Which country will host the tournament in 2022?

country will host the tournament

Soccer, also known as association football, is the world’s most popular ball game with a number of participants and spectators. Simple in its rules and equipment, this sport can be played almost anywhere, from official football playing fields to streets, school playgrounds, parks, or beaches. Football’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in the year 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations. It is responsible for the organization and promotion of association football’s major international tournaments, particularly the World Cup and the Women’s World Cup. 

The FIFA World Cup-2022

The FIFA World Cup is an international football/soccer event and one of the major sporting tournaments in the world. The FIFA World Cup is widely considered the most-watched sports event on the planet with a viewership of more than 3.5 billion. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd running of the FIFA World Cup competition and it will take place in Qatar from 21st November to 18th December 2022. This will be the first World Cup ever to be played in the Arab World and the second World Cup to be played in Asia. At just 28 days long, this tournament will be the shortest since the 1978 edition. 

The 2022 World Cup will be the first event that will not take place in June and July. The shift was due to Qatar’s hot summers with the average high in June, July, and August hitting a sweltering 42°C. Even in the month of November and December, the weather is quite warm. The average high in November is 30°C and it dips as far as 25°C in December. 

Stadiums for the 2022 Tournament 

The original plan was to have 12 stadiums ready to host games but the number has been reduced to 8. The major venue will be the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which will host the final and has the largest capacity of around 80,000. All of the host stadiums are within a 35-mile radius of Doha which makes it quite convenient for the fans to attend multiple matches. The eight stadiums comprise: 

  • Lusail Iconic Stadium: Capacity-80,000
  • Al Bayt Stadium: Capacity-60,000
  • Al Janoub Stadium: Capacity-40,000
  • Ahmed bin Ali Stadium: Capacity-44,740
  • Al Thumama Stadium: Capacity- 40,000
  • Education City Stadium: Capacity- 45,350
  • Khalifa International Stadium: Capacity-40,000
  • Stadium 974: Capacity-40,000

Qualifying for FIFA World Cup 

Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals tournament is a noteworthy accomplishment. The tournament involves 32 teams for the last time. The number will increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. 

World Cup 2022 Fixture Schedule

Four matches will be held each day in the course of the group stage. Matches will be assigned to particular venues after the finals draw. The finals draw is planned to take place in April 2022 after the March window for international fixtures. 

Dates for tournament: 

Group stage: 21 November 2022- 2 December

Last 16: 3,4,5,6 December

Quarter-finals: 9& 10 December

Semi-finals: 13 & 14 December 

Third-place play-off: 17 December 

Final: 18 December 

There will be two rest days on 7 and 8 December before the quarter-finals are played. Two more rest days are observed on 11 and 2 December. 

World Cup 2022 Predictions

When Will the Matches Kick-Off? 

FIFA has confirmed the first two rounds of matches will kick off at 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, and 10 pm local time. Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knock-out round matches will be held at 6 pm and 10 pm local time. The final is scheduled to kick off at 6 pm local time. 

Are Tickets on Sale? 

No, the tickets are not for sale yet. As per FIFA, the information regarding ticketing for the FIFA World Cup 2020 will be available in due course. 

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

The European qualifying competition for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is a women’s football competition that will determine the eleven UEFA teams that directly qualify for the final tournament in Australia and New Zealand and the one team, which advances to the inter-confederation play-offs. 

Premier League 2022-2023 Season 

  • 6 August 2022: First round of league matches 
  • 12-13 November 2022: last matches before World Cup 
  • 26th December 2022: EPL resumes after World Cup
  • 28th May 2023: Final round of league matches 

EFL 2022-2023 Season

  • Saturday 30 July 2022: First fixtures in EFL Sky Bet Championship, League One, and League Two 
  • Saturday 12 November 2022: Championship match round 16 then break for World Cup 
  • 10 December 2022: Championship fixtures resume
  • Sunday 26 February 2023: Carabao Cup final, Wembley 
  • Sunday 19 March 2023: Papa John’s Trophy final, Wembley
  • Saturday 6 May 2023: Championship, League One, and League Two final day 
  • 27-29 May 2023: Sky Bet EFL Play-Off Final

2022 AFC Championship League

The 2022 AFC Champions League will be the 41st edition of Asia’s premier club football tournament which is organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the 20th under the current AFC Champions League title. 

Preliminary stage: 8 March 2022 (E)

Play-off stage: 15 March 2022

Group stage: 

Matchday 1:15–16 April 2022 (E), 7–8 April 2022 (W)

Matchday 2:18–19 April 2022 (E), 10–11 April 2022 (W)

Matchday 3: 21–22 April 2022 (E), 14–15 April 2022 (W)

Matchday 4: 24–25 April 2022 (E), 18–19 April 2022 (W)

Matchday 5: 27–28 April 2022 (E), 22–23 April 2022 (W)

Matchday 6: 30 April – 1 May 2022 (E), 26–27 April 2022 (W)

Knockout stage: 18–19 August 2022 (E), 3–4 February 2023 (W)

Notes: E: East Asia Zone; W: West Asia Zone

The Bottom Line

Soccer is not just a sport, but a passion. It is one of the oldest sports that is still loved by everyone today. FIFA officially has 21 member countries divided into six regions. Besides the most popular tournament World Cup, a variety of professional leagues are played across the year. The dedicated teams keep the fan’s enthusiasm high. This sport is liked by people of all ages and genders. Mark the dates of the tournament not to miss any of the matches.