The World Cup is the biggest international soccer tournament in the world, and the most watched sporting event in the world.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 shall be held from November 20 to December 18, 2022.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's association football championship contested by the 32 national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2022. This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and the first in a Muslim-majority country.
The tournament will also be the first winter World Cup, simply to avoid the potential health risks of playing under the intense heat of the Middle East in summer (June and July).
The tournament will be the last to involve 32 teams, with an increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The 2022 World Cup features the United States battling against many of the top soccer nations from around the world. In the FIFA World Cup 2022, some of the countries participating include world champions France, Brazil, England, Argentina and African champions Senegal.
The France team is the defending champion, as they have won the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 competition.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used at the 2022 World Cup after being used in 2018. Among the incidents it will be used for are dangerous challenges, penalty kick decisions and offsides.
- Semi-automated offside technology
FIFA has announced that semi-automated offside technology will be used at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar starting on November 20 for all 64 matches, offering a support tool for the video match officials and the on-field officials to help them make faster, more accurate and more reproducible offside decisions on the biggest stage of all.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be the first tournament to witness the participation of female referees. The decision to select three female referees and three female assistant referees by FIFA as part of the World Cup finals in Qatar indicates the development of women in football.
Stephanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan became the first female referees to be appointed to a men's World Cup.
About the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is a quadrennial international men's football championship wherein national teams of the member associations of FIFA compete.
It is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18, 2022.
VENUES
Overall, 64 matches featuring 32 nations shall be played in 8 stadium venues across three host cities in Qatar.
Host Cities / Stadiums:
Doha - Al Thumama Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Stadium 974
Al Wakrah - Al Janoub Stadium
Al Khor - Al Bayt Stadium
Al Rayyan - Education City Stadium, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
The opening match will be held at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20, 2022 between Qatar and Ecuador. Lusail Stadium will host the closing ceremony and final match of the 2022 World Cup on December 18, 2022.
OFFICIAL EMBLEM and SLOGAN
For the first time ever in the Arab world, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be hosted by Qatar.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 emblem incorporates the burgundy and white colors that are synonymous with Qatar's national flag. The emblem's design embodies the vision of an event that connects and engages the entire world, while also featuring striking elements of local and regional Arab culture, as well as references to the beautiful game. Its design resembles the traditional woolen shawl that men and women wear across the Arab world during winter.
The swooping curves of the emblem represent desert dunes, and the unbroken loop depicts both the number eight - representing the tournament's host stadiums - and the infinity symbol, reflecting the event's interconnected nature, fusing tradition with modernity.
"Now is All" is the official slogan of the tournament. The slogan stands for "when you live your dream, realize your destiny - and own the moment."
MATCH BALL
Adidas announced on March 2022 that the Al Rihla will be the official match ball of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament. Mostly white, the ball has a shape of the 20 Thermal-Bonded Speedshell panels inspired by sand dunes. The color scheme is inspired by "the colors of the Qatari flag and traditionally white Arab clothes". The ball was designed with sustainability as a priority; Al Rihla is the first FIFA World Cup ball to be made exclusively with water-based inks and glues. Al Rihla means "the journey" in Arabic.
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.
Al Rihla will be the first World Cup Official Match Ball to feature connected ball technology, providing precise ball data, which will be made available to Video Match Officials in real time. Combined with player position data and by applying artificial intelligence, the innovative connected ball technology contributes to FIFA's semi-automated offside technology and offers Video Assistant Referees instantaneous information to help optimize decision making.
A new Adidas Suspension System in the center of the ball will allow for the most time-precise motion sensor to ever be used inside a World Cup Official Match Ball, tracking every touch of the game at a rate of 500 times per second. The 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor inside the ball will enable the collection of very accurate ball movement data and transmission to Video Match Officials within seconds throughout the tournament.
MASCOT
The official mascot of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar is La'eeb, which means "super-skilled player" in Arabic. Moreover, La'eeb is not even from Earth! When it comes to where La'eeb comes from, the Qatar 2022 mascot is from a parallel world where tournament mascots live.
La'eeb is full of energy and will bring the joy of football to everyone. La'eeb believes that ‘Now is All', and encourages everyone to believe in themselves.
WINNER'S TROPHY and PRIZE MONEY
A gold trophy is awarded to winners of the FIFA World Cup association football tournament.
Since the advent of the World Cup in 1930, two trophies have been used: the Jules Rimet Trophy from 1930 to 1970, and the FIFA World Cup Trophy from 1974 up to the present day. It is one of the most expensive trophies in sporting history.
The new FIFA World Cup trophy is made of 13.61 pounds (6 kg) of 18-carat gold, worth approximately US$282,141 in 2022. It is 14.4 inches tall with a base of 5.1 inches (13 cm) in diameter made of two layers of malachite. Experts believe the new trophy is made hollow, because if solid, it would weigh as much as 150 to 180 pounds (70 to 80 kg)!
As for the 2022 prize money, here are the following figures (in USD):
- Champions: $42 million
- Runners-up: $30 million
- Third place: $27 million
- Fourth place: $25 million
- 5th-8th place (Quarterfinals): $68 million ($17 million per team)
- 9th-16th place (Round of 16): $104 million ($13 million per team)
- 17th-32nd place (Group stage): $144 million ($9 million per team)
In addition, each qualified team will receive $1.5 million ahead of the competition to cover preparation costs.
TV BROADCASTING RIGHTS
The tournament will be broadcast via radio and television all over the world.
In the United States, the FIFA World Cup Qatar will be aired live by Fox and Telemundo.
In the United Kingdom, soccer fans can tune in to BBC and ITV.
GROUPS
Below are the following countries divided into groups A to H:
- Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
- Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
- Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
- Group D: France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia
- Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica
- Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
- Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
- Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, Korea Republic
SCHEDULE
A total of 64 games will be played to determine the winner of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 competition.
Below you will find the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022's complete schedule, fixtures and venues:
Tournament Date: November 20 to December 18, 2022
Sunday November 20
Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium)
Monday November 21
Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium)
Group B: England vs Iran (Khalifa International Stadium)
Group B: USA vs Wales (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Tuesday November 22
Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Lusail Stadium)
Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium)
Group C: Mexico vs Poland (Stadium 974)
Group D: France vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium)
Wednesday November 23
Group F: Morocco vs Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium)
Group E: Germany vs Japan (Khalifa International Stadium)
Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium)
Group F: Belgium vs Canada (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Thursday November 24
Group G: Cameroon vs Switzerland (Al Janoub Stadium)
Group H: Uruguay vs Korea Republic (Education City Stadium)
Group H: Portugal vs Ghana (Stadium 974)
Group G: Brazil vs Serbia (Lusail Stadium)
Friday November 25
Group B: Wales vs Iran (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Group A: Qatar vs Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium)
Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium)
Group B: England vs USA (Al Bayt Stadium)
Saturday November 26
Group D: Tunisia vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium)
Group A: Saudi Arabia vs Poland (Education City Stadium)
Group D: France vs Denmark (Stadium 974)
Group C: Argentina vs Mexico (Lusail Stadium)
Sunday November 27
Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Group F: Belgium vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium)
Group F: Croatia vs Canada (Khalifa International Stadium)
Group E: Spain vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium)
Monday November 28
Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium)
Group H: Korea Republic vs Ghana (Education City Stadium)
Group G: Brazil vs Switzerland (Stadium 974)
Group A: Portugal vs Uruguay (Lusail Stadium)
Tuesday November 29
Group A: Qatar vs Netherlands (Al Bayt Stadium)
Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium)
Group B: Iran vs USA (Al Thumama Stadium)
Group B: England vs Wales (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Wednesday November 30
Group D: Tunisia vs France (Education City Stadium)
Group D: Denmark vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium)
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Stadium)
Group C: Poland vs Argentina (Stadium 974)
Thursday December 1
Group F: Canada vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium)
Group A: Croatia vs Belgium (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Group A: Japan vs Spain (Khalifa International Stadium)
Group E: Germany vs Costa Rica (Al Bayt Stadium)
Friday December 2
Group H: Portugal vs Korea Republic (Education City Stadium)
Group H: Uruguay vs Ghana (Al Janoub Stadium)
Group G: Cameroon vs Brazil (Lusail Stadium)
Group G: Switzerland vs Serbia (Stadium 974)
Round of 16
Saturday December 3
Match 49 - Group A winner v Group B runner-up (Khalifa International Stadium)
Match 50 - Group C winner v Group D runner-up (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Sunday December 4
Match 51 - Group B winner v Group A runner-up (Al Bayt Stadium)
Match 52 - Group D winner v Group C runner-up (Al Thumama Stadium)
Monday December 5
Match 53 - Group E winner v Group F runner-up (Al Janoub Stadium)
Match 54 - Group G winner v Group H runner-up (Stadium 947)
Tuesday December 6
Match 55 - Group F winner v Group E runner-up (Education City Stadium)
Match 56 - Group H winner v Group G runner-up (Lusail Stadium)
Quarter-finals
Friday December 9
Match 57 - Match 49 winner v Match 50 winner (Lusail Stadium)
Match 58 - Match 53 winner v Match 54 winner (Education City Stadium)
Saturday December 10
Match 59 - Match 51 winner v Match 52 winner (Al Bayt Stadium)
Match 60 - Match 55 winner v Match 56 winner (Al Thumama Stadium)
Semi-finals
Tuesday December 13
Match 61 - Match 57 winner v Match 58 winner (Lusail Stadium)
Wednesday December 14
Match 62 - Match 59 winner v Match 60 winner (Al Bayt Stadium)
Third place play-off
Saturday December 17
Match 63 - Khalifa International Stadium
The Final
Sunday December 18
Match 64 - Lusail Stadium
Source:
https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022
https://www.qatar2022.qa/en
