Fifa formalized this Thursday the change of opening match for the World Cup in Qatar: the host country will open the competition a day earlier than initially planned, on November 20, against Ecuador.
This time is the right one? Fifa announced on Thursday that the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar will take place on November 20, a day earlier than planned, just before the opening match between the host country and Ecuador. This was a request from the Qatari organizers of the Supreme Committee.
The opening of the World Cup advanced by one day out of respect for “tradition”
Because at the time of the disclosure of the World Cup calendar, Fifa had finally decided, in a few hours, that the opening match – initially scheduled for November 21 – would be that between Senegal and the Netherlands. The program is finally made clearer: as tradition dictates, the organizing country will open the ball. Especially since according to the starting plan, the opening ceremony should have taken place… before Qatar’s first match and therefore after the opening match.
On the calendar, this gives: opening ceremony then Qatar-Ecuador on November 20 at 5 p.m. French time (7 p.m. local time); England-Ireland on November 21 at 2 p.m. HF, followed by Senegal – Netherlands at 5 p.m. and United States – Wales at 8 p.m.
“This change continues a long-standing tradition of the start of a FIFA World Cup™ being marked by an opening ceremony held on the sidelines of its first match, which usually involves the host country or the title holder. The decision follows an assessment of the sporting and operational implications of this rescheduling, as well as an extensive consultation process and agreement with key stakeholders and the host nation, which subsequently resulted in an agreement.” , justified Fifa in a press release.
What about tickets?
There remains the problem of the ticket office. FIFA specifies that “ticket holders will be duly informed by email of the new schedule of the matches concerned, for which their tickets remain valid. In addition, FIFA will endeavor to resolve any problem caused by this change on a case-by-case basis”. .