All you need to know about the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

The Middle East will be hosting its first FIFA world cup. FIFA awarded this honor to Qatar on 2nd December 2010, when Qatar won the bid among four other countries. For the first time in 92 years of FIFA history, the most prestigious sports league is taking place in this region.

Qatar’s bid was also highlighted as the most compact World Cup ever because all the venues are within sixty kilometers. In addition, the architectural brilliance of the new stadiums is unparalleled, as these venues are built with a vision of controlling temperature and countering the region’s warm climate.

The campaign will kick off with the host going against Ecuador on 20th November 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium and will continue till 18th December 2022. The opening ceremony will take place before the first match, and the artist lineup includes a member of the famous South Korean band BTS Jung Kook. However, the list has yet to be finalized as of today.

How many stadiums will host the matches?

It is a 32 days tournament with a total of 64 games scheduled to be played. On top of that, there will be back-to-back matches for eleven consecutive days. The schedule is intense, and a total of eight stadiums will be used to facilitate all the anticipated matches.

• Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail: it has the highest capacity of 80,000 among all the stadiums, and it will be the busiest venue hosting a total of ten matches, including the final, one quarter-final, and one semifinal, and a closing ceremony.
• Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor: it has a capacity of 60,000 and will host nine matches, including the opening ceremony, one quarter-final, and a semifinal.
• Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah: it will host seven matches and has a capacity of 40,000.
• Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium: it will host seven matches and can accommodate 40,000 fans.
• Khalifa International Stadium: it will host eight matches, including the third play-off match, with a capacity of 40,000 people.
• Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan: it will also host eight matches, including a quarter-final, and has a capacity of 40,000.
• Stadium 974: it will host seven matches and also has the same capacity of 40,000.
• Al Thumama Stadium in Doha: it will host eight matches, including a quarter-final, and has a capacity of 40,000.

Formation of groups

There are 32 teams divided into eight groups, each comprising four teams. The top two from each group will qualify for the Round of 16. Afterward, only eight teams will proceed to the quarter-finals. The FIFA world cup odds favor South American teams because of the hot weather, although it is still any team’s cup.

The teams in:

In group A:

1. Qatar
2. Ecuador
3. Senegal
4. Netherlands

In group B:

1. England
2. Wales
3. Iran
4. United States

In group C:

1. Argentina
2. Mexico
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Poland

In group D:

1. France
2. Australia
3. Denmark
4. Tunisia

In group E:

1. Spain
2. Germany
3. Costa Rica
4. Japan

In group F:

1. Belgium
2. Canada
3. Morocco
4. Croatia

In group G:

1. Brazil
2. Serbia
3. Switzerland
4. Cameroon

In group H:

1. Portugal
2. Ghana
3. Uruguay
4. South Korea

Squad restrictions

For the first time, FIFA has approved increasing the number of maximum players in a squad to 26 from 23 players to counter the timing of the world cup and COVID. In addition, each squad must have three goalkeepers, with no restrictions on the maximum number of midfielders, forwards, and defenders.

Each team must arrive five days before the start of their opening match, and every club must release the list of players selected for the national team by 14 November as per the FIFA guidelines. 26 team members will be allowed on the bench, comprising 15 players and 11 team officials.

Another new rule incorporated into this year’s world cup is that coaches can make up to five substitutions compared to the standard three.