FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar: What you need to know
After Costa Rica’s win over New Zealand in the last qualifying game for the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, we finally have the 32 teams that are going to Qatar to play in the biggest and most prestigious tournament in football.
Qatar will be hosting the event from November 21 to December 18. Many experts had raised concerns that the hot weather of the gulf nation would not be ideal for the game of football. That is why the World Cup is being organised during the winter months for the first time.
The official poster of the World Cup was unveiled by Qatari artist Bouthayna Al Muftah at the Hamad International Airport in Doha on Wednesday. The 2022 World Cup will have a series of posters rather than just one as has been the case so far for World Cups.
FIFA WORLD CUP FORMAT
The 32 teams have been drawn into eight groups of four nations. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages. After the group stage, the tournament will move to a round of 16, followed by eight teams in the quarterfinals, four in the semifinals and then the final.
Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, which will run over a 12-day period.
8 GROUPS FOR QATAR 2022
Group A: Qatar, Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador
Group B: England, USA, Wales, Iran
Group C: Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Saudi Arabia
Group D: France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia
Group E: Germany, Spain, Japan, Costa Rica
Group F: Belgium, Croatia, Canada, Morocco
Group G: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana, Korea Republic
YEAR-WISE LIST OF WORLD CUP WINNERS
Uruguay 1930: Uruguay
Italy 1934: Italy
France 1938: Italy
Brazil 1950: Uruguay
Switzerland 1954: West Germany
Sweden 1958: Brazil
Chile 1962: Brazil
England 1966: England
Mexico 1970: Brazil
West Germany 1974: West Germany
Argentina 1978: Argentina
Spain 1982: Italy
Mexico 1986: Argentina
Italy 1990: West Germany
USA 1994: Brazil
France 1998: France
Japan 2002: Brazil
Germany 2006: Italy
South Africa 2010: Spain
Brazil 2014: Germany
Russia 2018: France
MOST SUCCESSFUL TEAMS IN WORLD CUP HISTORY
Brazil - 5
Germany - 4
Italy - 4
Argentina - 2
France - 2
Uruguay - 2
England - 1
Spain - 1
WHO ARE THE FAVOURITES?
According to the bookies, Brazil are the favourites to win the World Cup, followed by defending champions France and England.
Argentina, who are now unbeaten in 32 matches and are fourth in FIFA rankings, are a strong contender though they are not among the bookies favourites.
If Messi can play at the same level he has been doing for sometime for the national side and other players also rise up to the occasion in Qatar, Argentina will be a favourite to win their first World Cup title since 1986.