How do you think a country with no significance in footballing tradition, an unsuited climate to commence a summer tournament, and no suitable existing infrastructure?
The best part here is the limitless cash that they are hosting one of the greatest sporting competitions in the world and it will emerge as a story.
Qatar already made history by winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
A few highlighters to know about the host country:
1. 2022 FIFA World Cup is the first cup ever held in the Middle East and in Asian Country, it is going to be the second World Cup. In 2002, Japan and Korea organized, and to date, it was the only World Cup played outside.
2. Qatar spent on infrastructure around $200 billion to host the event. It was the most expensive FIFA World Cup in its history.
3. The 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar is from Nov.21 to Dec.18, 2022. It is the first World Cup played in the northern hemisphere in winter.
4. The Qatar temperatures even in the winters during the day are high, so each stadium is going to facilitate central air conditioning.
5. There will be attendees record number at Hamad International Airport for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and it is expected to receive during the World Cup 30 days around 1300 daily flights.
6. The religion prohibits alcohol consumption and the organizing committee has come to an agreement with the government to arrange and maintain ‘tourist zones’ in the hotels for the fan fests and it will limit the socio-cultural shock.
7. Qatar has the least number of stadiums for a World Cup, and Argentina had 6 stadiums in 1978. But, now the host countries have 10 and 12 stadiums.
8. All stadiums are within an hour’s travel time and there are eight stadiums allotted for this World Cup. Qatar 2022 with its stadiums around is the most accessible FIFA World Cup in history.
9. It is the last edition of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar that will have 32 teams participating. By 2026, the World Cups will present 48 in total with 16 teams.
10. Women Referee at Qatar 2022, for the first time at the World Cup Finals.
2022 World Cup finals draw
The 2022 World Cup finals group-stage draw was in Doha on April 1 and here is the outcome:
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
England, the potential qualifiers will be pleased to play alongside Wales, USA and Iran. However, they have to wait for their first game, which takes place after eight days as their players are a few involved in Premier League action.
The next coming knockout potential gamers that England can win the group means they would face from Group A the runner up in the last 16, that is one of Qatar, Senegal, Ecuador, and the Netherlands. With the seedings to play, they would face holders in the quarterfinals in France with either Portugal or Belgium before a semi-final meeting
The top seeds are to win their groups, and England would not be able to meet Brazil, Argentina, or Spain until the final.
2022 World Cup fixtures and schedule
The schedule for 2022 Qatar was confirmed a few hours by FIFA after the completion of the draw. The opening game now will be Senegal against the Netherlands. It is a more attractive game than Qatar v Ecuador; it is now the tournament’s third match.
England’s opening contest will be the second match of the finals- against Iran, kicking off on the opening day, November 21, at 1 pm.
2022 World Cup fixture list in full (all times GMT):
Get exclusive access to all accurate predictions for the fifa world cup qatar 2022
Monday, November 21
Group A: Senegal v Netherlands – 10 am, Al Thumama Stadium
Group B: England v Iran – 1 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Group A: Qatar v Ecuador – 4 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Group B: USA v Wales/Scotland/Ukraine – 7 pm, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Tuesday, November 22
Group C: Argentina v Saudi Arabia – 10 am, Lusail Stadium
Group D: Denmark v Tunisia – 1 pm, Education City Stadium
Group C: Mexico v Poland – 4 pm, Stadium 974
Group D: France v Peru/Australia/UAE – 7pm, Al Janoub Stadium
Wednesday, November 23
Group F: Morocco v Croatia – 10 am, Al Bayt Stadium
Group E: Germany v Japan – 1 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Group E: Spain v Costa Rica/New Zealand – 4 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
Group F: Belgium v Canada – 7 pm, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Thursday, November 24
Group G: Switzerland v Cameroon – 10 am, Al Janoub Stadium
Group H: Uruguay v South Korea – 1 pm, Education City Stadium
Group H: Portugal v Ghana – 4 pm, Stadium 974
Group G: Brazil v Serbia – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Friday, November 25
Group B: Wales/Scotland/Ukraine v Iran – 10 am, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Group A: Qatar v Senegal – 1 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
Group A: Netherlands v Ecuador – 4 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Group B: England v USA – 7 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Saturday, November 26
Group D: Tunisia v Peru/Australia/UAE – 10 am, Al Janoub Stadium
Group C: Poland v Saudi Arabia – 1 pm, Education City Stadium
Group D: France v Denmark – 4 pm, Stadium 974
Group C: Argentina v Mexico – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Sunday, November 27
Group E: Japan v Costa Rica/New Zealand – 10 am, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Group F: Belgium v Morocco – 1 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
Group F: Croatia v Canada – 4 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Group E: Spain v Germany – 7 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Monday, November 28
Group G: Cameroon v Serbia – 10 am, Al Janoub Stadium
Group H: South Korea v Ghana – 1 pm, Education City Stadium
Group G: Brazil v Switzerland – 4 pm, Stadium 974
Group H: Portugal v Uruguay – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Tuesday, November 29
Group A: Netherlands v Qatar – 3 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Group A: Ecuador v Senegal – 3 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Group B: Wales/Scotland Ukraine v England – 7 pm, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Group B: Iran v USA – 7 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
Wednesday, November 30
Group D: Tunisia v France – 3 pm, Education City Stadium
Group D: Peru/Australia/UAE v Denmark – 3 pm, Al Janoub Stadium
Group C: Poland v Argentina – 7 pm, Stadium 974
Group C: Saudi Arabia v Mexico – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Thursday, December 1
Group F: Croatia v Belgium – 3 pm, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Group F: Canada v Morocco – 3 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
Group E: Japan v Spain – 7 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Group E: Costa Rica/New Zealand v Germany – 7 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Friday, December 2
Group H: South Korea v Portugal – 3 pm, Education City Stadium
Group H: Ghana v Uruguay – 3 pm, Al Janoub Stadium
Group G: Cameroon v Brazil – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Group G: Serbia v Switzerland – 7 pm, Stadium 974
Saturday, December 3
Last 16 (match 49): Winner A v Runner-up B – 3 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Last 16 (match 50): Winner C v Runner-up D – 7 pm – Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Sunday, December 4
Last 16 (match 52): Winner D v Runner-up C – 3 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
Last 16 (match 51): Winner B v Runner-up A – 7 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Monday December 5
Last 16 (match 53): Winner E v Runner-up F – 3 pm, Al Janoub Stadium
Last 16 (match 54): Winner G v Runner-up H – 7 pm, Stadium 974
Tuesday December 6
Last 16 (match 55): Winner F v Runner-up E – 3 pm, Education City Stadium
Last 16 (match 56): Winner H v Runner-up G – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Friday, December 9
QF (match 58): Winner 53 v Winner 54 – 3 pm, Education City Stadium
QF (match 57): Winner 49 v Winner 50 – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Saturday, December 10
QF (match 60): Winner 55 v Winner 56 – 3 pm, Al Thumama Stadium
QF (match 59): Winner 51 v Winner 52 – 7 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Tuesday, December 13
SF1: Winner 57 v Winner 58 – 7 pm, Lusail Stadium
Wednesday, December 14
SF2: Winner 59 v Winner 60 – 7 pm, Al Bayt Stadium
Saturday, December 17
3rd-place play-off: Loser SF1 v Loser SF2 – 3 pm, Khalifa International Stadium
Sunday December 18
Final: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 – 3 pm, Lusail Stadium
When will the 2022 World Cup take place?
It will take place from 21 November to 18 December. It is for a period 0f 28 days. This time three is the reduction from the last World Cup. There is the havoc of issues with the date changes to manage the domestic competition to top-level and requires to wait over a month for the mid-season. The format is the same, regardless of the shortened time. Keeping eight groups, the top two will progress to the knockout stage.
Qatar 2022 is due to feature 32 teams as the last World Cup with this number of teams. FIFA is expanding for its 2026 edition the tournament to 48 teams, to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Kick-off times for the 2022 World Cup
Qatar is three hours ahead of the UK, the UK-based fans will find some unusual kick-off times, but it will not be different from those held in Russia World Cup in 2018.
The length of the tournament is cut by three days and they expect four staggered games in each tournament in the first eight days. These will kick off at GMT 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7 pm.
For the group matches, the last round, and the knockout rounds, matches start at 3 pm and 7 pm GMT. The 2022 World Cup final is on Sunday, December 18, and will kick off at 3 pm GMT.
2022 World Cup stadiums
Eight stadiums will host matches at the 2022 World Cup, the final is going to be staged in the brand-new Lusail Iconic Stadium, featuring a capacity of 80,000, and it is in Lusail, just north of the capital, Doha.
The others are capable of hosting at least 40,000 fans, including the indoor Al Bayt Stadium (featuring a retractable roof) in Al Khor, which is the place for the opening game to take place. It is the second-biggest stadium holding 60,000.
The other venues are Stadium 974, Education City Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium (both in Doha), Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium (all in Al Rayyan), and Al Janoub Stadium (in Al Wakrah).
With eight stadiums and a tight schedule than the regular pattern, each ground will host in 11 days six matches in the group stage.
Keeping a single day between matches means the ground staff have to work without any time gap and there is the expectation of little rainfall during the tournament.
Tickets for the 2022 World Cup
Fans applying earlier this year for tickets during the general ticket sale know by now if they were successful or not in getting the tickets.
However, for people who are seeking tickets until now, there is some good news. Further tickets are available and applications are accepted from April 5-28. The remaining details are on the official website of FIFA.
Concerning England games, the members of the official England Supporters Travel Club are eligible to apply for the FA’s ticket allocation, on availability.
England fans will be happy to hear their game with the USA will be held at the Al Bayt Stadium, which is the second largest venue, and so tickets are much easier to get hold of.
However, tickets for the other group games are difficult to come along with as all the other matches are taking place on smaller grounds.
TV coverage of the 2022 World Cup
The BBC and ITV will show the 2022 World Cup live in the UK by sharing between the two broadcasters.
So, keep checking what happens right from now and the World Cup start in November. For England, there will be a competitive lead into the tournament.
England has been drawn into a group with Germany, Italy, and Hungary and anyone can check the tournament guide for full details. These three teams will play home and away. However, four matches are to take place in June, while England’s two final games before the World Cup will be in September.
Usually, teams play in the lead-in to the World Cup finals in one or two friendlies, but the date change gives them little time for those around this time.
The Premier League as well as the other European top leagues will cease a week before the World Cup, leaving them very limited time to fit into the friendlies.
England boss Gareth Southgate says it is “really unlikely for the teams to play a friendly” in that period.
The entire show will be available uninterrupted on the BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website, along with a live text commentary. BBC will show it from 16:45-18:00 BST and the final half an hour will be relayed on BBC Two.
Among the BBC guests will be Ex-England captain Alan Shearer, ex-Scotland forward James McFadden, former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku, plus journalists Julien Laurens and Tim Vickery, with Jonathan Pearce commentating on the draw.
Extensive coverage of the draw and reaction will be on BBC Radio 5 Live on the red carpet in Doha with presenter Rick Edwards and football correspondent John Murray will provide from the draw ceremony the commentary live. The Fifa World Cup 2022 will be taking place in Qatar between 21 November and 18 December.
A glance at everything to know about FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that took place before 2000 guests
Pot 1 (seeded teams): Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, and Portugal.
Pot 2: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, and Croatia.
Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, and Tunisia.
Pot 4: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Wales, Costa Rica, and Australia
How does it work?
This World Cup in Qatar also follows the same format as the past few tournaments, with teams drawing into eight groups of four.
Teams are seeded as per the FIFA world rankings released on 31 March. Qatar, the hosts are in position A1 from Pot 1 and the top seven teams ranked qualifying are the other top seeds. England is among them.
The draw will start from the top pot with the teams and work downwards, completing with the bottom pot.
After a team is drawn out, a second ball is drawn to decide the group they are in. Teams from the same continent are not kept together – except for European countries, where a maximum of two are in any one group.
The teams usually are known well before the draw of the World Cup, but this year three positions are not yet decided for two reasons;
Who are those involved in doing the draw?
Eight former managers and players are conducting the draw, including World Cup winners Cafu, of Brazil, and Lothar Matthaus, of Germany. The others are Tim Cahill, Jay-Jay Okocha, Ali Daei, Adel Ahmed MalAllah, Rabah Madjer, and Bora Milutinovic.
Cahill, an Ex-Everton midfielder scored Australia’s first World Cup goal and played at four tournaments, while Okocha, the former Bolton playmaker helped Nigeria in qualifying in 1994 for their first World Cup.
Serb Milutinovic managed five consecutive World Cups with different teams (Mexico 1986, Costa Rica 1990, USA 1994, Nigeria 1998, and China 2002). He is the only person to do it.
MalAllah won Fifa in 1981 World Youth Championship silver with Qatar and played at the 1984 Olympics.
Madjer scored in their 1982 World Cup for Algeria winning over West Germany, while Daei was the top scorer of all-time men’s internationals with 112 until Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal overtook him later.
Jenas, Ex-England midfielder Carli Lloyd, the former USA women’s international, and British TV presenter Samantha Johnson will conduct the draw.
Who will not be there?
Dejected Italy players will not be there by 2026. They will be gone without playing for 20 years in a World Cup knockout game. Italy, the European champions are the notable absentees after their defeat by North Macedonia, but they did not miss the last World Cup.
Russia misses out as it is kicked out of the playoffs due to their country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Norway failed to qualify and has to wait for his debut in some major tournament. Egypt and Mohamed Salah will not play after losing on penalties to Senegal. Algeria, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast also miss from Africa, while South American teams Chile and Colombia fail to qualify.
The hospitality of Arabia is not a mystery and Qatar is on the top. It is a country located at the earth’s center. Qatar boasts of a variety of attractions and they set travelers jump with joy. The country today is a popular tourist destination; things are bound to become better as Qatar hosts the greatest competition in football, the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Millions of fans and teams will head to head featuring 64 action-packed matches looking for the grand prize. The upcoming World Cup has lots to look forward to in Qatar that a footballing fan will be ready to cheer up at this grand even a favorite team. Here is a 64 action-packed matches, millions of fans and teams going head-to-head for the grand prize, there’s a lot to look forward to at the upcoming world cup in Qatar. So if you’re a footballing fan ready to cheer up your favorite team at this grand event, we’ve compiled a round-up of some significant things and facts you need to know about the upcoming world cup.
Venues For the FIFA World Cup 2022
Qatar has 8 stadiums, and seven are set as new stadiums with Qatar spending an amount of $200 billion, a whopping amount on infrastructural projects.
The stadiums are lined up below:
The Al Bayt Stadium- It is one of the FIFA World Cup venues for 21st November 2022 tournament opener.
The stadium seating capacity is 60,000 and the structure ensures sustenance for a long time.
Al Rayyan Stadium– Also known as Ahmad bin Ali Stadium It features a 360-degree media membrane to catch up with screening live matches, news, and other updates.
It is a beautiful stadium offering the best viewing experience, there is a screen on the outer side of the stadium, to feature the live matches keeping the camera angles along with the pre and post-match shows.
Education City Stadium– It is located amidst many university campuses and is one of the 8 venues for the 2022 Football World Cup.
This stadium is designed such that it glitters during day times and glows during night. The upper tier after the world cup will be removed and the rest will have around 25000 seating capacity and it will remain for the university events.
Khalifa International Stadium- It is a stadium that already hosted the AFC Asian Cup 2011 Final and an international friendly between Brazil and England.
The stadium seating capacity is 68,030 set for the World Cup. It is upgraded from the capacity of 50,000.
Lusail Iconic Stadium– It is a significant venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is one of the venues hosting the matches on an opening day.
The stadium seating capacity is 86,250 and the design is inspired by dhow, an important place in Qatar history. The stadium will be put to use post the World Cup for other sporting and cultural events.
Al Janoub Stadium– It was opened with the Amir Cup final and is now hosting the FIFA World Cup matches. The stadium has a 40,000 seating capacity and is in AI Wakrah.
It is inspired by the Qatar traditional dhow boats that take sailors into the water far away for years and it occupies a special place in Qatar history.
Al Thumama Stadium– It is also one of the FIFA World Cup 2022 venues. This stadium is 12 Km from the waterfront promenade and Doha Skyline.
The stadium seating capacities is 40,000 now, and after the World Cup, it will accommodate 20,000. The stadium is Gahfiya-inspired, which is a traditional cap used by boys and men in the Middle East. The cap is a sign of independence and dignity. The stadium has a huge role to play in passing the dignity message to the world.
Ras Abu Aboud Stadium- It is the last venue for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. This stadium is designed with legacy planning and has new sustainability ideas.
The stadium has a 40,000 maximum seating capacity and after the World Cup is complete, it will be dismantled and repurposed completely.
Notable Facts About The Match Schedule For The FIFA World Cup 2022
Footballing fans are buzzing about the FIFA 2022 World Cup, around the world, and adding to their excitement, FIFA has released finally the World Cup match schedule. Here is what you need to know:
The competition in the group stage will start on November 21st and conclude on the 2nd of December. They will comprise four games to be played at different timings and venues every day. The host country, Qatar will be in the opening day, group stage fixtures.
On concluding the group stage, the competition shifts to the round of 16 stages and will play two games in a day. The round of the 16 stages will begin on the 3rd of December and end on the 6th of December. Later, there will be a two days break before entering the quarter-final stages of FIFA 2022.
The competition will move to the quarter-final stage after resuming on the 9th of December and finish on the 10th of December. It is two days of games played for this stage in a single day.
On completing the quarter-final stage, the semi-finals will follow in the next two days beginning on 13th December and ending by 14th December 2022. It is the stage everyone will know the finalists two teams and the team acquiring the third place.
On 17th December the third place holder will be known after taking two days’ rest after the semi-finals. Both losing semifinalists take on each other aiming to grab the FIFA World Cup 2022, the third place.
Finally, after 63 action-packed matches and close finishes, the FIFA World Cup reaches the final stage. 18th December is the final to be played at the Lusail Stadium. The kick-off time for this final fixture is 8:30 pm IST.
Facts Worth Knowing About FIFA 2022
Many facts are emerging about the FIFA World Cup 2022 that are worth knowing for all footballing fans around. Here are a few things everyone must know:
i. The 2022 FIFA games will be held in the fewest 8 stadiums and it is lined up for the whole competition. In fact, seven are newly constructed stadiums, and one is refurbished.
ii. Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport join hands during the world cup to bring 1300 flights per day into the country for the whole month. Considering the location, visitors can book online for a flight to Qatar. In fact, the experts believe the visitor’s number may be higher than expected.
iii. The FIFA World Cup 2022 is the first-ever winter world cup held in the Northern Hemisphere. Major events, before this, like the world cup, were held during June and July in the Southern Hemisphere as it is the time the region experiences winter.
iv. No alcohol will be served in the stadiums during the FIFA World Cup 2022. As it is an Islamic country, Qatar has strict laws against importing or consumption of alcohol in public places. Bear in mind, that if you get caught consuming alcohol on the streets, you will have to face severe consequences. There will be a set up of establishments as fan zones, and alcohol will be served to fans with other licensed restaurants and hotels.
v. The Qatar metro network will ferry an estimated one million visitors during this time.
vi. The Qatar location makes it the commutable World Cup, and the two remote stadiums that are 90 miles apart are AI Wakrah and AI Bayt. All the World Cup venues are connected through the metro network with 100 stations and 300km long along the way.
vii. 29 of 32 participants are confirmed with the draw at the local time 7 pm at the Doha Exhibition Center. Qatar won the bid in 2010 to hold the World Cup, and the Gulf nation will have 10 European winners of the qualifying UEFA groups, with four-time winner Germany and France, the two-time champion, besides England and Spain, having one World Cup to their names.
Serbia, Switzerland, Croatia, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands round up the European rest of the group winners. Poland and Portugal stamped their tickets through the UEFA playoffs, winning over Sweden and North Macedonia respectively ensuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski will feature in Qatar.
Brazil, with five titles, the most successful country in World Cup history, played to form by qualifying as the CONMEBOL group winner, the South American Football Confederation, round robin.
Selecao was followed by Argentina, the old rival, besides Ecuador and Uruguay.
A thrilling CAF week was the Confederation of African Football. The third-round qualifiers concluded with Senegal, securing its passage to Qatar on Tuesday via penalties.
Cameroon edged past Algeria a winner deep into extra-time, with Ghana, Morocco, and Tunisia rounding up the African contingent set for the draw of Friday.
In the AFC, the Asian Football Confederation, was a qualifying section for Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. They went through with back-to-back World Cup appearances.
Canada got its first World Cup qualification in 36 years after topping the CONCACAF — the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football. While Tajon Buchanan celebrates as Canada defeated Jamaica 4-0 to secure a place in Qatar.
On Wednesday, the United States ends the eight-year World Cup hiatus, by qualifying in San Jose, despite losing 2-0 to Costa Rica. They will accompany their neighbors in Mexico, finishing second to take the CONCACAF other qualification sports
Two intercontinental playoffs decide the next two spots in June will. Peru will face the UAE VS Australia winner, while Costa Rica will face New Zealand. The winner of the final spot will be a match between Wales and Ukraine or Scotland, a game scheduled on 24 March is now postponed to June due to the invasion of Russia of Ukraine. However, the rescheduled qualifier date is not announced by FIFA.
Closing Thoughts
FIFA World Cup is Football’s biggest competition to be held in Qatar. It promises to thrill and grand excitement. Qatar is renowned for its fine hospitality, and fans would have the best time during the world cup, staying in Qatar.
The preparations and the infrastructural projects are going on at pace, with the country spending an estimated $200 billion, and Qatar is ready to host the World Cup before the deadline.
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