The FIFA World Cup 2022 is shaping up to be a tournament of firsts. The tourney will be held in Qatar, from November 20—December 18. Due to the extreme heat in Qatar, FIFA moved the tournament traditionally held in the summer to the winter, avoiding the 120F temperatures players and fans would otherwise have to endure. This is the first time in the history of the World Cup that it has not been hosted in the summer.
This is the 22nd edition of the tournament, with the first one dating back to 1930. Officially named the FIFA World Cup, it is a quadrennial tournament that brings together the finalists of a two-year qualification process encompassing 200 nations and results in 32 countries participating in the finals.
This year’s cup will consist of 64 matches, played over a 28-day period. The World Cup is the globe’s most watched sporting event eclipsing even the Olympics and the final is watched by more people than the USA’s Super Bowl.
World Cup qualification takes place through geographic area tournaments held by their respective FIFA regional confederations: Asian Football Confederation (AFC – 47 members), Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF – 54 members), Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF – 41 members), Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL – 10 members), Oceania Football Confederation (OFC – 11 members + 2 associates), and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA – 55 members). Slots are divvied up depending upon the strength of the teams in a confederation, and CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and AFC participate in a two-game inter-confederation playoff to determine the final two spots.
Ultimately, four teams qualified from CONCACAF, four from CONMEBOL, zero from OFC, 13 from UEFA, five from CAF, five from AFC, and the host team (Qatar) did not need to qualify.
The 32 teams have been placed into the following eight groups of 4:
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| 1. Qatar 2. Ecuador 3. Senegal 4. Netherlands | 1. England 2. Iran 3. USA 4. Wales | 1. Argentina 2. Saudi Arabia 3. Mexico 4. Poland | 1. France 2. Australia 3. Denmark 4. Tunisia |
| Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
| 1. Spain 2. Costa Rica 3. Germany 4. Japan | 1. Belgium 2. Canada 3. Morocco 4. Croatia | 1. Brazil 2. Serbia 3. Switzerland 4. Cameroon | 1. Portugal 2. Ghana 3. Uruguay 4. Korea Republic |
From these eight groups the top two teams progress to the knockout round beginning with the Round of 16, then the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Third-Place game, and the Final.
The games will be played in eight different stadiums across Qatar,
- Lusail Iconic Stadium: Lusail, Qatar
- Al Bayt Stadium: Al Khor, Qatar
- Stadium 974: Doha, Qatar
- Al Thumama Stadium: Ras Abu Aboud, Qatar
- Khalifa International Stadium: Doha, Qatar
- Education City Stadium: Al Rayyan, Qatar
- Ahmad bin Ali Stadium: Al Wakrah, Qatar
- Al Janoub Stadium: Al Wakrah, Qatar
Only eight countries have ever won the World Cup—Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, France, Spain, and Argentina. France, the current champions, together with Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, England, and Germany, are considered the favorites to win this year.
Follow futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the 2022 World Cup.
Photo: FIFA World Cup logo 2022, Shutterstock, by Justes, ID: 2173194619
Very nice piece! A good intro to the coming World Cup!