In most years, November 20 is just a day in late fall. In 2022, however, things will be different: on this date the opening match of the 2022 World Cup will be played in Qatar .
For the first time, the ball is rolling so late in the calendar as part of a World Cup final. Summer temperatures in Qatar would not have been reasonable. For that reason alone, the opening match of the 2022 World Cup will be historic. But there are other arguments that point to an unforgettable event. Here you can find everything you need to know about the opening match of the 2022 World Cup.
Information on the opening match of the 2022 World Cup.
Opening match – World Cup 2022.
When will the opening match of the 2022 World Cup take place?
As we already mentioned, the opening match of the World Cup in Qatar will be played on November 20, 2022, in the middle of the Christmas season. The game starts at 1:00 pm Argentina time (GMT-3), which is also an extremely unusual hour for an opening game.
FIFA moved up the opening match by one day, three months before the start of the tournament, to guarantee hosts Qatar an exclusive opening match. Previously it was scheduled to take place on November 21 at 1:00 pm (Argentina time), but before that two other matches would have been played and the tournament would have opened with another match at 7:00 am, so to speak.
The opening match is also the first game of Group A of the 2022 World Cup. Host Qatar will, of course, play this match. After all, since the 2006 World Cup in Germany a rule dictates that the host can play the opening match. Qatar's opponents will only be determined after the 2022 World Cup group draw .
Where will the opening match of the 2022 World Cup be played?
The venue for the opening match of the 2022 Soccer World Cup is probably not known to many. The Qatari city of al-Chaur, often also called al-Khor, was chosen as the venue for the opening match of the World Cup. The opening ceremony, as well as the first game of the final round in 2022, will take place at the al-Bayt stadium, which was built especially for the World Cup and has a total capacity of 60,000 spectators.
In addition to the opening match, five other group stage matches, as well as a round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final of the 2022 World Cup will take place at al-Bayt Stadium. The Qatar 2022 final , on the other hand, will be held at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail City.
Which teams will play in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup?
Since Qatar was awarded the World Cup, it has become clear that it will host the opening match of the World Cup on November 20 at al-Bayt Stadium. According to the 2022 World Cup schedule , Qatar is the leader of Group A and will play in the opening match against the team drawn in second position. In this case, it was Ecuador who will have the pleasure of playing the first match of this tournament.
Is there a 2022 World Cup opening ceremony?
Yes, as in all major football tournaments, there will be a large and colorful opening ceremony in the run-up to the opening match of the 2022 World Cup. The venue is al-Bayt Stadium in the Qatari city of al- Chaur. Around 60,000 fans will watch the opening ceremony at the stadium venue, and millions of football fans from around the world will sit in front of the TV or devices.
Of course, as part of the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup, there will again be cultural information about Qatar and the official song of the 2022 World Cup will also be performed live in the arena.
Bet on the opening match of the 2022 World Cup
Qatar and Ecuador face two teams that are not among the best of the 32 participants in the final tournament in Qatar. However, an exciting match awaits us on November 20, at least if you take a look at the World Cup 2022 betting . Hosts Qatar have been eagerly awaiting this match ever since the award. For the first time they step on the big stage of a World Cup and with Ecuador they have had a rival that seems quite affordable.
Still, it takes a very good day and a poor showing from Ecuador at the same time for Qatar to get the result they want. Online bookmakers believe that it is possible, but not very likely. Ecuador is the clear favourite, for whom a loss of points would be a major setback. Over the course of the opening match of the 2022 World Cup, you can place a wide variety of bets, such as both teams to score, double chance or the classic 1X2 bet.
The history of the opening matches of the World Cup
Traditionally, the world champion participated in the opening game to begin the defense of the title. A change was necessary because the champion hasn't qualified automatically since the 2002 World Cup. Germany almost continued that tradition, coming close to lifting the cup in 2002 but losing to Brazil and hosting the event.
The first real opening game (without a parallel second game) took place at the 1966 World Cup in England. However, it was not a real blow: Uruguay and the hosts parted ways goalless. Curious: the next three opening matches at the world championships also ended 0-0.
Since then, the games have had a reputation for goals being in short supply. This image is not entirely wrong, even a series of negatives like that did not appear again. The Russians' 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2018 or the Germans' 4-2 win over Costa Rica were rather the exception.
Interesting facts and facts about the opening matches of the World Cup
The defending champion lost only one World Cup opening match: Argentina defeated Cameroon 1-0 at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
The hosts have never lost an opening game. Only South Africa was really in danger, having failed to beat Mexico 1-1 at the 2010 World Cup. At the time, however, this result was celebrated as a success.
Only Brazil was able to reverse a deficit in an opening match, which was at the 2014 World Cup. Fun fact: The Croatian goal was an own goal. It was the first own goal in an opening match of a World Cup and, at the same time, the first in the history of the Seleçao.
Germany's 4–2 victory over Costa Rica in the 2006 World Cup was the highest-scoring opening match in World Cup history.
If you want to become world champion, you should not start in the first game. Only England managed this in the first real opening game in the Soccer World Cup in 1966. After that, the new title holder always rose later in the competition.
Which teams played a World Cup opening match most often?
The last item on the list above spelled bad news, especially for Mexico: no country has participated in a World Cup opening match more often than the Central American state, exactly five times.
Interesting facts and facts about the opening matches of the World Cup
The defending champion lost only one World Cup opening match: Argentina defeated Cameroon 1-0 at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
The hosts have never lost an opening game. Only South Africa was really in danger, having failed to beat Mexico 1-1 at the 2010 World Cup. At the time, however, this result was celebrated as a success.
Only Brazil was able to reverse a deficit in an opening match, which was at the 2014 World Cup. Fun fact: The Croatian goal was an own goal. It was the first own goal in an opening match of a World Cup and, at the same time, the first in the history of the Seleçao.
Germany's 4–2 victory over Costa Rica in the 2006 World Cup was the highest-scoring opening match in World Cup history.
If you want to become world champion, you should not start in the first game. Only England managed this in the first real opening game in the Soccer World Cup in 1966. After that, the new title holder always rose later in the competition.
Which teams played a World Cup opening match most often?
The last item on the list above spelled bad news, especially for Mexico: no country has participated in a World Cup opening match more often than the Central American state, exactly five times.
Images source: FIFA.
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