Welcome to Soccer Championship, your one-stop website where you can find everything you need to know about the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. After the culmination of a thrilling UEFA EURO 2020 and 2021 Copa America, all eyes are now set on the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The upcoming international men’s football tournament will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup competition.
🏃 Teams and Tournament Format
Even though there were proposals to expand the FIFA World Cup, the 2022 tournament will have the same number of teams as the previous years. It will also follow the same format. There will be 32 teams in the 2022 World Cup. This will be the last tournament to have 32 teams. Remember, it has already been confirmed that the 2026 tournament will have 48 teams.
The tournament will start in the group stages before getting into the knockouts that will be the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finally, the finals.
Dates for the tournament stages
- First group stage round: 21 to 24 november
- Second group stage round: 25 to 28 november
- Third group stage round: 29 november to 2 december
- Round of 16: 3 to 6 december
- Quarter-finals: 9 and 10 december
- Semi-finals: 13 and 14 december
- Final: 18 december
🌍 Venue for Fifa World Cup 2022
Qatar will host the upcoming tournament, having edged out its closest contender, the United States. Interestingly, Qatar will be the smallest nation by area to ever host a FIFA World Cup. Also, the tournament will be the first to be held in an Arab country and the second in the entire Asian region.
The 64 matches will be played across eight stadiums. These are:
- Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan
- Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor
- Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan
- Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan
- Al Thumama Stadium in Doha
- Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail
- Ras Abu Aboud Stadium in Doha
- Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah
One unique thing about the upcoming tournament is that it will be played from late November to mid-December, unlike the rest of the competitions usually held between May and July. The reason for this change is because Qatar experiences scorching summers.
The first match of the 2022 World Cup will be played on 21 November 2022, at Al Bayt Stadium. As for the finals, the date has been set for 18 December 2022. The action will be live from the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
🏅 World Cup 2022 Qualifications
To qualify for the World Cup, the 6 continental confederations organize qualification tournaments. Each confederation has been allocated slots as listed below.
- UEFA (Europe) – 13
- CAF (Africa) – 5
- AFC (Asia) – 4.5 exclusive of the host nation
- CONMEBOL (South America) – 4.5
- CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean) – 3.5
- OFC (Oceania) – 0.5
The qualifiers determine the rest of the 31 teams that will join the hosts, Qatar, in the upcoming tournament. Unlike in the previous qualifiers, there will be no general preliminary draw. Instead, each confederation sets its draw depending on the timelines adopted.
TV and Broadcasting
Those who will not be at the stadiums cheering their favorite team will still follow all the action as all the household names have 2022 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights. In the United States, Fox and Telemundo will air the matches while fans of the sport in the UK can catch all the action via the BBC and ITV. Other top media houses that will air the competition include beIN Sports, Sky Sport, SuperSport, SporTV, and CTV, just to mention a few.
Partnerships and Sponsorships
Like all the previous events, the 2022 FIFA World Cup has attracted extensive money partnerships and sponsorships. Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, Wanda Group, Qatar Airways, and Hyundai-Kia will be the FIFA partners. As for sponsors, Vivo, Hisense, and Anheuser-Busch InBev will fill the gap.
The 2022 World Cup will definitely be filled with adrenaline, just like the recently concluded continental competitions, the UEFA EURO 2020 and 2021 Copa America. For more regarding the upcoming tournament, including the qualifiers, make sure to bookmark this page.