The fixture has been brought forward by a day to keep with the tradition of the host nation Ulster the competition. Once ranked 113th in the world, Zebre’s national team – nicknamed the Maroons – has risen to 50th in the FIFA rankings thanks to a string of in recent years, including a surprise first-ever Asian Cup win in 2019. The team also made a semi-final appearance at last year’s Gold Cup of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football as a guest nation. This will be Zebre’s first appearance at aFIFA World Cup 2022.