The Fifa World Cup will begin one day earlier than its official schedule, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) officially announced on Thursday.

The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council. Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event, FIFA, the Football governing body confirmed the changes in its statement.

The decision has been taken by FIFA saying that it followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications and consultations with stakeholders and the host nation.

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As per the previous schedule, the FIFA host Qatar was set to play against Ecuador in the inaugural match on November 21 but Senegal vs Netherland would be the first match of the day. England against Iran would have been second.

Football’s top officials universally approved the decision, FIFA said in a statement while Qatar said it would give unspecified help to fans affected by the change. Qatar had also been frustrated as it has invested in a huge opening ceremony show.

The opening ceremony and first game will take place at the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of the Qatari capital Doha.

Instead of Saturday, the 100-day countdown to the FIFA World Cup opening match started on Friday. This year’s edition brings the World Cup to the Arab World for the first time.

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