November 21st is a Date for Your Diary – Opening Match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

One of the greatest and most anticipated sporting tournaments of all, the World Cup draws teams from nations in all parts of the world, and this year takes place for the first time in Qatar, and also for the first time in the months of November and December.

The opening match will take place under the watchful eyes of the world’s football fans and press at the spectacular 60,000 seat Al Bayt Stadium, located in Al Khor in Qatar. Featuring a design that is reminiscent of traditional tents used by local nomadic peoples, the stadium has a retractable roof and luxury hotel suites with views of the pitch.

Seven stadiums have been specially constructed or converted to enable this tiny state to host the 2022 World Cup. With a population of some 330,000 people, Qatar may seem an unlikely footballing nation, yet the sport is popular and with traditional rivals including Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, Qatar regularly take part in cup competitions in the Middle East, with this being the nation’s first appearance in a World Cup Final.

As the host nation, Qatar will field a team in the opening match as the regulations require. With a 60,000 strong crowd promised the atmosphere at World Cup openers is always one to savour, and this being the first time the competition has been held in an Arab nation promises something different too.

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