FIFA will push the World Cup start date a day earlier to allow hosts Qatar to play first, according to The Athletic.
Previously, the tournament was due to start on Monday November 21 with Senegal versus the Netherlands.
However, Qatar are understood to want to play first, as has become the norm for the host country.
Their game against Ecuador is now set to be rescheduled for Sunday November 20th. It will kick off at 7 p.m. (2 p.m. ET).
England’s opening game against Iran on November 21 will be played on that day as scheduled.
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The decision still has to be approved by the Presidium of the FIFA Council, which is made up of President Gianni Infantino and the leaders of all the continental confederations (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC and OFC).
Approval is expected to be granted, meaning the World Cup will now take place from November 20th to December 18th.
The host country has featured in the opening game of every World Cup since 2006, before which the defending champions usually played in the first game.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar – controversial for reasons detailed in this article – is the first winter World Cup to be held in the northern hemisphere.
The Premier League will resume after the 12/13 weekend. It was suspended for more than a month on November 12 before resuming after the finals on December 18. The top season resumes on December 26 for the traditional Boxing Day round of play.
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Further reading: World Cup 2022
(Photo: Getty Images)