We obviously do not yet know the 32 participating countries - except Qatar, the organizing country, qualified ex officio - but we have known since Wednesday the full schedule of the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar. Unsurprisingly, this is a historic first, the prestigious trophy defended by the French team, world champion in Russia in 2018, will be contested in the fall, with a start on November 21 and a final on Sunday, December 18 , as indicated by Fifa.
Four matches per day during the group stage
All group stage meetings will be held at four times: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time. Either for France 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. The eighth and quarterfinals will be played at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. French time, the semi-finals at 8 p.m. and the final at 4 p.m., always in French time (assuming that we continue to change time in 2022) .
The group stage will be played from November 21 to December 2, at the rate of four games per day, against three in previous editions "to guarantee optimal rest periods", as indicated by Fifa on its site. An unprecedented organization, emphasizes the Federation, made possible by the fact that "no air travel is required between the sites".
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First tickets available at the end of 2020
The round of 16 will follow in stride, from Saturday December 3 to Tuesday December 6, with two matches per day. A first two-day break will follow, after a total of 56 matches played in 16 days, and the quarter-finals, played on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. French time.
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After two new days of rest, the semi-finals will arrive on Tuesday December 13 and Wednesday December 14 at 8:00 p.m. French time. The match for third place will be played on Saturday December 17 at 4 p.m., and therefore finally, the final on Sunday December 18 at 4 p.m., exactly 1617 days after the coronation of the Blues in Moscow.
The first hospitality tickets will go on sale at the end of 2020, specifies Fifa, while the draw for the event will take place after the international window of March 2022.