Australians are preparing to knuckle through some long, lethargic work days with the kick off for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.
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But it's not all bad news, despite the fact the east coast daylight savings clocks run eight hours ahead of Doha, the Socceroos' first few matches are on at reasonable times for soon to be sleep-deprived Aussie fans.
They are also easy to watch on free-to-air TV with the games to be screened on SBS and SBS On Demand.
The World Cup kicks off with Qatar v Ecuador on November 21, with the Socceroos not taking to the field until Wednesday, November 23.
This is Australia's fifth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup having scraped through in penalties against Peru to take the final spot in the 32 team group.
The Socceroos (38th) are in Group D with France (ranked 4th), Denmark (ranked 10th) and Tunisia (ranked 30th).
When the Socceroos are playing:
- Australia v France - Wednesday, November 23, 6am AEDT
- Australia v Tunisia - Saturday November 26, 9pm AEDT
- Australia v Denmark - Thursday, December 1, 2am AEDT
Qatar's hot climate makes competing in this World Cup challenging.
The design of Al Wakrah's Al Janoub stadium relies heavily on air conditioning to create appropriate conditions but hot outside temperatures collide to create a glassy texture on the field.
The Socceroos played and won against Jordan in the stadium in June this year.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The Australian team is also competing in this World Cup under immense international scrutiny after releasing a video criticising Qatar's human rights record.
Other 'must watch' matches:
Germany v Spain - Monday, November 28, 6am AEDT
These teams have faced off before in World Cup and European Championship games.
Germany is expected to win by a whisker despite losing to Spain 6-0 in November 2020 at the UEFA Nations League.
Portugal v Uruguay - Tuesday, November 29, 6am AEDT
This is expected to be the last World Cup for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez and should be a tightly contended game.
Arrgentina v Poland - Thursday, December 1, 6am AEDT
Robert Lewandowski will have something to prove after Lionel Messi was awarded the 2021 Ballon D'Or.