There are only two weeks to go until the 2022 Qatar World Cup gets underway and it promises to be the most unusual World Cup yet for a number of reasons.
The primary reason for it being such an odd tournament is the fact that it takes place in what is winter for the majority of the world, rather than the traditional summer.
There is also the controversy surrounding the awarding of the tournament to the Gulf state, the treatment of the migrant workers who built the stadiums and infrastructure, and the laws around homosexuality in the country.
Despite all of that, 32 teams will participate in the tournament and the opening game will see Qatar taking on Ecuador on November 20 at 17:00 CET (16:00 GMT) at the Al Bayt stadium.
After the draw was announced, the 2022 World Cup was scheduled to kick off on November 21 and before hosts Qatar came on the scene, the Netherlands vs Senegal and England vs Iran would be played.
In order not to break the tradition that began in 2006 of the host nation opening the tournament, it was agreed that Qatar and Ecuador would play on 20 November, thus continuing the tradition.
The Netherlands and Senegal are the other two teams in the group with Qatar and Ecuador.
Team already getting prepared
Leagues in Europe are set to end around November 13 ahead of the tournament but in Mexico, Liga MX has already stopped and the focus has turned to Qatar. The same can be said for the USA and Japan.