Match schedule confirmed for 2022 Qatar World Cup
The match schedule for the 2022 World Cup has been announced by FIFA, with the stadiums for the opening match and the final confirmed.
FIFA has confirmed the match schedule for the 2022 World Cup, which will take place in Qatar from November to December.
The tournament will start on November 21, with Qatar kicking off the competition at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium at 13:00 local time (10:00 GMT).
The final will take place at Lusail Stadium on December 18 at 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT), while it has also been confirmed there will be four games per day during the group stage.
With the group stage lasting 12 days, the final round of group fixtures will take place at 18:00 and 22:00 local time (15:00 and 19:00 GMT), as will the knockout games.
FIFA has also announced the group-stage matches will only be allocated to a stadium following the draw for the finals, which is planned to take place after the March 2022 international match calendar qualifying window.
Once the draw has been made, FIFA will consider changing kick-off times to provide a more beneficial experience for audiences watching from around the globe.