The 2022 FIFA World Cup is coming up fast and we can’t wait to watch all the action unfold.
To get us all into the soccer spirit, we’re here to give you a rundown of everything we know so far about the hotly anticipated sporting event.
Qatar’s hosting the 22nd FIFA World Cup
The World Cup runs every four years, so there’s a hell of a lead time before every one. Qatar is the host of the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup.
A tournament of firsts and lasts
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the first one to be held in the Arab world. And it’s also the second one to be held entirely in Asia (the first being the memorable 2002 South Korea and Japan tournament).
It’s also the first one not to be held in the summer months. Traditionally, the games take place between May and July. However, due to the intense heat you can get during the Qatari summer, this is going to be a winter tournament instead.
This is also the last World Cup where just 32 teams will take place. As of 2026, the number of teams participating will be bumped up to 48.
Condensed playing days, but plenty of action
This World Cup is going to be slightly shorter than normal. It starts on 20 November and finishes up on 18 December, giving us 29 days in total of footie action.
And interestingly, the dates also mean that big soccer tournaments all over the world are going to take a break, including the 2022/23 Premier League.
The host nation is going to be kicking off the proceedings on the pitch, with the first game scheduled to be between Qatar and Ecuador.
Meanwhile, the last day of the competition will give multiple reasons to celebrate. Not only will we crown the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner on 18 December, that’s also the date of the Qatar National Day.
What countries have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
The countries competing in this year’s World Cup are…
- Australia
- Iran
- Japan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Cameroon
- Ghana
- Morocco
- Senegal
- Tunisia
- Canada
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
- United States
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Ecuador
- Uruguay
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Denmark
- England
- Frane
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Serbia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Wales
Qualifying is a feat, with 211 countries eligible to qualify. The only one that didn’t have to fight it out was Qatar, who gained automatic entry as they’re the host nation. They are also the only country making their World Cup debut.
Twenty four of the qualifying countries also competed in the 2018 tournament. But some have joined in after long stretches of absences. For example, Canada is appearing for the first time since 1986 and Wales has returned after last participating in 1958!
A notable absence in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, however, is Italy. The four-time champs failed to make to past semi-final qualification playoffs for the second World Cup in a row.
Despite winning the 2015 and 2016 Copa América, Chile are also not joining in for a second consecutive World Cup.
Groups for FIFA 2022 World Cup
Soccer fans know well that the group selection can play a big role in how a country does in the early stages of the World Cup.
A tough group can mean that even fairly competitive teams get culled early on.
Here are what the groups are like for this year’s World Cup…
Pot 1
- Qatar
- Brazil
- Belgium
- France
- Argentina
- England
- Spain
- Portugal
Pot 2
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Germany
- Uruguay
- Switzerland
- United States
- Croatia
Pot 3
- Senegal
- Iran
- Japan
- Morocco
- Serbia
- Poland
- South Korea
- Tunisia
Pot 4
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Ecuador
- Saudi Arabia
- Ghana
- Wales
- Costa Rica
- Australia
Where can you bet online on the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Some online sportsbooks are already taking bets for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. One of our favorite places to go to for soccer betting is bet365.
Not only can you already bet on early matches and the outright winner of the tournament, but during the tournament you’ll be able to place some really interesting bets like parlays, in-play bets and offside bets during the action too.
And you can expect special offers when the World Cup is in full swing. But you don’t have to wait around for a cool offer. Use this bonus code bet365 and you’ll get a great sign up off when you join.
