Unlike most World Cups, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will not be played in the summer, but rather in winter. This will allow fans to avoid the sweltering heat of the Gulf during the summer. It will also allow for air conditioning in the stadiums, which will help players and spectators to enjoy the game.
The first match of the tournament will take place on November 20. It will be between host nation Qatar and Ecuador. This match will be held at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. It will have a capacity of 60,000 and will host the first five group matches.
Each group will play three matches against the other teams in their group. The winning team advances to the next round. The loser goes home. The top two teams in each group will advance to the next round.
The tournament will be played in eight stadiums, which is the smallest number of stadiums since Argentina hosted the World Cup in 1978. Each stadium will have pitchside air conditioning to keep players and spectators comfortable.
The group stage of the tournament will run from November 20 to December 2. Up to four matches will be played daily, and matches will take place at different times across the day. A full schedule of all World Cup matches is available on the FIFA+ website.
The tournament will continue into the quarter-final stage and will culminate in a final on December 18. The final will be played at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail. The stadium has an attendance of 80,000.
