FIFA picks Nov. 21 as kickoff for 28-day World Cup in Qatar

German Wolfgang Niersbach, member of the FIFA Executive Committee, speaks to media at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, 25 Sept. 2015, where an Executive Committee meeting takes place. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP) German Wolfgang Niersbach, member of the FIFA Executive Committee, speaks to media at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, 25 Sept. 2015, where an Executive Committee meeting takes place. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP)

By Associated Press September 25, 2015 2 min read

ZURICH (AP) – The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will start on Monday, Nov. 21, kicking off a 28-day tournament that will finish on Sunday, Dec. 18.

FIFA’s executive committee confirmed the 2022 dates on Friday, six months after picking Dec. 18 – Qatar’s national holiday – for the final.

In March, FIFA finally decided to switch the 2022 tournament from June-July to avoid Qatar’s summer heat.

A 28-day World Cup is four fewer than usual and is designed to cause less disruption to clubs and leagues which must shut down for several peak midseason weeks.

FIFA had delayed choosing a kickoff date in Qatar while it held talks on the 2019-2024 schedule of national team fixtures.