The 2022 FIFA World Cup feels that much closer with the draw now officially out of the way. The groups for the FIFA World Cup 2022 were decided on Friday at a draw ceremony in Qatar, where the tournament will take place in November and December of this year.
Presented by award-winning actor Idris Elba and renowned sports broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury, the show dazzled the audience with stunning references to the Arab culture and surprising acts that included the unveiling of the Official Mascot La’eeb™ and the launch of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Soundtrack, with the first live performance of the single Hayya Hayya (Better Together) by Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha.
The draw itself, attended by 2,000 guests and led by Carli Lloyd, Jermaine Jenas, and Samantha Johnson, was assisted by the likes of Cafu (Brazil), Lothar Matthaus (Germany), Adel Ahmed MalAllah (Qatar), Ali Daei (IR Iran), Bora Milutinovic (Serbia/Mexico), Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Rabah Madjer (Algeria) and Tim Cahill (Australia).
Table of Contents
— World Cup finals to be played from November 21 to December 18
— Intercontinental playoffs to be contested on June 13-14 in Qatar:
When is the 2022 World Cup?
The tournament starts on Monday, November 21 and the opening game will see the hosts Qatar take on Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium.
The group stage will run until Friday, December 2 before the first knockout game takes place on Saturday, December 3.
When is the 2022 World Cup final?
The final of the 2022 World Cup will take place at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday, December 18.
Highlights:
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The official match ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was unveiled
- The ongoing collaboration between FIFA and Adidas will bring the ultimate ball to the pitch
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Al Rihla is the name given to the official World Cup ball
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Al Rihla translates as “the journey” in Arabic
- The World Cup ball 2022 has a shape of 20 panels which is inspired by sand dunes
The Ball Features:
- CRT-CORE – the heart of the ball, providing speed, accuracy, and consistency for fast-paced action and precision, with maximal shape and air retention, as well as rebound accuracy; and
- SPEEDSHELL – a textured PU skin with a new 20-piece panel shape, improving the accuracy, flight stability, and swerve thanks to macro-and microtextures, plus surface debossing.
The inspiration for the color scheme of the Adidas Al Rihla official match ball is the “colors of the Qatari flag and traditionally white Arab clothes”. One of the main innovations of the World Cup 2022 ball is Speedshell technology. The Speedshell is aimed to increase the speed of flight and rotation of the Al Rihla ball to achieve excellent aerodynamics and a perfect shot.
“The game is getting faster and, as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability become critically important,” said Franziska Löffelmann, the Design Director – Football Graphics & Hardwear at Adidas. “The new design allows the ball to maintain a significantly higher speed as it journeys through the air. For the biggest global stage in all of sport, we set out to make the impossible possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate FIFA World Cup ball to date.”