Join the Excitement of the 2022 World Cup!

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The excitement is building in Qatar to see who will become the world champion.

Brief Introduction to the 2022 World Cup

The tournament will kick off with Qatar’s match against Ecuador in Group A at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20, and the final will be held at Doha’s Lusail Stadium on December 18. It’s not too late to attend, so contact Trip.com today to make the dream a reality!

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The dramatic skyline of Doha during blue hour.

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Doha, Qatar’s vibrant capital city.

FIFA World Cup Countdown

This has meant that European leagues have had to reschedule their group matches to be played earlier. Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, beating out competing bids from Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. It is the smallest country to have hosted the World Cup, the second smallest being Switzerland in 1954, and is only the second country to be awarded a FIFA World Cup despite having never qualified. It will be the first time for the World Cup to be held during the northern hemisphere winter, and also the first time that semi-automatic offside technology has been used in a World Cup.

All 211 member associations were eligible to qualify, and FIFA’s continental confederations organized qualifying competitions. Qatar automatically qualified as the host, but the Asian Football Confederation required the team to participate in the Asian qualifying stage because the first two rounds act as qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. France, the reigning champion, qualified normally, but Italy, the reigning European champions, failed to qualify. Cameroon, Ecuador, Ghana, the Netherlands and the United States returned to the competition after missing the 2018 tournament, Canada returned after 36 years and Wales made its first appearance in 64 years.

Chile failed to qualify for the second consecutive time, Nigeria was defeated by Ghana, and Colombia, Egypt, Iceland, Panama, Peru and Sweden failed to qualify despite having qualified for the 2018 World Cup. The 32 teams were divided into four pots based on their FIFA Men’s Ranking as of March 31, 2022. Pot 1 contained the hosts and 7 top-ranking teams, Pot 2 contained the next best 8 teams, and so on.

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Arabian lamps.

This year, under the new substitution rules, teams can make up to five substitutions in normal time and an additional substitution in during extra time, and for the first time can make one concussion substitution.

Initially the tournament was due to kick off with Senegal taking on the Netherlands at Al Thumama Stadium on November 21, but Qatar’s match against Ecuador in Group A at Al Bayt Stadium was brought forward to November 20 in order to allow them to open their home tournament. Teams were required to name a provisional squad of 55 players by 21 October, and their final squad of 26 players by 13 November.

Among the 36 referees, and 69 assistant referees and 24 video assistant referees announced for the tournament were 3 women referees. Stéphanie Frappart of France, Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, and Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda will be the first women to referee games at a major men’s tournament, and for the first time there will also be three female assistant referees.

Although 12 venues were originally planned, this was reduced to 8 at the request of Qatar due to escalating costs and the convenience of the locations in and around Doha, with the exception of Al Khor. The stadiums reflect the history and culture of Qatar and all meet the terms of reference pertaining to legacy, comfort, accessibility and comfort. Air conditioning is expected to reduce the temperature in the stadiums by up to 20°C, which is marketed as zero waste because some of the upper tiers will be disassembled after the World Cup and donated to countries with less developed sports infrastructure. Five of the new stadiums were designed by the German company Albert Speer & Partners, the Al Bayt Stadium will be the only indoor stadium, and all stadiums are expected to be Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) compliant.

The base camps where the teams will stay and train during the tournament are concentrated in the Doha area, and 24 of the 32 locations will be within 10 km of each other. In fact, it will be the first time since 1930 that players will not need to fly to matches and can use the same base throughout the tournament.

The opening ceremony will be held at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor prior to the opening match. It will feature Morgan Freeman, Ghanim Al-Muftah and performances by South Korean singer Jungkook, a member of BTS, and Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi. It will be the first time for the Qur’an to be recited at the opening ceremony.

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Doha skyline at night.

FIFA World Cup Match Schedule

In the group’s third match Senegal will face Qatar. In Group B, England will face Iran, the United States will face Wales, while in Group C Argentina will face Saudi Arabia and Mexico will face Poland. Meanwhile, in Group D, Denmark will play against Tunisia, and defending champions France will play Australia. Group E will see Japan face 2014 champions Germany, and Spain will play Costa Rica. Group F will see Morocco play against Croatia and Belgium play Canada. Switzerland will face Cameroon and the favorites Brazil will face Serbia in Group G, and Uruguay will play South Korea and Portugal will play against Ghana. Teams will receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Fair play points will see players lose 1 point for a yellow card, 3 points for an indirect red card or second yellow card, 4 points for a direct red card, and 5 points for a yellow card or a direct red card.

Source: FIFA

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Doha’s 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium.

Major Team Analysis

Brazil

The 2022 World Cup top favorites are Brazil, followed by Belgium, Argentina, France and England. The Brazil national football team, nicknamed Seleção Canarinho, is the most successful national team and has been a FIFA member since 1923. Over the years they have played in all World Cup editions, winning 73 of 109 matches, and taking first place in five tournaments. Tite replaced manager Dunga in 2016 and led Brazil in the 2018 World Cup campaign, starting with a win against Switzerland thanks to a 25-yard bending strike from Philippe Coutinho, and going on to beat Costa Rica 2–0 and Serbia 2–0 to qualify for the top 16. Next, they beat Mexico 2–0, with goals from prolific goalscorer Neymar and forward Roberto Firmino, before losing 2–1 to Belgium in the quarter-finals. In June 2021, they beat Paraguay 2–0 in a World Cup qualifier in Asunción. Brazil’s top players include right-back Daniel Alves da Silva, known as Danilo, who is considered to be one of the greatest full-backs of all time and is the most decorated player in the history of football with 47 titles. Teammate Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known simply as Neymar, who is also regarded as one of the best players in the world, is one of only three players to have scored at least 100 goals and was named in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Other stars include goalkeeper Álisson Ramsés Becker (Álisson), defensive mid-fielder Carlos Henrique Casimiro (Casimiro), and captain and midfielder Thiago Silva, who is said to be one of the best defenders in the world and one of the greatest players of all time.

Belgium

The Belgium national football team is another hot favorite and has officially represented Belgium since 1904. Belgium, ranked number one in FIFA World Rankings in 2015, came third in the 2018 World Cup and is the only top-ranking FIFA team not to have won a World Cup. Belgium recorded 348 wins, 167 draws, and 283 losses as of March 2021, and their highest winning margin was nine goals, which they achieved against Zambia (1994), San Marino (2001, 2019), and Gibraltar (2017). Under manager Roberto Martinez, Belgium achieved third place in the 2018 World Cup after being eliminated by France in the semi-finals. Top players include captain Eden Hazard, who led Belgium to third place in 2018, where he received the Silver Ball as second-best player of the tournament. Jan Vertonghen, who is vice-captain and plays center defender and left-back, was named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2012, and has represented Belgium at the 2008 Olympics, the 2014 World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro-2020. He is currently signed with the Belgian club Anderlecht. Axel Witsel is a central mid-fielder who represented Belgium at the 2014 World Cup and 2018 World Cup, and who signed for Zenit Saint Petersburg for a €40 million fee in 2012. He has since played for the Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid. Other players of note include Toby Alderweireld and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Argentina

The Argentina national football team, La Albiceleste, is also a major contender and has appeared in five World Cup finals, including the first final in 1930. Historical rivals of Brazil, Uruguay, England and Germany, the team lineup includes forward Lionel Messi, who serves as captain, and has won a record seven Ballon d’Or awards, and 6 European Golden Shoes. He was also named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in 2020 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Ángel Di María, who plays equally well as a forward or midfielder, is considered to be one of the greatest players of his generation. He made his senior international debut at the age of 20, and scored the winning goal at the 2008 Olympics. Other players of note include left back Marcos Acuña, midfielder Leandro Paredes, and Rodrigo De Paul.

France

The France national football team, known as the Blues, is also a strong contender, having won the UEFA Nations League in October 2021 and the 2018 World Cup final against Croatia 4–2. Coach Didier Deschamps was the third person to win the World Cup as a player and also was the second person to win as a captain and coach. Key players include forward Kylian Mbappé, who won the Best Young Player award in 2018, and forward Antoine Griezmann, who won the Bronze Ball, the Silver Boot and was named Man of the Match. Another player of note is captain Hugo Lloris, who captained France in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Euro 2012 and 2014 FIFA World Cup, the semi-final of UEFA Euro 2016, and led the team to victory in the 2018 World Cup. Center-back Raphaël Varane, played for every minute in every match for France in 2018, and striker Olivier Giroud, who together with Thierry Henry, is France’s all-time top goalscorer.

England

The England national football team played their first match in 1872 against Scotland. They have qualified for the World Cup 16 times and won it in 1966. In July 2021 they beat Germany, Ukraine and Denmark to make it through to the European Championship final, but lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. They were then beaten 4–0 by Hungary in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League before suffering another loss to Italy and being relegated to division B for the 2024–25 edition. Players to watch for include captain and striker Harry Kane, who has scored 51 goals in 77 games to become England’s second highest all-time top goalscorer. Then there is winger Raheem Sterling, who was named PFA Young Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in the 2018–19 season, right-back Kyle Walker, who has been named to the PFA Team of the Year 3 times, and center-back John Stones, who is known for his defensive skills, and midfielder Jordan Henderson, who has made 70 appearances for England since his debut in 2010.

Group and Knockout Stages

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

Where to Watch

CTA: Click here for more information on Al Bayt Stadium.

CTA: Click here for more information on Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

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Stadium 974.

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Education City Stadium.

If you are unable to get there yourself, you can watch a live stream for free on Tubi, Peacock, Fubo, SlingTV, and Vidgo.

Travel Requirements

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COVID-19.

Accommodation

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The Pearl.

What Else Can I Do While I’m in Qatar?

There are many fascinating places to visit in Qatar, ranging from the Museum of Islamic Art to Khor Al Adaid, a nature reserve a short drive from Doha with large, crescent-shaped sand dunes against a backdrop of water, that has been recommended as a UNESCO world heritage site. Other sites include the AI Zubarah Archaeological Site, Doha Corniche, a waterfront palm-fringed boulevard, Pearl Island, an artificial island off the coast West Bay, the National Museum of Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif with its traditional Arabian restaurants.

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The National Museum of Qatar was opened in 2019.

FAQ