2022 FIFA World Cup preview and grouppings
DOHA – The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an association football tournament, contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations and the 22nd FIFA World Cup. It is taking place in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022. This is the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world, and the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
The tournament is featuring 32 participating teams, the last to do so as the field will increase to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament. Matches at the event will be played in eight venues across five cities. France is the defending champion, having defeated Croatia 4–2 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final at Russia. Due to Qatar's intense summer heat, this World Cup is being held during November and December, being the first tournament not held in May, June, or July and to take place in the northern winter. It is being played in a reduced timeframe of 29 days. The opening match will be between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor. The final will be held on 18 December 2022, Qatar's National Day.
- Teams
FIFA's six continental confederations organised their own qualifying competitions. All 211 FIFA member associations were eligible to enter qualification. The Qatari national team, as hosts, qualified automatically for the tournament. However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) obliged Qatar to participate in the Asian qualifying stage as the first two rounds also act as qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Since Qatar reached the final stage as winners in their group, Lebanon, the fifth-best second place team, advanced instead. France, the reigning World Cup champions also went through qualifying stages as normal.
Saint Lucia initially entered CONCACAF qualification but withdrew from it before their first match. North Korea withdrew from the AFC qualifying round due to safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both American Samoa and Samoa withdrew before the OFC qualification draw. Tonga withdrew after the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami. Due to COVID-19 outbreaks in their squads, Vanuatu and Cook Islands also withdrew because of the travel restrictions.
Of the 32 nations qualified to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 24 countries competed at the previous tournament in 2018. Qatar are the only team making their debut in the FIFA World Cup, becoming the first hosts to make their tournament debut since Italy in 1934. As a result, the 2022 tournament is the first World Cup in which none of the teams that earned a spot through qualification were making their debut. The Netherlands, Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon and the United States returned to the tournament after missing the 2018 tournament. Canada returned after 36 years, their only prior appearance being in 1986. Wales made their first appearance in 64 years – a record gap for a European team, their only previous participation having been in 1958.
- Teams failed to qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup
Italy, the four-time winners and reigning European champions, failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup for the first time in their history, losing in the qualification play-off semi-finals. The Italians were the only former champions that failed to qualify, and the highest ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings to do so. Italy are also the fourth team to have failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup having won the previous UEFA European Championship, after Czechoslovakia in 1978, Denmark in 1994 and Greece in 2006. The previous World Cup hosts, Russia, were disqualified from competing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Chile, the 2015 and 2016 Copa América winners failed to qualify for the second consecutive time. Nigeria were defeated by Ghana on away goals in Confederation of African Football (CAF) final playoff round, having qualified for the previous three World Cups and six out of the last seven. Egypt, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Iceland and Sweden, all of whom qualified for the 2018 World Cup, did not qualify for the 2022 tournament. Ghana were the lowest ranked team to qualify, ranked 61st.
- Grouppings
A. Group A: Netherlands, Qatar, Senegal, Ecuador
B. Group B: England, United States Of America, Wales, Iran
C. Group C: Argentina, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Mexico
D. Group D: France, Denmark, Australia, Tunisia
E. Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica
F. Group F: Croatia, Belgium, Canada, Morocco
G. Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Cameroon, Switzerland
H. Group H: Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea, Ghana
In the USA, FOX held the broadcasting rights of FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup since 2018 edition. The 2022 edition will be the 2nd time FOX and its FOX Sports channels to broadcast live FIFA World Cup matches. In the UK, 2022 FIFA World Cup matches will be broadcasted by BBC and ITV, after Sky UK failed to negotiating rights for broadcasting FIFA World Cup matches. In Indonesia, SCTV (under EMTEK Group) will broadcast live 2022 FIFA World Cup matches alongside its sister channels Indosiar, ChampionsTV and Moji, as well as Vidio online streaming matches. SCTV previously held the broadcasting rights for 2006 FIFA World Cup matches.
For the latest match updates, visit FIFAWorldCup.com!
