FIFA confirm the 2022 World Cup dates with the final just SEVEN DAYS before Christmas in Qatar… and England could be kicking off their matches at 10am UK time!
- The tournament will begin on November 21 and there are four group games a day
- Kick-off times for the first matches will be 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm local time
- Fans will be treated to four matches each day throughout the group stage
- The 2022 final on December 18 is to be held at the Lusail Stadium in Doha
FIFA have mapped out the dates for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the World Cup final set to be staged just a week before Christmas on December 18.
It means one team – potentially Gareth Southgate’s England side – will have the perfect early Christmas present of hoisting the trophy aloft as world champions.
The tournament will begin on November 21 and fans will be able to enjoy a feast of live football with four group matches to be held each day until December 2 – including a 10am kick-off for UK fans.
The 2022 World Cup final will be held on December 18 – just seven days before Christmas Day
It could be the perfect early Christmas gift for Gareth Southgate and millions of England fans
England fans will be scrambling to get themselves off work with Gareth Southgate’s side potentially playing in the middle of the working day.
The group games will be played over a 12-day period, with matches not being assigned to particular venues until after the finals draw in March 2022 in order to choose optimal kick-off times to suit television audiences in different countries as well as supporters out in Qatar.
Kick-off times for the first two rounds of matches will be at 1pm (10am GMT), 4pm (1pm GMT), 7pm (4pm GMT) and 10pm (7pm GMT) local time.
With the stadiums all within a 40-mile radius of each other it will enable supporters and media to realistically attend up to two games on the same day.
For all but three games there will be a three-day rest period in between. There will also be no need for teams, supporters or media to spend time flying or taking long rail or road journeys between matches.
Doha’s Lusail Stadium will host the final – here, it is pictured under construction in February
The opening match of the tournament on November 21 will be held at the Al Bayt stadium
Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knock-out round matches will be at 6pm (3pm GMT) and 10pm (7pm GMT) local time.
The tournament’s opening match will be played at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor on Monday, November 21 in a match which will feature the host country.
The 2022 final venue is the Lusail Stadium in Doha, with the showpiece game to be played on Sunday, December 18.
A start date has not yet been fixed for the European section of World Cup qualification. The announcement comes two years to the day since the 2018 World Cup final.