World Cup bosses move Qatar match against Ecuador to the first day of tournament

Organisers of the 2022 World Cup have opted to bring the game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador forward by a day and make it the opening match of the month-long extravaganza.

Qatar will play the first game of the 2022 World Cup against Ecuador on 20 November. © Shutterstock

The clash at the Al Bayt Stadium was due to take place on 21 November at 7pm preceded by the opening ceremony. 

When Fifa published the original timetable for the World Cup, the Qatar v Ecuador clash was tabled as the third game after the Group A match between Senegal and the Netherlands and the Group B match between England and Iran.

That sequence would have broken with the custom of the opening ceremony followed by the first match of the hosts and the entire event.

Change

And despite the embarrassment of a reconfiguration, the Bureau of the Fifa Council decided to follow the protocol from previous World Cups.

“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,” said a Fifa statement.

Qatar will play Ecuador on 20 November at 7pm as part of a stand-alone event.

The encounter between Senegal and the Netherlands will go ahead at the Al Thumama Stadium at 7pm on 21 November instead of 1pm.

Games

The Group B matches on 21 November between England and Iran and the United State against Wales will take place as scheduled at 4pm and 10pm respectively.

“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,” the Fifa statement added.

Some Ecuador fans may need to change flights to arrive in Qatar earlier and the switch could force changes to World Cup commercial contracts.

Ricardo Fort, a sports industry consultant and former head of sports marketing for Coca Cola - a major Fifa backer - said the date change would be a huge problem for sponsors.

Moving the @FIFAWorldCup opening match in 1 day will be a huge problem for sponsors.
They invited and confirmed hospitality guests, booked flights & hotels, and contracted with all the necessary logistics. Imagine changing it all!@tariqpanja https://t.co/7dJjCSQhxC

— Ricardo Fort (@SportByFort) August 10, 2022

"They invited and confirmed hospitality guests, booked flights and hotels, and contracted with all the necessary logistics. Imagine changing it all!" Fort said on social media.

But some companies linked to the tournament expressed confidence that any disruption would be overcome.

"It is something we will deal with," said Jaime Byrom, chairman of Match Hospitality, which has a contract with Fifa to lay on hospitality packages for World Cup matches.

"It is really not - compared to the other challenges that we could have faced or have faced in the past - a particularly large problem," Byrom told AFP.

"In this case we will be looking at our Ecuadorian customers who are travelling from overseas and making sure that they are on time for the match."

Players for the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East will join up with their national squads from 14 November.

France begin the defence of their crown on 22 November against Australia at the Al Janoub Stadium. Didier Deschamps' men will also play Denmark and Tunisia.

The final will take place on 18 December at the Lusail Stadium.