The remaining matches of the qualifying round of the World Cup in Qatar will now be played in two time slots each day instead of four. Until Monday, there was a game every three hours (at 11:00, 14:00, 17:00 and 20:00). Starting this Tuesday, two matches will be played at 16:00 and two at 20:00. The last day of this format will conclude this Friday, December 2, with the final matches of Group G and H.
FIFA's reason for modifying the schedules is "to respect the competitiveness of the tournament." As of today, only three teams have secured their place in the Round of 16 (Brazil, Portugal and France) and two are mathematically eliminated (Qatar and Canada), leaving 27 teams still in contention for the remaining 13 berths in the next round of the World Cup.
What do they mean by "respecting the competitiveness of the tournament"?
The purpose is to have the matches of each group played at the same time to avoid speculation on the results.
In club competitions, this measure has been in place for many years. Apart from preventing such speculation, it is also about blocking sports betting rigging.
