2022 FIFA World Cup Guide

The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off subsequent month as hosts Qatar face Ecuador on Sunday twentieth November. Broadly thought to be the most well-liked event for the world’s most universally liked sport, it’s a reasonably large deal for all of the gamers, coaches and followers concerned.  

However for these of you who’re unfamiliar, the 2022 World Cup might come throughout as complicated. How do you win it? Why are there so many fixtures? What do just some video games go to additional time?

This might be an entire information in regards to the FIFA World Cup for anybody who doesn’t have a clue about what it’s and the way it works. It’s going to undergo the principles across the World Cup, and its qualification fixtures, stage by stage.

What’s the FIFA World Cup?

The FIFA World Cup is a event of 32 international nations organised by the Fédération Internationale de Soccer Affiliation (FIFA). It determines the world champions of males’s soccer and is often thought to be the game’s most necessary event.

The present format entails a qualification section, which takes place over the previous three years, to find out which groups qualify for the event section. Within the event section, 32 groups, together with the mechanically qualifying host nation, compete for the title at venues throughout the host nation over the course of a few month.

When is the World Cup Ultimate?

The World Cup ultimate is each 4 years and often runs in Might, June or July.

The place is the FIFA World Cup and why is it in winter?

The FIFA World Cup is hosted in a distinct nation each event, decided by FIFA’s congress in a poll system. The choice is made roughly each seven years forward of the event.

This yr, Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup, the primary time the World Cup might be held within the Arab World. There might be eight completely different stadiums throughout Qatar that may host the 64 fixtures.

This yr’s event might be held later within the yr as a result of Qatar’s sizzling summer season temperatures.

How do groups qualify for the World Cup?

When had been are the World Cup Qualifiers and the way do they work?

The qualifiers for this yr’s version of the lads’s World Cup started on sixth June 2019 and concluded on sixteenth September 2021. The ladies’s World Cup qualifiers started on sixteenth September 2021 and can end in February 2023.

The strategy of qualification is dependent upon which continent a nation is from. There are six relevant continents, so six completely different procedures of qualification:

Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Affiliation Soccer (CONCACAF):

Eight nations make it to the qualifying stage out of the 35 members, who play one another house and away in a spherical robin format (a event by which every competitor performs in flip in opposition to each different). After these 14 matches are performed, the three groups with essentially the most factors qualify for the World Cup. The group that finishes in fourth place qualifies for a one-match playoff in opposition to the winner of the Oceanic Soccer Confederation group, with the winner of that qualifying for the World Cup.

Union of European Soccer Associations (UEFA):

All 55 groups take part in a ultimate spherical of qualifying, divided into ten completely different teams. These teams play a spherical robin type format and the group with essentially the most factors in every group mechanically advances to the World Cup.

From there, the ten groups that completed second of their retrospective teams – alongside the 2 highest ranked group winners from the earlier yr’s Nations League event who weren’t among the many prime two groups of their teams, are then randomly drawn into three teams of 4. These nations then play out a single elimination four-team event, with the winner of every progressing to the World Cup.

South American Soccer Confederation (CONMEBOL):

All ten groups play one another house and away in a spherical robin event. The highest 4 groups qualify for the World Cup. In the meantime, the fifth positioned nation advances to an intercontinental playoff in opposition to a group from Asia. The winner of that match then advances to the World Cup.

Confederation of African Soccer (CAF)

Of the 54 nations in CAF, 40 advance to the ultimate spherical of World Cup qualifying and are drawn into ten teams of 4. From right here, these groups play a six-match spherical robin schedule amongst themselves in every group. The ten groups that end with essentially the most factors in every group advance to a two-match playoff in opposition to one other group winner, which means there are 5 playoffs in whole. The profitable group from every of the playoffs advances to the World Cup.

Oceania Soccer Confederation (OFC)

Eight groups take part within the ultimate spherical of qualifying and are break up into two teams of 4, taking part in a spherical robin event of their group. From there, the 2 group winners and runners up advance to the semi-finals, with the eventual ultimate winner taking part in in opposition to the fourth-placed group from CONCACAF.

What number of groups qualify for the World Cup?

This yr, 32 nations have certified for the World Cup – which embrace 31 qualifiers plus host nation Qatar, who qualify mechanically.

World Cup Draw 2022

The 29 certified groups, two intercontinental playoff placeholders and one European playoff slot placeholder are allotted to 4 pots of eight groups, primarily based on the FIFA World Rating launched on 31 March 2022. Based mostly on the rankings, the highest seven groups together with the hosts, Qatar, are allotted to group Pot 1. The groups ranked 8 to fifteen are allotted to Pot 2, the groups ranked 16 to 23 into Pot 3, and groups ranked 24 to twenty-eight plus the 2 placeholders allotted into Pot 4.

The 4 pots representing the groups are labelled group pots 1 to 4. In every group pot, there are eight balls with the nation identify for every certified group. The eight pots representing the teams are labelled group pots A to H. In every group pot, there are 4 balls with the place numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 for every respective group. A ball is drawn from a group pot, adopted by a ball from one of many group pots, thus figuring out the place to which the respective group is allotted.

The overall precept, each time potential, is to make sure that no group has multiple group from the identical qualification zone drawn into it. That is relevant to in every single place besides Europe, which is represented by 13 groups.

As such, the 32 groups who certified for the 2022 World Cup have been drawn into the next teams:

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

What are the World Cup group stage guidelines?

Every group member performs one 90-minute fixture in opposition to one another in a spherical robin format. There are three factors awarded for a win, one for a draw, and 0 for a loss. The highest two groups qualify for the spherical of 16 knockout section, with the winner of every group taking part in in opposition to a runner-up of a distinct group. Within the occasion of two or extra groups sharing an identical factors, the place might be selected aim distinction.

World Cup 2026 Format Change

In 2026, with the USA, Canada and Mexico internet hosting the World Cup, the competitors might be prolonged to 48 groups. This was executed to extend the entire variety of matches within the World Cup, while guaranteeing the workloads on groups and gamers was not affected.

How does the World Cup knockout stage work?

The knockout stage of the World Cup is the second and ultimate stage of the competitors, following the conclusion of the group stage. The highest two groups from every group (16 in whole, therefore known as the ‘spherical of 16’) will advance to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination type event. A 3rd-place play-off can even ensue between the 2 dropping groups of the semi-finals.

If a match is stage on the finish of 90 minutes, additional time might be performed, consisting of two durations of quarter-hour every. If the scoreline remains to be tied after additional time, the match might be determined by a penalty shootout, with the winner continuing to the subsequent spherical.

When does the World Cup Knockout Stage Begin?

Listed here are the scheduled dates for when the World Cup knockout levels will start.

With the 2022 World Cup the matchups for the spherical of 16 knockout stage, which begins on Saturday third December, will work as follows:

Saturday third December:

Group A Winners vs Group B Runners-up

Group C Winners vs Group D Runners-up

Sunday 4th December:

Group B Winners vs Group A Runners-up

Group D Winners vs Group C Runners-up

Monday fifth December

Group E Winners vs Group F Runners-up

Group G Winners vs Group H Runners-up

Tuesday sixth December:

Group F Winners vs Group E Runners-up

Group H Winners vs Group G Runners-up

Quarter-finals

Competing groups are then minimize in half to eight because the winners from the spherical of 16 compete for the semi-finals. The quarter-finals will run from Friday ninth December to Saturday tenth December.

Semi-finals

The semi-finals occur inside a matter of weeks from the start of the knockout stage. The overall competing groups have been minimize in half once more to 4, with the winners reaching the ultimate and the losers advancing to the third-place playoff. The semi-finals might be performed on Tuesday thirteenth December and Wednesday 14th December.

Third-place playoff

The 2 defeated groups from the semi-finals will play off for Third Place. This may happen on Saturday seventeenth December.

The World Cup Ultimate

The principle occasion of the entire event. The 2 winners of the semi-finals will then compete for the trophy in a 90-minute fixture. The World Cup ultimate might be performed on Sunday 18th December.

The earlier winners of the World Cup will be discovered right here.

Participant awards

After the event, there’s a collection of particular person participant awards, such because the Golden Boot. The earlier winners for which will be discovered right here.

The all-time prime scorers for the FIFA World Cup will be discovered right here.

Try all the most recent World Cup betting odds at William Hill

World Cup FAQs

Who hosts the World Cup?

Qatar is internet hosting the 2022 World Cup. The World Cup is hosted in a distinct nation each event, decided by FIFA’s congress in a poll system.

How usually is the World Cup?

The World Cup is performed each 4 years in a month-long event. These 4 years supplies time for the qualification course of.

What nation has gained essentially the most World Cup titles?

Brazil has gained essentially the most World Cup tournaments with 5 titles. They’re moreover the one facet to have competed in each single World Cup event. In the meantime, Italy and German each have 4 titles.

England’s sole success within the World Cup got here in 1966, when captain Bobby Moore lifted the trophy in authentic Wembley Stadium.

Who gained the primary World Cup?

The Uruguay Nationwide Soccer Crew gained the primary World Cup title 1930 of their capital of Montevideo. There have been 93,333 spectators who watched their iconic 4-2 win over Argentina.

What number of groups are there within the World Cup?

There are 32 groups competing within the 2022 World Cup. In 2026 that is set to extend to 48 groups, with three nations internet hosting that yr’s version of the event.

What number of gamers per group?

Every group within the World Cup are allowed a most of 11 gamers on the pitch at one time, though they’re permitted a most of 12 extra gamers on the bench, with 5 of those gamers allowed to be substituted on.

How does additional time work within the World Cup?

If the scoreline is equal after the 90-minute match, an extra half-hour will ensue after a small break for the gamers. These are break up into two 15-minute halves. If the scoreline remains to be stage after extra-time, the match will go to a penalty shootout.

Will the World Cup have VAR?

FIFA has authorized the usage of its new Semi-Automated Offside Know-how (SAOT) for VAR on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Synthetic Intelligence (AI)-based system will exchange the VARs manually linking strains throughout the pitch to gamers and deciding on when the ball has been kicked.

How do groups mechanically qualify?

The host nation all the time mechanically qualifies for the World Cup and goes into Pot 1 of Group A for the group stage draw. This yr, Qatar are the host nation and thus certified mechanically.

What’s the Group of Demise?

This can be a slag time period used for the group thought-about to have the strongest groups utilizing FIFA World Rankings as a measure. This implies groups on this group could have a tougher time making it to the finals, doubtlessly with one of many massive groups being knocked out early on within the event.

Who will win the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

5-time winners Brazil (4/1) are the present favourites to win the World Cup, having assembled a formidable squad over the previous few years. Of their quest to win a primary World Cup since 2002, they are going to probably have to beat the likes of present champions France (6/1), South American rivals Argentina (7/1) and Euro 2020 finalists England (7/1).