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2022 World Cup schedule, start date, times released

2022 World Cup schedule

The official logo of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is unveiled on a giant screen in Madrid on September 3, 2019. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP) (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

The 2022 World Cup schedule, start date and kick off times have been officially released and it will be a soccer feast in Qatar.

[ MORE: New PL TV schedule ]

FIFA will be taking its premier tournament to the Middle East for the first time in history and it will kick off in Qatar on November 21.

“A World Cup over Thanksgiving!” I hear you cry. Yes, we know. It will be awesome. Well, as long as the USMNT qualify for the tournament this time, as CONCACAF are still working out how the qualifying tournament will work in North and Central America.

Anyway, let’s cross that bridge when we get to it. Back to the 2022 World Cup schedule, start date and kick off times.

The 60,000 capacity Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor will host the opening game of the tournament on Monday, 21 November, as we know hosts Qatar will feature. The World Cup group stage draw will be held in March 2022, so until then we don’t know which stadiums teams will be playing in.

As for the World Cup final, that will be held on December 18 in the 80,000 capacity Lusail Stadium in Doha, with the kick off time 10am ET.

Here are more details on the schedule, as teams will not have to travel long distances during the tournament and for all but three games there will be a three-day rest for each team.


  • Kick off times (EST) for the group games will be 5am, 8am, 11am and 2pm
  • There will be four games per day in the group stage
  • The group stage will take place from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2, a 12-day period
  • Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knockout round matches will be at 10am and 2pm EST

Below is the schedule and fixture list in full, as the 2022 World Cup will be the first in history to not take place in the summer.

2022 World Cup schedule

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