FIFA announced the schedules of the World Cup matches: Senegal and the Netherlands will play the opening match

Hours after the end of the draw, FIFA announced the days and times of all matches. Although they had been pre-established for several weeks, there were changes to the time and the big news is that Senegal and the Netherlands will hold the first match of the tournament, breaking with the tradition that the host is the one who moves the ball first.

The match between Africans and Europeans will be played at 13.00 local time (07.00 in Argentina) at Al Thumama Stadium. While Qatar and Ecuador will play in the third round, 19.00 local time (13.00 from Argentina) at Al Bayt Stadium. There were also changes in venues and schedules in several meetings of the event that will begin on November 21 and whose final will be on December 18.

Since Germany 2006, the local team is the one who will play the first match. Previously, the reigning champion did it. Now, this tradition was broken so that Qatar can debut for the first time in a date in central time, to have a greater audience when measured against the team led by Gustavo Alfaro.

Qatar will have the difficult task of moving out of the group zone, something that has been achieved to this date by the teams that have organized the tournament since 1930 to date, except for South Africa, which in 2010 was eliminated in the first round.

The day on Monday 21 November will then take place as follows:

13.00 local time: Senegal vs. Netherlands (Group A)

16.00 local time: England vs. Iran (Group B)

19.00 local time: Qatar vs. Ecuador (Group A)

22.00 local time: United States vs. Wales, Scotland or Ukraine (Group B)

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