FIFA has confirmed the schedule for the Qatar 2022 tournament on Wednesday. Fans will be able to watch four games a day. It will be spread out over 11 hours. Since the travel distances are relatively short in and around Doha, fans would be able to attend multiple games a day.
The early games will kickoff at 1300 local time (1000 GMT). The fourth will start at 2200 local time (1900 GMT) and will finish before midnight.
The Al Bayt stadium will host the tournament’s opening game on November 1. The stadium has the capacity of 60,000 people, and a distinctive ‘tent’ style covering. The Lusail Stadium with the capacity of 80,000 will host the final on December 18. Both of these stadiums will host a semi-final each.
The tournament has switched from its usual June-July slot due to the heat in Qatar during that time.
“The World Cup is always a festival of football, a real celebration for the fans who come on-site and watch. In Qatar, with the compact nature, this is going to be amplified even more with 32 teams and 32 sets of supporters all in and around Doha,” said FIFA Chief Tournaments and Events Officer, Colin Smith.
FIFA will wait till March or April, when the draw for the tournament is held, before assigning specific games to venues and time-slots. This will enable better alignment of games with time zones for domestic television partners of the competing teams.