Thanksgiving will be full of football this year.
Not only does the NFL have three matchups in store. The original football will take center stage when World Cup matches are held on Turkey Day for the first time in history.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was moved from its usual summer slot to late fall because of the scorching temperatures in Qatar. The country doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, of course, but Telemundo Deportes is planning on bringing the holiday festivities abroad for the tournament.
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On top of the 300 people working out of Miami for the World Cup, the company is sending 250 people to Doha, Qatar’s capital, for production. Telemundo Deportes president Ray Warren has plans for those producers, directors and crew members who will miss out on Thanksgiving with their families.
“Well, if we didn't do anything but woke up in the morning in Doha on Thanksgiving Day, it would be a very surreal experience,” Warren said. “I think that it would be interesting to some, not interesting to others, sad for some. So we're going to really work hard at maintaining that kind of amplification of efforts. And we're going to try to bring as much of Thanksgiving to Doha as has ever been brought to Doha by a broadcast company.”
Among the biggest tasks for Warren is getting enough turkeys for 250 people into Qatar. The endeavor will require assistance from the U.S. embassy and a nearby Air Force base and may not result in a conventional Thanksgiving dinner with four World Cup matches taking place that day.
“I don't know if turkey sausage would count, but we'll figure something out and then we have to distribute them,” Warren said. “We have to get them to people.”
Another Thanksgiving hallmark will be of high demand in Qatar: alcohol. While the country has tight restrictions on alcohol consumption, fans and workers who make the trip will still be able to enjoy a drink during the World Cup. Organizers finalized a policy in September to serve alcoholic beer at stadiums and fan zones and will have special zones for drunk spectators to sober up.
“It's just not easily accessible,” Warren said. “There are no bars to drop into and have a pint, which will be interesting on the ground.”
Telemundo will broadcast four World Cup group stage games on Thanksgiving: Switzerland vs. Cameroon, Uruguay vs. South Korea, Portugal vs. Ghana and Brazil vs. Serbia. The first match will begin at 5 a.m. ET and the fourth one will kick off at 2 p.m. ET.
The soccer action will overlap with the NFL’s three-game Thanksgiving slate. The Buffalo Bills will face the Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m. ET, the New York Giants will visit the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET and the New England Patriots will battle the Minnesota Vikings at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Patriots-Vikings game will be on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, capping off an action-filled day for the network.
“It's a Telemundo takeover for the sports department, and we're really excited about that,” Warren said.