.

The opening ceremonies have also been moved up a day, meaning they will take place on November 20 in the run-up to the Qatar vs. Ecuador match.

New revised World Cup opening schedule

Previous World Cup opening schedule

How will World Cup schedule change affect England & USA?

The schedule change has not directly affected the U.S. national team or England, as their opening matches remain slated for their original kickoff times.

The only match that has been impacted outside of Qatar’s opener was the other Group A game on November 21 between Senegal and the Netherlands. Instead of occupying an early time slot, it moves into the window vacated by the Qatar vs. Ecuador match.

However, there are likely to be ticketing issues that arise from the schedule changes which involve USMNT and Wales fans with tickets to watch their teams in person at the World Cup.

Fans are barred from purchasing tickets to matches in consecutive time slots since it would be physically impossible to attend both matches. This measure has been in place since the launch of World Cup ticket sales.

Since the time for the Senegal vs. Netherlands match has been pushed into the time slot directly prior to the USA vs. Wales, then fans who had already purchased tickets to watch both matches will be negatively impacted.

This fan cited by Tariq Panja of The New York Times has tickets to both matches, given the original schedule allowed for seven hours between the end of Senegal vs. Netherlands and the start of USA vs. Wales. That gap has been reduced to just a single hour given the changes that see them scheduled as back-to-back games.

FIFA’s late plan is already causing chaos for some fans who bought tickets. Martin here has tickets for Ned-Senegal and USA-Wales. He can’t now attend both. https://t.co/fMwn60LLaZ https://t.co/jCNUJLcYXJ pic.twitter.com/yBgsO80v9S

— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) August 10, 2022

FIFA vaguely acknowledged this issue in the official release of the news, but did not give specifics of how the situation would be resolved.

“Ticket holders will be duly notified by email that the relevant matches have been rescheduled and their tickets will remain valid irrespective of the new date/time,” FIFA stated. “In addition, FIFA will seek to address any issues arising from this change in a case-by-case basis.”

MORE: Full fixture list, schedule, and preview for World Cup Group A | Group B

Other effects of World Cup schedule change

The new changes to the World Cup schedule also create a slightly tighter turnaround for players from Qatar and Ecuador who are required to report to their national team on Monday, November 14. The proposed shift from November 21 to November 20 allows for one less day of preparations.

This will affect players such as Ecuador striker Enner Valencia, whose last club match with Fenerbahce before the World Cup is scheduled for November 13. That leaves just seven days between his final club match and his new first World Cup game in Qatar.

Others Ecuadorians playing in Europe who see their run-up to the tournament impacted include Moises Caciedo (Brighton), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), and Pervis Estupinan (Villarreal) among others.

The host nation is less likely to be affected by the change, as the Qatar national team is almost entirely comprised of domestic-based players from the local Qatar Stars League, which will likely be flexible in altering the league schedule to assist with national team travel and training. Only seven of the Star League’s 22 matchdays have been scheduled thus far.

Why did FIFA change World Cup start?

According to a report on Aug. 10 by Tariq Panja of the New York Times, the move was proposed to see Qatar continue the tradition of the host nation opening the World Cup.

The report included a portion of the letter submitted to FIFA, which was obtained by the New York Times. 

“It has been a longstanding tradition to mark 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,” the letter read, “a factor that is considered to have significant value from a ceremonial, cultural and commercial point of view.”

FIFA’s official release echoed this sentiment. “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 said. “The decision followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a thorough consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country.”

It’s still unclear why Qatar was not scheduled to play in a standalone opening match of the World Cup in the first place.