Everything you need to know about the 22nd World Cup is right here, from the venues to the teams to the winner’s purse.
Thirty-two teams, including seven of the previous eight winners (Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina, France, and Spain), will compete in Qatar in 2022 for the chance to write their names in the record books at the FIFA World Cup.
It has been 20 years since Korea and Japan jointly hosted a tournament, and this one will be the first to be held in an Arabian country. This is a complete guide to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
When does the 2022 FIFA World Cup start and end?
The one-month showpiece will kick off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20 and will end with the final being played on Sunday, December 18.
The opening ceremony is expected to start at 5pm local time, ahead of the opening match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador, which kicks off at 7pm local time.
Which stadiums will host the World Cup in Qatar?
A total of eight stadiums are being used for the entirety of the event:
- Lusail Stadium (80,000-seater) in Lusail
- Al-Bayt Stadium (60,000-seater) in Al Khor
- Khalifa International Stadium (45,416-seater) in Al Rayyan
- Education City Stadium (45,350-seater) in Al Rayyan
- Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (44,740-seater) in Al Rayyan
- Al Janoub Stadium (40,000-seater) in Al Wakrah
- Al Thumama Stadium (40,000-seater) in Doha
- Stadium 974 (40,000-seater) in Doha
How many teams are playing in Qatar?
32 teams are competing at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. All teams will take part in the group stage which consists of eight groups of four.
The 32 teams are grouped as follows:
- 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
Group winners will play group runners-up in the round of 16, and so on through the remaining rounds of the tournament.
Teams who win in the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semis will advance to the final round of the tournament, where the victor will be proclaimed world champions.
What happens in case two teams are tied in a World Cup group?
The ranking of teams in the group stage is determined as follows:
- Points obtained in all group matches
- Goal difference in all group matches
- Number of goals scored in all group matches
- Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question
- Goal difference in the matches played between the teams in question
- Number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question
- Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction can be applied to a player in a single match):
- Yellow card: −1 point
- Indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points
- Direct red card: −4 points
- Yellow card and direct red card: −5 points
- Drawing of lots.
Where will the Qatar 2022 final be played?
The final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be played at the Lusail Stadium located about 23km north of Doha. Lusail Stadium was inaugurated on September 9, 2022.
The final will be played on December 18.
What is the prize money for the Qatar 2022 World Cup?
As an increase from France’s $38 million prize for winning in 2018, the champion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will get $42 million.
The teams competing in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar have a lot to gain financially as well as the prestige of hoisting football’s most coveted trophy.
If your team comes in second, third, or fourth, you’ll get $30 million, $27 million, or $25 million, respectively.
Each of the four quarterfinalist teams will get $17 million, while the 16th-place team will receive $13 million.
Every club that loses in the first round of the tournament will get $9 million.
Who is the mascot of the Qatar World Cup?
The official mascot of the Qatar World Cup is La’eeb. The adventurous, fun and curious La’eeb was unveiled during the Qatar 2022 Final Draw, which took place in Doha on April 1, following a tradition that was initiated in England in 1966.
What is the name of the Qatar World Cup official match ball?
On March 30, 2022, the “Al Rihla” match ball was introduced as the official ball of the 2022 World Cup. The Arabic name Al Rihla, which was taken from the Qatari flag, culture, and the country’s most recognizable boats, means “the journey.”
This will be the very first official match ball to be made entirely from water-based glues and inks.