In just 24 hours’ time, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will kick off.
A tournament mired in controversy, domestic calendars across the globe grind to a halt for the first mid-season World Cup in history as the game heads into the unknown.
Despite a poor run of form in 2022, England will be expected to follow up their impressive performances in both 2018 and at the delayed Euro 2020, where they reached the semi-finals and then three years later lost on penalties in the final.
The likes of France, Brazil and Argentina to name just a few of course provide stern competition but this year is particularly interesting.
Certainly, there would not appear to be an early standout favourite, with few of the traditional European powerhouses looking at their best, while the South American giants have been limited in what opposition they can play in build-up games due to the UEFA Nations League.
Such an open feeling, coupled with the fact there has simply never been a World Cup like this one, adds to the excitement, although it is difficult to ignore the wider issues that surround it.
What is obvious, however, is that – rightly or wrongly – this will be a World Cup like no other.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
FIFA World Cup 2022 venues and capacity
- Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 80,000
- Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 60,000
- Stadium 974, Doha – 40,000
- Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 40,000
- Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 45,000
- Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 44,740
- Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 40,000
- Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 40,000
FIFAWorld Cup 202 Groups and fixtures
(All times GMT)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 20: Qatar vs Ecuador (4pm, Al Bayt Stadium, BBC One)
November 21: Senegal vs Netherlands (4pm, Al Thumama Stadium, ITV)
November 25: Qatar vs Senegal (1pm, Al Thumama, BBC One)
November 25: Netherlands vs Ecuador (4pm, Khalifa International Stadium, ITV)
November 29: Ecuador vs Senegal (3pm, Khalifa International Stadium, ITV)
November 29: Netherlands vs Qatar (6pm, Al Bayt Stadium, ITV)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 21: England vs Iran (1pm, Khalifa International Stadium, BBC One)
November 21: USA vs Wales (7pm, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, ITV)
November 25: Wales vs Iran (10am, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, BBC One)
November 25: England vs USA (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, ITV)
November 29: Wales vs England (7pm, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, BBC One)
November 29: Iran vs USA (Al Thumama Stadium, BBC)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 22: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (10am Lusail Iconic Stadium, ITV)
November 22: Mexico vs Poland (4pm, Stadium 974, BBC One)
November 26: Poland vs Saudi Arabia (1pm, Education City Stadium, ITV)
November 26: Argentina vs Mexico (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, ITV)
November 30: Poland vs Argentina (7pm, Stadium 974, BBC)
November 30: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, BBC)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 22: Denmark vs Tunisia (1pm, Education City Stadium, ITV)
November 22: France v Australia (7pm, Al Janoub Stadium, BBC)
November 26: Tunisia vs Australia (10am, Al Janoub Stadium, BBC)
November 26: France vs Denmark (4pm, Stadium 974, ITV)
November 30: Australia vs Denmark (3pm, Al Janoub Stadium, BBC)
November 30: Tunisia vs France (3pm, Education City Stadium, BBC)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 23: Germany vs Japan (1pm, Khalifa International Stadium, ITV)
November 23: Spain vs Costa Rica (4pm Al Thumama Stadium, ITV)
November 27: Japan vs Costa Rica (10am, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, ITV)
November 27: Spain vs Germany (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, BBC One)
December 1: Costa Rica vs Germany (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, ITV)
December 1: Japan vs Spain (7pm Khalifa International Stadium, ITV)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 23: Morocco vs Croatia (10am, Al Bayt Stadium, ITV)
November 23: Belgium vs Canada (7pm, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, BBC One)
November 27: Belgium vs Morocco (1pm, Al Thumama Stadium, BBC One)
November 27: Croatia vs Canada (4pm, Khalifa International Stadium, BBC One)
December 1: Croatia vs Belgium (3pm, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, BBC)
December 1: Canada vs Morocco (3pm, Al Thumama Stadium, BBC)
Fixtures, results and how to watch
November 24: Switzerland vs Cameroon (10am, Al Janoub Stadium, ITV)
November 24: Brazil vs Serbia (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, BBC One)
November 28: Cameroon vs Serbia (10am, Al Janoub Stadium, ITV)
November 28: Brazil vs Switzerland (4pm, Stadium 974, ITV)
December 2: Serbia vs Switzerland (7pm, Stadium 974, ITV)
December 2: Cameroon vs Brazil (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, ITV)
Fixture, results and how to watch
November 24: Uruguay vs South Korea (1pm, Education City Stadium, BBC One)
November 24: Portugal vs Ghana (4pm, Stadium 974, ITV)
November 28: South Korea vs Ghana (1pm, Education City Stadium, BBC One)
November 28: Portugal vs Uruguay (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, ITV)
December 2: South Korea vs Portugal (3pm, Education City Stadium, BBC)
December 2: Ghana vs Uruguay (3pm, Al Janoub Stadium, BBC)
Last 16
December 3: Match 49: Group A winners vs Group B runners-up (3pm, Khalifa International Stadium, TBC)
December 3: Match 50: Group C winners vs Group D runners-up (7pm, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, TBC)
December 4: Match 51: Group D winners vs Group C runners-up (3pm, Al Thumama Stadium, TBC)
December 4: Match 52: Group B winners vs Group A runners-up (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, TBC)
December 5: Match 53: Group E winners vs Group F runners-up (3pm, Al Janoub Stadium, TBC)
December 5: Match 54: Group G winners vs Group H runners-up (7pm, Stadium 974, TBC)
December 6: Match 55: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up (3pm, Education City Stadium, TBC)
December 6: Match 56: Group H winners vs Group B runners-up (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, TBC)
Quarter-finals
December 9: Match 57: Winner of Match 49 vs Winner of Match 50 (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, TBC)
December 9: Match 58: Winner of Match 53 vs Winner of Match 54 (3pm, Education City Stadium, TBC)
December 10: Match 59: Winner of Match 51 vs Winner of Match 52 (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, TBC)
December 10: Match 60: Winner of Match 55 vs Winner of Match 56 (3pm, Al Thumama Stadium, TBC)
Semi-finals
December 13: Match 61: Winner of Match 57 vs Winner of Match 58 (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, TBC)
December 14: Match 62: Winner of Match 59 vs Winner of Match 60 (7pm, Al Bayt Stadium, TBC)
Third-place play-off
December 17: Match 63 (3pm, Khalifa International Stadium, TBC)
Final
December 18: Match 64 (3pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, BBC and ITV)
