The FIFA World Cup 2022 is now just weeks away. Qatar is putting the final touches together as they prepare to welcome some of the world’s greatest players. From November 20th to December 18th, 32 nations will be competing for international football’s ultimate prize – the FIFA World Cup.
Who has qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar?
As the host country, Qatar automatically qualified for the tournament. This will also be the last World Cup that will involve 32 teams as the 2026 World Cup will see an increase to 48 teams.
The current World Cup holders are France after they defeated Croatia in Russia in 2018.
What are the groups for the World Cup?
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
What is the format and schedule for the World Cup in Qatar?
As seen above, the opening group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be made up of eight groups consisting of four teams. The group stage period will happen across 12 days with up to four games per day.
The group winners and runners-up will go through to the Round of 16. It is here when the tournament takes a knockout format. These eight games will happen from December 3rd to December 6th. The winners from these matches will progress to the Quarter Finals.
After a three-day break, the Quarter Finals will take place on December 9th and 10th. The winners of these matches advance to the Semi-Finals on December 13th and 14th. The victors of the two Semi-Finals will go through to the final. While the two defeated teams will play in a Third Place Play-Off match on December 17th
The FIFA World Cup Final is scheduled to take place on December 18th at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar.
What are the 2022 World Cup dates?
- Start Date: Sunday, 20th November
- Group Stage: Sunday, 20th November – Friday, 2nd December
- Quarter Finals: Friday, 9th December – Saturday, 10th December
- Semi-Finals: Tuesday, 13th December – Wednesday, 14th December
- Third Place Play-Off: Saturday, 17th December
- FIFA World Cup Final: Sunday, 18th December
The Full World Cup 2022 Schedule
FIFA World Cup Group Stage dates and times
(Matches 1 – 48)
Sunday, November 20th
Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Monday, November 21st
Group B: England vs Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 4pm)
Group B: USA vs Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Tuesday, November 22nd
Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10am)
Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group C: Mexico vs Poland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group D: France vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 7pm)
Wednesday, November 23rd
Group F: Morocco vs Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10am)
Group E: Germany vs Japan (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 4pm)
Group F: Belgium vs Canada (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Thursday, November 24th
Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10am)
Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group H: Portugal vs Ghana (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group G: Brazil vs Serbia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Friday, November 25th
Group B: Wales vs Iran (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10am)
Group A: Qatar vs Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 1pm)
Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm)
Group B: England vs USA (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Saturday, November 26th
Group C: Tunisia vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10am)
Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group D: France vs Denmark (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group C: Argentina vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Sunday, November 27th
Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10am)
Group F: Belgium vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 1pm)
Group F: Croatia vs Canada (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm)
Group E: Spain vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Monday, November 28th
Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10am)
Group G: South Korea vs Ghana (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group H: Brazil vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Tuesday, November 29th
Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 3pm)
Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group B: Wales vs England (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Group B: Iran vs USA (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Wednesday, November 30th
Group D: Australia vs Denmark (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm)
Group D: Tunisia vs France (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group C: Poland vs Argentina (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Thursday, December 1st
Group F: Croatia vs Belgium (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group F: Canada vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 3pm)
Group E: Costa Rica vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Group E: Japan vs Spain (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Friday, December 2nd
Group G: South Korea vs Portugal (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group G: Ghana vs Uruguay (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm)
Group H: Serbia vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)
Group H: Cameroon vs Brazil (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
What days are the FIFA World Cup Round of 16?
Saturday, December 3rd
(match) 49 – Winners of Group A vs Runners-up of Group B (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
50 – Winners of Group C vs Runners-up of Group D (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Sunday, December 4th
52 – Winners of Group D vs Runners-up of Group C (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 3pm)
51 – Winners of Group B vs Runners-up of Group A (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm) Potential World Cup fixture: England Vs Senegal or Netherlands
Monday, December 5th
53 – Winners of Group E vs Runners-up of Group F (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm)
54 – Winners of Group G vs Runners-up of Group H (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)
Tuesday, December 6th
55 – Winners of Group F vs Runners-up of Group E (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
56 – Winners of Group H vs Runners-up of Group G (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
When are the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Finals?
Friday, December 9th
58 – Winners of 53 vs Winners of 54 (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
57 – Winners of 49 vs Winners of 50 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7pm)
Saturday, December 10th
60 – Winners of 55 vs Winners of 56 (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 3pm)
59 – Winners of 51 vs Winners of 52 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm) Potential England route to the Final: England Vs France – Can England make it to the Semi Final?
When are the FIFA World Cup Semi-Finals?
Tuesday, December 13th
61 – Winners of 57 vs Winners of 58 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Wednesday, December 14th
62 – Winners of 59 vs Winners of 60 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
FIFA World Cup Third Place Play-Off time
Saturday, December 17th
63 – Losers Match 61 vs Losers Match 62 (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
When is the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final?
Sunday, December 18th
64 – The World Cup final (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 3pm)
(all kick-off times in UK time)
Why is the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar?
The Arab country of Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup by FIFA in 2010. They defeated bids from USA, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
FIFA’s decision to give the 2022 tournament to Qatar was met with surprise and controversy. At the time, the small country did not have any stadiums made to host a World Cup. From FIFA’s perspective, awarding the tournament to the Middle Eastern country coincided with their vision to grow football globally. However, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter later admitted giving the World Cup to Qatar was “a mistake”.
Nevertheless, Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup has continued to be met with criticism from the media, sporting groups, and human rights groups such as Amnesty International. Amongst the issues raised were the treatment of migrant workers by the Qatari authorities and Qatar’s extreme heat, which led to the tournament being moved from the summer to the winter for the first time.
Which stadiums are being used in Qatar for the World Cup in 2022?
There will be eight stadiums hosting FIFA World Cup games in Qatar in December 2022. Two of these stadiums are located in the Doha area, the capital of Qatar. In addition to games in Doha, four other cities in Qatar will be hosting games; Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, and Lusail.
- Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail (80,000 capacity)
- Hosting five group games, one game in the Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, and Semi-Finals, and the World Cup Final.
- Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor (60,000)
- Hosting five group games and one game in the Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, and Semi-Finals.
- Stadium 974, Doha (40,000)
- Hosting five group games and one Round of 16 match.
- Al Thumama Stadium, Doha (40,000)
- Hosting five group games, one game in the Round of 16 and Quarter Finals.
- Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan (45,416)
- Hosting five group games, one game in the Round of 16, and the Third Place Play-Off.
- Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan (45,416)
- Hosting five group games, one game in the Round of 16 and Quarter Finals.
- Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan (44,740)
- Hosting five group games and one Round of 16 match.
- Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah (40,000)
- Hosting five group games and one Round of 16 match.
Group Stage Stadiums:
Groups A, B, E, F: Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium
Groups C, D, G, H: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium
What time will it be in the UK when games kick-off?
There is a 3-hour time difference between Qatar and the United Kingdom.
The first two rounds of group stage games will kick-off at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm in the United Kingdom (local time – 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm). While the final round of group games, along with matches in the knockout round will start at 3pm and 7pm in the UK.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup Final will kick off at 3pm in the UK on Sunday, December 18th.
Who is the favourite to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
With 32 nations entering the tournament, there are plenty of potential winners involved. Amongst them are current holders France, alongside previous winners Brazil, Germany, England, Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain.
It’s no surprise that these teams are amongst the favourites to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, another team that could be considered favourites are Belgium, who are currently 2nd in the FIFA World Rankings. Additionally, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Denmark are also in the top 10 favourites.
- Brazil – 4/1
- France – 6/1
- Argentina – 7/1
- England – 7/1
- Spain – 8/1
- Germany – 10/1
- Netherlands – 12/1
- Portugal – 12/1
- Belgium – 14/1
- Denmark – 25/1
England’s home nations rivals, Wales, currently have odds of 150/1. While the hosts, Qatar, have odds of 250/1. Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia are the joint highest ranked outsiders at 750/1.
Data correct as of Friday, September 30th
How can I watch the World Cup in the UK?
Television coverage in the UK will be split between the BBC and ITV. All 64 matches will be shown live as the FIFA World Cup is part of the UK government’s mandated ‘protected’ list, meaning it must be shown on free-to-air television. Multiple sports including cricket and rugby make up the UK’s streaming sports trend. Both BBC and ITV will be streaming the FIFA World Cup games on their own digital streaming platforms, BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub (now ITVX), respectively.
The TV schedule for the group stage has already been decided. While the knockout stage schedule will be announced by November 30th. ITV has the right to choose the first knockout tie, while BBC has the first pick option in both the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Final stages.
It is expected both BBC and ITV will broadcast the FIFA World Cup Final live.
Group Stage TV Schedule
Sunday, November 20th
Qatar vs Ecuador – 16:00 – BBC
Monday, November 21st
England vs Iran – 13:00 – BBC
Senegal vs Netherlands – 16:00 – ITV
USA vs Wales – 19:00 – ITV
Tuesday, November 22nd
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia – 10:00 – ITV
Denmark vs Tunisia – 13:00 – ITV
Mexico vs Poland – 16:00 – BBC
France vs Australia – 19:00 – BBC
Wednesday, November 23rd
Morocco vs Croatia – 10:00 – ITV
Germany vs Japan – 13:00 – ITV
Spain vs Costa Rica – 16:00 – ITV
Belgium vs Canada – 19:00 – BBC
Thursday, November 24th
Switzerland vs Cameroon – 10:00 – ITV
Uruguay vs South Korea – 13:00 – BBC
Portugal vs Ghana – 16:00 – ITV
Brazil vs Serbia – 19:00 – BBC
Friday, November 25th
Wales vs Iran – 10:00 – BBC
Qatar vs Senegal – 13:00 – BBC
Netherlands vs Ecuador – 16:00 – ITV
England vs USA – 19:00 – ITV
Saturday, November 26th
Tunisia vs Australia – 10:00 – BBC
Poland vs Saudi Arabia – 13:00 – ITV
France vs Denmark – 16:00 – ITV
Argentina vs Mexico – 19:00 – ITV
Sunday, November 27th
Japan vs Costa Rica – 10:00 – ITV
Belgium vs Morocco – 13:00 – BBC
Croatia vs Canada – 16:00 – BBC
Spain vs Germany – 19:00 – BBC
Monday, November 28th
Cameroon vs Serbia – 10:00 – ITV
South Korea vs Ghana – 13:00 – BBC
Brazil vs Switzerland – 16:00 – ITV
Portugal vs Uruguay – 19:00 – ITV
Tuesday, November 29th
Ecuador vs Senegal / Netherlands vs Qatar – 15:00 – ITV*
Iran vs USA – 19:00 – BBC**
Wales vs England – 19:00 – BBC
Wednesday, November 30th
Australia vs Denmark / Tunisia vs France – 15:00 – BBC*
Poland vs Argentina / Saudi Arabia vs Mexico – 19:00 – BBC*
Thursday, December 1st
Canada vs Morocco / Croatia vs Belgium – 15:00 – BBC*
Costa Rica vs Germany / Japan vs Spain – 19:00 – ITV*
Friday, December 2nd
Ghana vs Uruguay / South Korea – 15:00 – BBC*
Cameroon vs Brazil / Serbia vs Switzerland – 19:00 – ITV*
ITVX is the new ITV streaming service where you can watch the World Cup 2022
Can you watch the World Cup on ITX? Absolutely! ITV bravely (and we will see if it was wisely!) released the new streaming service just weeks before the Football World Cup. After years of issues, especially with streaming live events with its predecessor, ITV Hub, ITV have promised a “simplified and seamless experience” (Dame Carolyn McCall, ITV chief executive). Let’s hope ITVX delivers on the promise and no one is left with frozen screens or buffering during matches, or indeed a penalty shootout!
How to watch the World Cup 2022 on BBC or ITV when abroad
One way to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 when abroad is to live stream using a VPN. As mentioned above, the World Cup is on the UK government’s ‘protected’ list and therefore the BBC and ITV have the rights. However, the BBC iplayer and ITV Hub (now ITVX – see below) restrict their audiences to viewers to only in the UK. So if you find yourself abroad when a big game is on you can try using a VPN. This can allow users to connect to their servers while abroad by tricking the BBC or ITV sites into assuming you are in a UK location – Back of the net!
