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.
Why is FIFA World Cup 2022 special?
The buzz around this year’s FIFA World Cup has been electrifying. The last time we saw such a build to a World Cup event was in the lead-up to FIFA World Cup 2010, held in South Africa. Similar to 2010, this year’s edition is full of firsts. FIFA World Cup 2022 will be the first time a Middle Eastern country will host this prestigious event, and the first time Qatar will host an event of this magnitude. To ensure a seamless World Cup event, the attention to detail that organizers have been putting in has been nothing short of amazing. Without a doubt, Qatar is doing everything possible to leave a lasting impression. So far, observers have certainly been impressed with the preparations. This will also be the first time that a World Cup event is not held in the summer. Due to the extremely hot temperatures in Qatar during the summer, FIFA World Cup 2022 is instead going to take place between November 21 and December 18.
Which teams have qualified so far for Qatar 2022?
The tournament will involve 32 teams from six Confederations. This will be the last time that 32 teams will participate in the World Cup, as plans have been made for the number of teams to increase to 48, beginning with World Cup 2026 and onward.
Due to the Russia and Ukraine unrest, some qualifier games are still in play. However, most of the competing teams from different Confederations have already been placed in their specific groups.
Groups for the FIFA World Cup 2022
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales or Scotland or Ukraine
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Peru or UAE or Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica or New Zealand, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
The table below contains the qualified teams and their respective groups in the 2022 World Cup.
| Group | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Qatar | Ecuador | Senegal | Netherlands |
| B | England | Iran | USA | European Playoff Winner |
| C | Argentina | Saudi Arabia | Mexico | Poland |
| D | France | Intercontinental Playoff 1 Winner | Denmark | Tunisia |
| E | Spain | Intercontinental Playoff 2 Winner | Germany | Japan |
| F | Belgium | Canada | Morocco | Croatia |
| G | Brazil | Serbia | Switzerland | Cameroon |
| H | Portugal | Ghana | Uruguay | South Korea |
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.”
- Three groups still have yet to be filled: Group B, Group D and Group E.
- The Group B spot will be occupied by either Wales, Ukraine or Scotland.
- Moving to Group D, the open spot is left for either Australia, UAE or Peru to occupy.
- In Group E, the spot to be occupied is left blank for either Costa Rica or New Zealand.
Recently, pundits have referred to Group E as the “group of death”; informed by the fact that two World Cup-winning nations are in the group – Spain and Germany. These two nations are to be paired against each other, promising to make their match one of the most exciting fixtures on the group stage. However, given their team’s history in the World Cup, it should be noted that Japan is no small fish in the pond.
By all indications, Group E is one group to look out for at the 2022 World Cup.
Biggest names to watch out for at the 2022 World Cup
One factor that always makes the World Cup stand out is the experience of getting to watch the best players from each continent compete on the same stage. This is a rarity that makes the global showpiece one of the most anticipated sporting competitions in the world. As with other World Cup competitions, there are many top-flight players to look out for in the upcoming tournament, including.
By his own standards, Neymar has flopped for the majority of this season. However, he is one player that always hits full gear with his national team. We have seen Neymar shoulder much expectation on the national front. He has delivered so much that, without him on the pitch, Brazil often looks ordinary.
The above statement is further supported by his last performance at the Copa America tournament. We can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeves this time.