World football governing body (FIFA) has announced that four matches will be played each day during the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The group games will be played over a 12-day period, with matches not being assigned to particular venues until after the finals draw in March 2022 in order to choose optimal kick-off times to suit television audiences in different countries as well as supporters out in Qatar. Kick-off time for the first two rounds of matches will be 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, and 10 pm local time (9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm in Nigeria), and with the stadiums all within a 40-mile radius of each other, it will enable supporters and media to realistically attend two games on the same day.

Kick-off time in the final round of group games and knock-out round matches will be 6pm and 10pm local time (2pm and 6pm Nigerian time). For all but three games three-day rest period in between. The 2022 final venue is the Lusail Stadium in Doha, with the showpiece game to be played on Sunday, December 8, kick-off at 6pm local time. (2pm Nigerian time). The tournament’s opening match will be played at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor on Monday, November 21 in a match that will feature the host country (Qatar).