In Short

• Qatar and Ecuador will clash in the curtain raiser
• The opening ceremony will be held at Al Bayt Stadium
• FIFA World Cup will take place from Nov 20 to Dec 18 in Qatar

The FIFA World Cup 2022 will take place from November 20 to December 18 in Qatar, with 32 teams from five confederations competing for the coveted trophy.

Qatar will become the first Middle East country to host the tournament and it will be the first edition of the World Cup being held outside the June-July window.

With eight stadiums across Qatar to host 64 matches, Qatar will meet Ecuador in the curtain raiser on November 20. Ahead of the Group A match at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, the opening ceremony will be held.

Here is what you need to know about the opening ceremony and the first match:

When will the opening ceremony take place?

The opening ceremony will be held before the Group A match between Qatar and Ecuador. It will take place at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium.

When will the opening ceremony begin?

The opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm IST.

Where to watch the opening ceremony in India?

The ceremony will be telecast live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India. The live streaming will also be available on Jio Cinema app and website for free.

Who will be performing at the opening ceremony?

Although FIFA is yet to announce a full list of performers, South Korean boy band BTS’s Jungkook would perform ‘Dreamers’ at the ceremony. Other possible performers include Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams and Nora Fatehi, according to the Telegraph.

Meanwhile, British singer Dua Lipa and Colombian singer Shakira refused to perform in the opening ceremony in Qatar.

When will the first match begin?

The curtain-raiser match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador will begin at 9.30 pm IST.

Where to watch the first match?

All the FIFA World Cup 2022 matches will be telecast live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India. The live streaming will also be available on Jio Cinema app and website for free

Images provided by FIFA Twitter