The World Cup in Qatar could start one day earlier than scheduled with FIFA looking at a plan to let the host nation play Ecuador on Nov. 20, a person familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person said a decision could be made within days by a committee comprised of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the heads of the six continental soccer bodies.
The proposal to create a 29-day tournament instead of the long-planned 28 has been favoured by Qatari officials and South American soccer body CONMEBOL, with talks also involving the Qatar and Ecuador soccer federations, the person said.
The World Cup is set to open on Nov. 21, a Monday, with the Netherlands facing Senegal at 1 p.m. local time in Doha. Qatar and Ecuador are also in Group A but that match was scheduled to start six hours later on the same day.
The match schedule -- with the official opening ceremony at the third match when Qatar was scheduled to play -- was finalized after the draw was made in Doha on April 1.
A Sunday start for the World Cup had been ruled out several years ago when a shorter, 28-day schedule requiring four games each day during the group stage was agreed to by FIFA after talks with influential leagues in Europe which will play club games through Nov. 13.
However, a Qatar-Ecuador game involves few players who are with European clubs and would give the host nation an exclusive day to open its tournament.
The opening ceremony could now actually be before the opening game, at Al Bayt Stadium, and open up the early evening slot on Monday for the Netherlands and Senegal.
The 2022 World Cup is the first in the tournament's 92-year history to be played outside of the traditional northern hemisphere summer. The previous 21 editions were all played between late-May and the end of July.
FIFA finalized a decision in 2015 to avoid the searing heat in Qatar's summer and move to November and December, despite opposition from most of European soccer unhappy at shutting down their domestic leagues for several peak weeks.
The Nov. 21-Dec. 18 tournament schedule was agreed to so that European clubs could play on the Nov. 12-13 weekend before releasing their players to the 32 World Cup teams.
The final will be played on a Sunday that is Qatar's National Day, allowing a full week for players to return to clubs before the Premier League plays its traditional Boxing Day games on Dec. 26.
Qatar bid to host in June-July promising innovative stadium cooling technology to overcome heat expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) during the first World Cup held in the Middle East.
In December 2010, Qatar won a controversial contest beating the United States bid 14-8 in a final round of voting by the FIFA executive committee.
More than four years later, FIFA moved the tournament to be played on dates when temperatures should be around 25 to 30 degrees C (77 to 86 degrees F).
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has roared back to life after eight centuries of silence has erupted for the seventh time since December, sending molten lava flowing towards the Blue Lagoon spa, a major tourist attraction.
Bitcoin topped US$98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40 per cent in just two weeks.
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says the follow-up to Best Picture Oscar winner 'Gladiator' is long on spectacle, but short on soul.
The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims' families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.
A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
A Markham hockey buff who built a massive backyard ice rink without permissions or permits has reluctantly agreed to remove the sprawling surface, following a years-long dispute with the city and his neighbours.
A UBC instructor is facing backlash following the release of a 12-minute audio file from a lecture she gave on Sept. 18.
Three young males, 16, 18 and 20, were arrested after a Montreal police car was rammed by a suspected stolen vehicle in NDG and a foot chase eventually ensued in Montreal North.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
It's official — Quebec has set a new record for the most stolen vehicles recovered in one year by Canadian border agents.
Canada's border agency says it has detained about 50 shipments of cargo over suspicions they were products of forced labour under rules introduced in 2020 — but only one was eventually determined to be in breach of the ban.
A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday.
An Alabama prisoner convicted of the 1994 murder of a female hitchhiker is slated Thursday to become the third person executed by nitrogen gas.
The son of Norway's crown princess will be jailed for up to one week while police investigate accusations of rape made against him, a judge ruled on Wednesday.
A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has roared back to life after eight centuries of silence has erupted for the seventh time since December, sending molten lava flowing towards the Blue Lagoon spa, a major tourist attraction.
Eleven people have been arrested in Serbia in connection with a roof collapse earlier this month at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad that killed 15 people and severely injured two others, prosecutors said Thursday.
Inside Susan Smith’s car pulled from the bottom of a South Carolina lake in 1994 were the bodies of her two young boys, still strapped in their car seats, along with her wedding dress and photo album. Here's how the case unfolded.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is welcoming president-elect Donald Trump's pick for the next U.S. ambassador in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
A Dallas anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to 190 years in prison for injecting a nerve-blocking agent and other drugs into bags of intravenous fluid at a surgical center where he worked, leading to the death of a coworker and causing cardiac emergencies for several patients.
A measles outbreak in New Brunswick that began last month with a single travel-related case is growing and today stands at 44 cases.
Raw pistachios sold by Nutworks are being recalled in Ontario due to possible Salmonella contamination.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is inviting Canadians to choose the name of the first Canadian Lunar Rover.
Australia’s communications minister introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal President Joe Biden's signature artificial intelligence policy when he returns to the White House.
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says the follow-up to Best Picture Oscar winner 'Gladiator' is long on spectacle, but short on soul.
A Vancouver Swiftie is hoping for a miracle, as the pop star’s Vancouver stop on the Eras Tour inches closer.
An Emily Carr painting that sold for US$50 at an estate sale has fetched C$290,000 at a Toronto auction.
Bitcoin topped US$98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40 per cent in just two weeks.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are quickly approaching, meaning many people will be looking to score a deal ahead of the holidays. There are some precautions to take before shopping online.
The union representing port supervisors in British Columbia is formally challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the federal labour minister to order them back to work.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from digital nomads who have taken up location-independent jobs and can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Delta Air Lines’ newest dining option for first class passengers isn’t anything fancy. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, because it’s fast food.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026.
It’s fair to say 2024 has been quite a year for Italian tennis, especially for Jasmine Paolini who capped the best season of her career by winning the decisive match in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals against Slovakia to secure Italy’s first title in 11 years.
A 19-year-old is facing charges after video of him allegedly driving close to 200 km/h while holding alcohol was shared on social media in the Yarmouth, N.S., area.
It's official — Quebec has set a new record for the most stolen vehicles recovered in one year by Canadian border agents.
Even though sales of electric vehicles aren't growing as fast as in past years and President-elect Donald Trump may ditch tax credits for EV buyers, automakers are moving ahead with new models that should appeal to mainstream buyers.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A Vancouver Swiftie is hoping for a miracle, as the pop star’s Vancouver stop on the Eras Tour inches closer.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is expected to unveil plans for the proposed transition away from the elected park board on Thursday morning.
Several thousand British Columbians remain in the dark Wednesday morning after a windstorm known as a bomb cyclone slammed coastal communities.
A Toronto woman who was defrauded out of $158,000 in a roofing scam over the summer received about half her money back following a tip from a CTV News viewer.
A man is dead and his son is in custody following a stabbing in the Agincourt area in Scarborough.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
Calgarians woke up to more snow on Thursday, part of a system of weather that's expected to continue until at least Saturday.
Road conditions in southern Alberta rapidly deteriorated again Thursday after more snow fell.
Calgary police are seeking information in relation to a Tuesday fire in Hillhurst that they believe was deliberately set and allegations it could be connected to a frightening Bitcoin scam.
The consortium responsible for building Ottawa's new north-south line, TransitNext, says it is ready for the City of Ottawa to begin the final phase of approvals before opening the line to the public.
Two people have been arrested following a protest outside Stornoway, the official residence of Canada's leader of the Opposition.
Environment Canada’s forecast calls for Ottawa to receive 10 to 15 mm of rain today, another 15 to 25 mm of rain tonight, and 5 to 10 mm on Friday.
It's official — Quebec has set a new record for the most stolen vehicles recovered in one year by Canadian border agents.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
Three young males, 16, 18 and 20, were arrested after a Montreal police car was rammed by a suspected stolen vehicle in NDG and a foot chase eventually ensued in Montreal North.
Winter officially starts in one month, but we're getting an early taste this week.
Alberta’s government is poised to overhaul the province’s auto insurance system, with a no-fault model emerging as the most likely, offered to counter rising premiums.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
The leaders of Nova Scotia’s three main political parties will take part in a roundtable discussion at CTV Atlantic in Halifax on Thursday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
A 19-year-old is facing charges after video of him allegedly driving close to 200 km/h while holding alcohol was shared on social media in the Yarmouth, N.S., area.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
A Winnipeg woman is warning others to be on guard after she was nearly duped by an elaborate scam involving fake Manitoba Hydro workers, Bitcoin machines, and a “frightening” amount of her own personal information.
A handful of schools across Manitoba are closed on Thursday due to dangerous road conditions.
Three Credit Unions in Saskatchewan are exploring a potential merger – with work on the transition beginning as early as next year.
Emergency crews were called to a house fire on Rae Street early Thursday morning.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
A man who plead guilty to a double stabbing in 2015 will soon be out on statutory release, but he'll have to follow some strict conditions set out by the parole board.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service presented their 2025 budget, totaling $252.5 million, to the Region of Waterloo’s Strategic Planning and Budget Committee on Wednesday morning.
The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims' families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.
A 15-year-old girl who was set on fire at a Saskatoon high school earlier this fall is still recovering in hospital.
A Saskatoon teen accused of driving a car involved in a high-speed crash that killed a 16-year-old last spring has pleaded guilty to his charges.
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrence has been sentenced to 12 months probation – after pleading guilty to one count of assault.
Next week, Sudbury city council will decide how to rehabilitate the College Street underpass, which was built in 1949.
Greater Sudbury Police has taken delivery of body cameras for its officers and will begin training next month.
The owner at a North Bay rental home has been fined and seven people displaced after a kitchen fire Tuesday.
A London father and son say they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Back in July, Nicolas Lemke plead guilty to impaired driving causing the death of Aiden Curtis, and impaired driving causing bodily harm to two other adults who were injured.
There is no word on how many vehicles are involved, how the crash happened or potential injuries. Police said updates will be provided as they become available.
Police officers were in the north end of Barrie on Thursday morning, this time in the area of Livingstone Street West and McDougall Drive.
Emergency crews had to rescue one person trapped inside a vehicle after a collision in Craighurst Thursday morning.
The results are in from a commercial motor vehicle safety blitz provincial police conducted earlier this week and include a dozen vehicles taken off the roads.
Essex County OPP have shut down an illegal cannabis storefront in Leamington and seized $13,500 in products.
The death of two pedestrians in a Walkerville car crash has prompted calls for the City of Windsor to implement a safety plan it approved in January.
*WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some may find disturbing. Reader's discretion is advised.*
The clean up was well underway Wednesday on Vancouver Island after a night of chaos.
Mounties on Vancouver Island say they are investigating a single-vehicle crash that left "multiple" people injured.
Several thousand British Columbians remain in the dark Wednesday morning after a windstorm known as a bomb cyclone slammed coastal communities.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
There’s a new way to give this holiday season.
Lethbridge police say four teenagers have been arrested in connection with an autumn attack that saw a 16-year-old badly injured.
Some Lethbridge residents will be heading to the polls next month to elect their next MLA. The Government of Alberta announced the Lethbridge-West byelection will take place on Dec. 18.
Students in Sault College’s business accounting program have a new learning pathway that will ultimately give them a head start to a career.
The Transport Safety Board of Canada says the crew of a Porter Airlines flight landing in Sault Ste. Marie in April 2023 didn't realize the plane was so far down the runway.
The owner at a North Bay rental home has been fined and seven people displaced after a kitchen fire Tuesday.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
