The 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup is now just a little over a month away with the unique circumstances creating a very different feel to this year’s tournament compared with previous editions.
There are plenty of differences, but much will remain the same as well, despite the World Cup being played in winter rather than the sweltering Qatari summer.
Disruption has already been caused to clubs and competitions around the world, with congested fixture lists causing concern for player welfare and fitness.
But excitement is building fast for the first football World Cup to take place in the Middle East.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including dates, times, schedule, teams and venues.
When does the FIFA World Cup 2022 start? Dates and schedule
The World Cup will start on Sunday, November 20 and end on Sunday, December 18, 2022.
World Cup schedule
- Group stage: November 20- December 2
- Round of 16: December 3-6
- Quarter-finals: December 9-10
- Semi-finals: December 13-14
- Final: December 18
World Cup TV coverage in the UK
As usual, the BBC and ITV will be sharing the World Cup coverage.
Every match will be shown live on TV, with fans also able to watch the action on BBC iPlayer and the ITV Hub.
What’s the time difference?
Qatar is three hours ahead of the UK in November, with matches kicking off at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm UK time during the group stage and 3pm and 7pm in the knockout stage.
How to get tickets for the World Cup
More than 800,000 tickets were sold when they first went on sale.
Two more ticket window opportunities have already been and gone, meaning that fans still wishing to watch the action live in Qatar face a difficult task in getting hold of tickets.
However, FIFA’s ‘Last Minute Sales Phase’ will open in advance of the competition starting, meaning that tickets could still become available for World Cup matches.
Another official resale window will also open ahead of the tournament.
For more information, visit the FIFA website.
Which teams have qualified?
The 32 teams contesting the World Cup have now been confirmed, and the group stages have already been drawn.
World Cup group stage
Group A
- Qatar
- Ecuador
- Senegal
- Netherlands
Group B
- England
- Iran
- USA
- Wales
Group C
- Argentina
- Saudi Arabia
- Mexico
- Poland
Group D
- France
- Australia
- Denmark
- Tunisia
Group E
- Spain
- Costa Rica
- Germany
- Japan
Group F
- Belgium
- Canada
- Morocco
- Croatia
Group G
- Brazil
- Serbia
- Switzerland
- Cameroon
Group H
- Portugal
- Ghana
- Uruguay
- South Korea
What is happening to the Premier League and Champions League during the World Cup?
The Premier League will stop for six weeks on November 13, with the first World Cup match taking place on November 20.
This is just one of a number of impacts the Qatar tournament will have on the Premier League.
The Premier League will return to action on Boxing Day just eight days after the final.
Meanwhile, the Champions League group stage will finish on November 2, and has been condensed into an eight week window instead of the usual 12.
The season started earlier (August 6, 2022) and will finish slightly later (May 28, 2023) than normal.
Why is the World Cup being played in winter?
The tournament is being held in winter to avoid the extremely high temperatures in Qatar during the summer months.
Temperatures in June and July – when the World Cup is typically played – average around 37C, which is deemed too hot for players.
What will be the temperature in Qatar during the World Cup?
The temperature in November and December in Qatar is likely to be perfectly fine for playing football, unlike if it was played in June and July.
WeatherAndClimate.com reports that the maximum temperature in November in Doha is 30°C, with a minimum of 20°C, with these falling to a max of 25°C and minimum of 16°C in December.
The stadiums will feature sophisticated air conditioning units to keep the temperature cool at pitch level.
When is the England squad announced?
Gareth Southgate will have decided his provisional England squad for the World Cup by Friday, October 21.
However, Southgate did not publicly reveal the names on his provisional list – nor was he required to.
At a later date in November, Southgate will then whittle the group down to the final 26 players who will join him on the plane to Qatar.
Southgate will be hoping that his key players remain free from injury in the build-up to the tournament.
When are England’s fixtures at the World Cup?
England have been drawn in Group B alongside USA, Iran and Wales.
England World Cup fixtures
- England vs Iran: Monday, November 21 at 1pm
- England vs USA: Friday, November 25 at 7pm
- Wales vs England: Tuesday, November 29 at 7pm
Have the World Cup kits been released yet?
England have released their new home and away kits for the competition, with their new designs a striking resemblance to some of their popular retro kits.
Wales have also released their new stylish shirts as they gear up for their first World Cup since 1958.
Many of the other nations taking part in the World Cup have released their new home and away kits.
What stadiums will be used?
There are eight stadiums being used in Qatar, with the opening match staged at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor and the final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail.
FIFA have confirmed that semi-automated offside technology will be used in stadiums to help improve the accuracy and speed of offside decisions.
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail: Capacity: 80,000
5x Group Matches
1x Round of 16
1x Quarter-Final
1x Semi-Final
Final
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor: Capacity: 60,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
- 1x Quarter-Final
- 1x Semi-Final
Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah: Capacity: 40,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan: Capacity: 40,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
Khalifa International Stadium, Doha: Capacity: 40,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
- Match for Third Place
Education City Stadium, Doha: Capacity: 40,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
- 1x Quarter-Final
Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Ras Abu Aboud: Capacity: 40,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
Al Thumama Stadium, Doha: Capacity: 40,000
- 5x Group Matches
- 1x Round of 16
- 1x Quarter-Final
MORE : Gay England fans warned to ‘flex and compromise’ to get round Qatar’s homophobia
MORE : England’s most iconic World Cup football kits throughout the years
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