World Cup Guide – How Does it Work?

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

However for these of you who’re unfamiliar, the 2022 World Cup may 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 shall be a whole information in regards to the World Cup for anybody who doesn’t have a clue about what it’s and the way it works. It would undergo the principles across the World Cup, and its qualification fixtures, stage by stage.

What’s the World Cup?

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

The present format entails a qualification part, which takes place over the previous three years, to find out which groups qualify for the event part. Within the event part, 32 groups, together with the routinely 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 closing is each 4 years and often runs in Might, June or July.

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

The World Cup is hosted in a unique 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 World Cup, the primary time the World Cup shall be held within the Arab World. There shall be eight completely different stadiums throughout Qatar that may host the 64 fixtures.

This yr’s event shall be held later within the yr attributable to Qatar’s sizzling summer season temperatures.

How do groups qualify for the World Cup?

When 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 tactic of qualification depends upon which continent a nation is from. There are six relevant continents, so six completely different procedures for 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 dwelling and away in a round-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 probably the most factors qualify for the World Cup. The workforce 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 closing spherical of qualifying, divided into ten completely different teams. These teams play a round-robin type format and the workforce with probably the most factors in every group routinely 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 dwelling and away in a round-robin event. The highest 4 groups qualify for the World Cup. In the meantime, the fifth-placed nation advances to an intercontinental playoff in opposition to a workforce 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 round-robin schedule amongst themselves in every group. The ten groups that end with probably the most factors in every group advance to a two-match playoff in opposition to one other group winner, that means there are 5 playoffs in whole. The profitable workforce from every of the playoffs advances to the World Cup.

Oceania Soccer Confederation (OFC)

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

What number of groups qualify for the World Cup?

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

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. Primarily based on the rankings, the highest seven groups together with the hosts, Qatar, are allotted to workforce 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 workforce pots 1 to 4. In every workforce pot, there are eight balls with the nation identify for every certified workforce. 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 workforce pot, adopted by a ball from one of many group pots, thus figuring out the place to which the respective workforce is allotted.

The overall precept, each time attainable, is to make sure that no group has multiple workforce from the identical qualification zone drawn into it. That is relevant to in all places 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 round-robin format. There are three factors awarded for a win, one for a draw, and nil for a loss. The highest two groups qualify for the spherical of 16 knockout part, with the winner of every group taking part in in opposition to a runner-up of a unique group. Within the occasion of two or extra groups sharing similar factors, the place shall be selected aim distinction.

World Cup 2026 Format Change

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

How does the World Cup knockout stage work?

The knockout stage of the World Cup is the second and closing 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 may even ensue between the 2 dropping groups of the semi-finals.

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

When does the World Cup Knockout Stage Begin?

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

Spherical of 16

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 reduce 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 whole competing groups have been reduce in half once more to 4, with the winners reaching the ultimate and the losers advancing to the third-place playoff. The semi-finals shall 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 closing shall be performed on Sunday 18th December.

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

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

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 unique 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 offers time for the qualification course of.

Why is the 2022 World Cup in Winter?

The 2022 World Cup event shall be held in Winter attributable to Qatar’s sizzling summer season temperatures.

What nation has gained probably the most World Cup titles?

Brazil has gained probably the most World Cup tournaments with 5 titles. They’re moreover the one aspect 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 unique Wembley Stadium.

Who gained the primary World Cup?

The Uruguay Nationwide Soccer Workforce 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 workforce?

Every workforce 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, a further half-hour will ensue after a small break for the gamers. These are cut up into two 15-minute halves. If the scoreline continues to be stage after extra-time, the match will go to a penalty shootout.

Will the World Cup have VAR?

FIFA has accredited 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 choosing when the ball has been kicked.

How do groups routinely qualify?

The host nation all the time routinely 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 routinely.

What’s the Group of Loss of life?

This can be a slag time period used for the group thought of 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’ll 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).