World Cup fans will be able to watch an unprecedented four games a day on television, spread out over 11 hours, during the group stage of the Qatar 2022 tournament after the schedule was confirmed on Wednesday.
With the relatively short travel distances for the venues in and around Doha, it could be possible for fans that travel to the 32-team tournament to attend multiple games each day.
The early games will kick off at 1 p.m. local time, with the fourth match starting at 10 p.m. local time and finishing just before midnight.
The tournament’s opening game on November 21, will be at the 60,000-seat capacity Al Bayt Stadium, with its distinctive “tent” style covering.
The final on December 18 will be held at the 80,000 Lusail Stadium, which, like Al Bayt, will also host a semifinal.
Nasser Al Khater, CEO of the Qatar World Cup organising company, said plans for the tournament were well on schedule with 90% of the work finished on roads and infrastructure.
FIFA will wait until the draw for the tournament is held in March or April of 2022 before assigning specific games to venues and time slots.
The tournament was switched from its usual June-July slot due to the heat in the Gulf state and is the first that will be held in the middle of the European season.
The 32-team tournament draw was planned for April 2022, likely in Doha. The earliest option is now to hold it in June ahead of the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 tournament.
FIFA has agreed to a $1.5 billion relief plan to help with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global game.
FIFA’s plan means it will dip into its reserves to provide national federations with a number of grants and interest-free loans to cope with budget hits. –ESPN
