FIFA Moves World Cup Start In Qatar To Nov. 20

ZURICH: FIFA has formally moved the World Cup start up by one day to give host nation Qatar an exclusive Sunday evening slot with a global audience.

Qatar will now play Ecuador in Doha on Nov. 20 just 101 days after FIFA's decision stretching the World Cup to 29 days from the 28 agreed seven years ago when a JuneJuly tournament was pushed back to avoid the searing desert heat in midsummer.

The surprise late switch was signed off by a FIFA committee comprising its president Gianni Infantino and presidents of the six continental soccer bodies. FIFA said the vote was unanimous.

The plan was revealed Wednesday after several rounds of ticket sales to fans worldwide since last year.

Qatar will now make its World Cup debut kicking off against Ecuador at 7 p.m. local time on Nov. 20 after an opening ceremony on the field at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium.

The meeting of the world's No. 49 and No. 44-ranked men's national teams was originally scheduled 24 hours later on Nov. 21 after the finals tournament draw was made April 1 in Doha.

In the original schedule, the opening ceremony was still planned to take place before QatarEcuador despite it being the third game of the tournament, and with just an hour of free time after the final whistle of the second game on the schedule, England vs. Iran.

The first game until Thursday's decision was Netherlands-Senegal in Qatar's Group A, starting at 1 p.m. local time on Nov. 21. That now moves back to the cooler hours of the 7 p.m. Monday slot vacated by *Qatar-Ecuador.