FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar: All You Need To Know

The men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will begin a day earlier than planned, allowing the host nation to play the first game when it encounters Ecuador, FIFA — the global overseeing body for the sport of football — officially verified on Thursday. Following an agreed decision by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, the tournament will begin on November 20 instead of November 21, when three games had been scheduled, with Senegal vs. the Netherlands previously set to open the event. “The FIFA World Cup 2022 will kick off with an even greater celebration for local and international fans as host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday, 20 November at 19:00 as part of a stand-alone event,” a statement from FIFA said World Cup features either the hosts or the defending champions. It “followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a thorough consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country,” the statement continued. The countdown to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has begun. This year’s edition will be the first tournament hosted in the Middle East and the first to be held at the end of the calendar year, in November and December. Eight stadiums will host the event across five cities in Qatar: Lusall, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, and Doha. Association football, commonly known as soccer in the United States, is played by approximately 250 million players in over 200 countries. Soccer is governed by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). They organize the World Cups for women and men. The FIFA World Cup takes place every four years. It is the most renowned soccer tournament. Countries bid to host the World Cup with the potential of millions of dollars of revenue from hosting the event.

How many teams are in the World Cup?

The 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar will feature 32 teams before the field expands to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup. The FIFA men’s World Cup has featured 32 teams for the last six editions, since France in 1998. Joining host nation Qatar at the tournament will be 31 other countries that have earned a ticket through regional qualifying matches. It was predetermined how many nations qualified from each region: • Africa (CAF): 5 • Asia (AFC): 4 (plus 1 playoff qualifier) • Europe (UEFA): 13 • North/Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF): 3 (plus 1 playoff qualifier) • Oceania (OFC): 1 playoff qualifiers • South America (CONMEBOL): 4 (plus 1 playoff qualifier) The four playoff qualifiers in the list above participated in two intercontinental playoff matches played in June 2022, featuring one nation from each of four different regions. Those matchups determined the final two qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup: Asia vs. South America and North America vs. Oceania.

Asia vs. South America:

Australia (3rd in Asian qualifying group) beat Peru (5th in South America) in a penalty shootout on June 13 to claim a place in Qatar. The Socceroos, into their fifth straight World Cup, defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in an Asian collaboration playoff just to earn the chance to face Peru.

North America vs. Oceania:

Costa Rica (4th place in North America) advanced to the World Cup after beating New Zealand (Oceania winner) 1-0 on June 14 for the final ticket to Qatar. The Ticos will join Germany, Spain, and Japan in Group E. The final European World Cup berth was also determined in June. Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 in a single-elimination playoff final on June 5. (Wales and Ukraine defeated Austria and Scotland, respectively, to reach the final.) The final European qualifying spot was pushed to the June window after Ukraine requested the postponement from the original March date due to the Russian invasion.

When does the World Cup start?

• Group matches: Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 • World Cup final: Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 The 2022 FIFA World Cup will kick off on a Sunday — a day earlier than originally scheduled — with hosts Qatar facing Ecuador in the opening Group A match at the Al Bayt Stadium. The World Cup final will also be held on a Sunday, as per tradition. The winner will hoist the trophy on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022.

Which teams have qualified for the World Cup?

All 32 teams have officially qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including the host nation. The intercontinental playoff winners filled the final two spots on June 13 and 14. In addition to host nation Qatar, there have been 13 nations from Europe qualified for the tournament, four from South America, four from Asia, five from Africa, four from North America, and Australia, which is a member of the Asian confederation. The table below features the full 32-team field for the 2022 World Cup, including the date each nation clinched a berth and how they did it. No Nation (FIFA Ranking when qualified) Region Date Qualified How qualified WC apps Titles (Last) 1 Qatar (51) Asia Dec. 2, 2010 Hosts 1 of 22 _ 2 Germany (12) Europe Oct. 11, 2021 1st – Grp. J 20 of 22 4 (2014) 3 Denmark (11) Europe Oct.12 2021 1st -Grp. F 6 of 22 _ 4 Brazil South America Nov.11 2021 Top 4 22 of 22 5 (2002) Conclusion