Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Harry Latham-Coyle

What time are World Cup matches in the UK, US and Qatar and what is the time difference?

AFP via Getty Images

The 22nd edition of the men’s Fifa World Cup will be held in Qatar in November and December.

The tournament was shifted to the Northern Hemisphere winter from a traditional place in the early summer calendar due to the intense summer heat in the Arab nation.

It will be the first men’s World Cup held outside of May, June or July, and the second to be hosted entirely in Asia after the 2002 competition in Japan and South Korea.

Matches in Qatar will be held over a condensed period of just short of a month, with the hosts opening the tournament on 20 November against Ecuador.

The final will be held on 18 December at the Lusail Stadium.

What time zone is Qatar in?

Qatar operates on Arabian Standard Time (AST, UTC+03:00).

What is the time difference to the United Kingdom and United States?

For those in the United Kingdom, Qatar is, therefore, three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00).

In the United States, the time difference is eight hours to those in the Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC -05:00), nine hours to Central Standard Time (CST, UTC -06:00), ten hours to Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC -07:00) and eleven hours to Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC -08:00).

What time will matches kick-off in Qatar?

For the first two rounds of the group stages, the kick-off times will be 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, and 22:00 AST (10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm GMT; 5am, 8am, 11am, 2pm EST).

The final round of fixtures in each group will start simultaneously - these begin at 18:00 AST (3pm GMT; 10am EST) and 22:00 AST (7pm GMT; 2pm EST). The knockout rounds also follow these timings.

Group stage fixtures (venue, kick-off time in Qatar, UK, eastern US)

Sunday November 20

Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Monday November 21

Group B: England vs Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group B: USA vs Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Tuesday November 22

Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group C: Mexico vs Poland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group D: France vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Wednesday November 23

Group F: Morocco vs Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group E: Germany vs Japan (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group F: Belgium vs Canada (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Thursday November 24

Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group H: Portugal vs Ghana (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group G: Brazil vs Serbia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Friday November 25

Group B: Wales vs Iran (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group A: Qatar vs Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group B: England vs USA (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Saturday November 26

Group C: Tunisia vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group D: France vs Denmark (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group C: Argentina vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Sunday November 27

Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group F: Belgium vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group F: Croatia vs Canada (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group E: Spain vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Monday November 28

Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 1pm AST, 10am BST, 5am EST)

Group G: South Korea vs Ghana (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm AST, 1pm GMT, 8am EST)

Group H: Brazil vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm AST, 4pm GMT, 11am EST)

Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Tuesday November 29

Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group B: Wales vs England (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Group B: Iran vs USA (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Wednesday November 30

Group D: Australia vs Denmark (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group D: Tunisia vs France (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group C: Poland vs Argentina (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Thursday December 1

Group F: Croatia vs Belgium (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group F: Canada vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group E: Costa Rica vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Group E: Japan vs Spain (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Friday, December 2

Group G: South Korea vs Portugal (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group G: Ghana vs Uruguay (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Group H: Serbia vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Group H: Cameroon vs Brazil (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Round of 16

Saturday December 3

49 - Winners of Group A vs Runners-up of Group B (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

50 - Winners of Group C vs Runners-up of Group D (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Sunday December 4

52 - Winners of Group D vs Runners-up of Group C (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

51 - Winners of Group B vs Runners-up of Group A (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Monday December 5

53 - Winners of Group E vs Runners-up of Group F (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

54 - Winners of Group G vs Runners-up of Group H (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Tuesday December 6

55 - Winners of Group F vs Runners-up of Group E (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

56 - Winners of Group H vs Runners-up of Group G (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Quarter-finals

Friday December 9

58 - Winners of 53 vs Winners of 54 (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

57 - Winners of 49 vs Winners of 50 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Saturday December 10

60 - Winners of 55 vs Winners of 56 (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

59 - Winners of 51 vs Winners of 52 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Semi-finals

Tuesday December 13

61 - Winners of 57 vs Winners of 58 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Wednesday December 14

62 - Winners of 59 vs Winners of 60 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10pm AST, 7pm GMT, 2pm EST)

Saturday December 17

63 - Third place play-off (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Final

Sunday December 18

64 - The World Cup final (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 6pm AST, 3pm GMT, 10am EST)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.