Soccer World Cup Play Off

Here you will find all the information about the play off in the FIFA World Cup, which takes place in Qatar 2022. It’s the 16 top teams out of the 32 participants in the group games of the tournamentthat will qualify for the play-off. All the group winners as well as the second-place teams in each group will move on, and the group winners will play against a group second from another group in the round of 16. The winners of those matches will then advance to the quarter-finals, which are followed by the semifinals, bronze game, and the grand World Cup finale. The play-off in the World Championship in Qatar 2022 will be played from December 3rd to December 18th.

When the play-off begins we will present a play-off tree here, where you can follow the road of the teams towards the grand World Championship finale. Furthermore, the game schedule down below will be updated with the teams that will participate in each match.

🏆 This is how the play off in the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played

During a play-off in a World Championship, every match played is important, as a victory is the only thing that can take the team further in the tournament. The play-off in the FIFA World Cup 2022 has room for as many as 16 nations that will start playing each other in the round of 16. If you emerge victorious in these matches you will advance to the quarter-finals, which are followed by the semifinals where a place in the grand finale is at stake. On this page, you will find all the information about how the play-off in the World Championship 2022 works.

🏟 Where will the play-off matches be held?

All the eight World Cup arenas will, except for six group game matches, also host one round of 16 each. When it’s time for the quarter-finals it’s Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Lusail Stadium in Al DayyenAl Thumama Stadium in Doha and Al Bayt Stadium in Dakhira who will arrange the matches. The semifinals will also take place in Dakhira and Al Dayeen, where the big finale will also be played. The bronze game will on the other hand be played atKhalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan.

⚽️ Which teams will reach the World Cup play-off?

Reaching a World Cup play-off is an incredibly big achievement for a national team and something which is not so easy to accomplish. The first step in order to reach it is to perform well during the group game matches in the tournament. To advance to the play-off it’s compulsory to be in one of the two top positions in the group, which will be achieved by scoring as many points as possible in the three first World Cup matches.

Frequently the top teams have not won all their matches. Sometimes draws can be enough to reach a top position, as the position in the chart is related to how the opponents are doing. However most of the time it is necessary to score points in at least two of the matches to end up at the top of the chart.

🤷🏼 How does the play-off work?

The World Championship play-off consists of scores of different matches and goes on for an extended period of time, which can make it hard to keep track of all the details. Here we will summarize the different rounds of matches that will be played during the play-off rounds in The FIFA World Cup 2022.

Round of 16

Between December 3rd and 6th of 2022 the round of 16 will take place all over Qatar. All of the matches will be played in different stadiums and which teams will reach each match still remains to be seen. Here we will list dates and times for every match during the round of 16. The winners of these matches will advance to the quarter-finals.

• On Saturday, December 3rd at 10 AM CST round of 16 1 (played at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan)
• On Saturday, December 3rd at 2 PM round of 16 2 (played at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan)
• On Sunday, December 4th at 10 AM round of 16 3 (played at Thumama Stadium in Doha)
• On Sunday, December 4th at 2 PM round of 16 4 (played at Bayt Stadium in Dakhira)
• On Monday, December 5th at 10 AM round of 16 5 (played at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah)
• On Monday, December 5th at 2 PM round of 16 6 (played at Ras Abu Aboud Stadium in Doha)
• On Tuesday, December 6th at 10 AM round of 16 7 (played at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan)
• On Tuesday, December 6th at 2 PM round of 16 8 (played at Lusail Stadium in Al Daayen)

Quarter-finals

After the round of 16 games, the two first days of rest of the tournament will take place, before the quarter-finals start. The matches will be played on December 9th and 10th and here we will list the dates and times for all of the quarter-finals. The winners in these matches will advance to the semifinals.

• On Friday, December 9th at 10 AM Quarter-final 1 (played at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan)
• On Friday, December 9th at 2 PM Quarter final 2 (played at Lusail Stadium in Al Daayen)
• On Saturday, December 10th at 10 AM Quarter final 3 (played at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha)
• On Saturday, December 10th at 4 PM Quarter final 4 (played at Al Bayt Stadium in Dakhira)

Semi finals

After the quarter-finals, there will also be two days without any World Cup matches, until the semifinals are played on December 13th and 14th of 2022. Here we will list dates and times for all of the semifinals. The winners of these matches will advance to the finale of the FIFA World Cup.

• On Tuesday, December 13th at 2 PM Semifinal 1 (played at Lusail Stadium in Al Daayen)
• On Wednesday, December 14th at 2 PM Semi final 2 (played at Al Bayt Stadium in Dakhira)

Medal rounds

Finally, it’s time to fight for the medals and the bronze match will take place on Saturday, December 17th of 2022. The following day, on Sunday, December 18th, the grand finale match will be decided. Both of the matches will kick off at 10 AM CST.

🥇 The finale of the FIFA World Cup in 2022

The great battle for gold during the FIFA World Cup in 2022 will take place at the newly built Lusail Stadium in the town of Al Daayen. An audience of 80,000 spectators will be able to follow the last challenge of the tournament here, where the 22nd world champion in soccer will be crowned. The date for the big match is Sunday, 18th of December 2022. The kick-off is at 10 AM CST, which is 6 PM in Qatar local time.

🥅 Which teams will compete in the play-off of the World Cup?

Before the tournament even begins it is possible to figure out which potential opponents the teams will meet in the first session of the play-off. There is actually a template for who the group winner or the group second from a specific World Cup group will be facing in the round of 16. Teams that have played in the same group can’t play each other in the play-off, except in the semi-finals, where the return matches usually get really exciting.

Here we will present the key which FIFA uses for the play-off in the FIFA World Cup in 2022. With its help, you can calculate possible matches in the upcoming matches during the play-off.

Round of 16 no 1: Winner of group A-Second place in group B
Round of 16 no 2: Winner of group C-Second place in group D
Round of 16 no 3: Winner of group D-Second place in group C
Round of 16 no 4: Winner of group B-Second place in group A
Round of 16 no 5: Winner of group E-Second place in group F
Round of 16 no 6: Winner of group G-Second place in group H
Round of 16 no 7: Winner of group F-Second place in group E
Round of 16 no 8: Winner of group H-Second place in group G

Quarter-final 1: Winner of Round of 16 no 5-Winner of Round of 16 no 6
Quarter final 2: Winner of Round of 16 no 1-Winner of Round of 16 no 2
Quarter final 3: Winner of Round of 16 no 7-Winner of Round of 16 no 8
Quarter final 4: Winner of Round of 16 no 4-Winner of Round of no 16

Semifinal 1: Winner of quarter-final 2-Winner of quarter-final 1
Semifinal 2: Winner of quarter-final 4-Winner of quarter-final 3

⭐ Previous finales in the FIFA World Cup

The finales in the FIFA World Cup are followed every year by millions of people from all over the world and there is a lot of interest in the matches among the American audience as well, even if the US team does not play. The World Cup finale has many times been decided with much excitement and here we have listed all the finales which have been played so far during the almost hundred-year history of the tournament.

World Cup 1930 in Uruguay

The teams to advance to the very first World Championship finale were Argentina and Uruguay, after winning their group matches and following semifinals against the US and Yugoslavia. The home nation took the lead fast, but at half-time, Argentina had the upper hand in the match with 2-1. Uruguay came out on the field with new force and with three great goals they managed to win the match 4-2.

World Cup 1934 in Italy

Italy and Czechoslovakia were the nations to go all the way to the finale. The match remained goalless for a long time and it was not until in the 76 minute that Czechoslovakia managed to take the lead. However, it was not long before Italy equalized and finally scored the last goal in extra time.

World Cup 1938 in France

Italy once again advanced to the finale, this time against Hungary. During the first ten minutes of the match, both of the teams managed to put it in the net and at the half-time break, Italy was leading with 3-1. Hungary managed to reduce the loss by the end of the match, but when the final signal went it was Italy who was once more crowned world champions.

World Cup 1950 in Brazil

The tiebreaker in the play-off happened between Uruguay and Brazil, and both of the teams had the opportunity to win the entire tournament if victorious. Brazil scored the first goal in the match at the start of the second half, but in the end, it was Uruguay who won the match 2-1. The top placement in the group caused the team to win the World Cup gold medal.

World Cup 1954 in Switzerland

West Germany and Hungary were the teams going all the way to the final and the two teams had in fact played each other earlier during the group game of the tournament. That time Hungary won big with a score of 8-3 after their star Sándor Kocsis scored four of the team’s goals. The finale began with two fast goals from Hungary, but it only took minutes for Germany to reduce the lead. Another German goal happened in the 18th minute and it was not until the end of the match that Helmut Rahn became a double scorer, at the same time making West Germany winners of the World Cup gold.

World Cup 1958 in Sweden

The Swedish national team has reached the World Championship finale on one occasion over the years, which was when they hosted the tournament. They faced Brazil in the finale. Sweden started the game with an early goal by Nils Erik Liedholm, but it did not take long for Brazil to equalize. Before half time Brazil scored another goal and after that, the opponents pulled away with another two great goals. Agne Simonsson was able to score Sweden’s second goal in the 80th minute, but in the end, it was Pelé who put the nail in the coffin in the last minute of the game. The match ended 5-2 with a gold for Brazil.

World Cup 1962 in Chile

The reigning champions Brazil advanced to the finale once more, where they faced Czechoslovakia. The teams played each other earlier during the group games, and the match then ended 0-0. The finale produced a few more goals and despite the fact that Czechoslovakia scored the first goal, Brazil was eventually able to successfully defend their title as world champions. The board read 1-1 for a long time, but during the last 20 minutes of the match, Brazil scored both 2-1 and 3-1.

World Cup 1966 in England

England and West Germany played in the large finale at Wembley Stadium in London, with an audience just below 100,000 people. Both teams started off with one goal each and it was not until the 78th minute that England took the lead. The Germans however managed to counter-attack and in the last minute equalize, taking the match to extra time. Here England gained new energy from the audience on the bleachers and the star player Geoff Hurst managed to score not only one but two goals in the net. That way England was able to take their historical World Championship gold home.

World Cup 1970 in Mexico

This time the great finale consisted of Brazil and Italy, the only two teams who by then had won two gold medals each. Pelé took the lead for Brazil from the beginning, but further on in the first half Italy equalized. In the end Brazil won the match, after three goals by different goal scorers during the second half of the match.

World Cup 1974 in West Germany

West Germany and The Netherlands went all the way to the World Championship finale after reaching the top two in their groups and then winning their groups in the second round. Early on The Netherlands were assigned a penalty which resulted in the first goal of the match. However, it did not take long until West Germany received the same benefit, which they also turned into a goal. In front of the home crowd, West Germany managed to score another goal before the halftime break, which was also the last goal in the match. Thus the team won their second world championship title.

World Cup 1978 in Argentina

Once again The Netherlands reached the finale through the two group games. This time they were again up against the current home nation – Argentina. The South American team scored first and were leading the match for long. With only some minutes of the match left, The Netherlands managed to equalize and take the match to extra time. In the extra time, Argentina scored two beautiful goals which took the team to their first World Championship title ever.

World Cup 1982 in Spain

This time it was Italy and Brazil that fought for the gold in the World Cup finale. The road there did not only consist of the first group game, but one more group game as well as one tough semifinal each. The match was goalless for long, but after about an hour’s play, Italy managed to take the lead. The goal was followed by two more balls in the net before Brazil even had a chance to reduce their lead. Italy took their third gold home with 3-1 and in that way managed to match Brazil’s record of medals.

World Cup 1986 in Mexico

The large nations West Germany and Argentina got to play each other in this year’s finale, which was eventually won by Argentina. The team started the goals of the match and took on a 2-0 lead before West Germany managed to reduce and eventually equalize. However, this luck did not last for very long, as Argentina in the end was able to score the decisive goal and in that way win the match 3-2.

World Cup 1990 in Italy

This World Championship was a replay of four years previously when West Germany and Argentina also managed to reach the finale. There was no arguing that the Germans were looking for revenge and, even if the match is usually spoken about as one of the most boring World Championship finales, the match was very eventful. Argentina got an expulsion in the 65th minute and therefore played the rest of the time with one player less. West Germany then got a penalty, which resulted in the only goal of the match. After protests from the Argentinian team, one more player was sent off the pitch and with only nine players the team was forced to see the World Cup gold snatched from them. This was also the first time a team did not score one single goal in a World Championship finale.

World Cup 1994 in US

Brazil and Italy faced each other for the second time in the finale, where both teams had a chance to take their fourth gold respectively. The finale was the first one to end 0-0 after both regular time and extra time, which made the match end with penalty shoot-outs. Both teams missed their first shots, but both then managed to follow up with two scores each. Italy missed their fourth shot as well, at the same time as Brazil’s star Dunga scored in the bottom right corner. Italy’s last penalty was however shot way over the bar and thereby Brazil claimed the title as new champions.

World Cup 1998 in France

As current champions, Brazil once again managed to reach the World Cup finale, this time against the home nation France. For long it looked like Brazil’s star Ronaldo would miss the finale because of an injury, but just 45 minutes before the match start he was pronounced fit to play by a doctor. He managed to get in a dangerous attack for the team during the start of the match, but that was pretty much all he showed of himself during the match. The French star Zizou succeeded in scoring two goals during the first half, and in extra time, the team scored the final score of the match, 3-0.

World Cup 2002 in South Korea and Japan

For the first time, Germany reached the finale as a united nation. Here they were up against the veteran’s Brazil, who for the third year in a row was guaranteed a medal. Both teams went undefeated through the tournament and in the finale Ronaldo got his payback after the injury in the World Championship finale four years earlier. The star scored two goals for his Brazil, which were also the only goals during the match. Thus Brazil took their fifth World Championship title.

World Cup 2006 in West Germany

The European top teams Italy and France played each other in the World Championship finale, where both teams managed to score a goal each during the start. The draw result lasted for the rest of the match time, as well as in extra time, which took the match to penalty shoot-outs. Here it was Italy which was most on point and with their five straight goals they were crowned winners for the fourth time.

World Cup 2010 in South Africa

The match between The Netherlands and Spain became a goalless story, however, it contained plenty of yellow cards. No less than 14 cards were given to different players during the match. In the 109th minute of the game, Holland’s John Heitinga got his second card in the match, which led to him being sent off the field. Spain made good use of this advantage and scored the only goal in the game just minutes later. This was the first time that Spain won a World Cup gold, and the third time Holland had to settle with silver.

World Cup 2014 in Brazil

Germany and Argentina returned to the World Championship finale after remaining undefeated throughout the tournament. As in many other finales during the 21st century, this was a goalless match, which was decided in the last minutes of extra time. Here it was Germany’s Mario Götze who took home the first World Championship title for Germany as a united nation. The star of the team Miroslav Klose was earlier in the tournament the foremost goal scorer in tournament history and was, because of the gold, included in the exclusive club of players who have gotten both gold, silver, and bronze in the World Championship.

World Cup 2018 in Russia

For the first time ever, Croatia managed to go all the way to a World Championship finale, were they had to take on France. The match was started with an own goal by Croatia which led to France taking the lead. Straight after that Croatia scored a goal, but it did not take long until France were awarded a penalty after an instant replay resulting in 2-1. In the second half France followed up their earlier successes with two more goals. Croatia managed to score another great goal, but it was not enough to catch up with the opponent’s lead. 20 years after their last gold, France could once again be crowned world champions of soccer.