Every four years, the FIFA World Cup captures the attention of football fans and plenty of others from all around the world. This year’s incarnation of the event is set to be an historic one for many reasons, and on this page, we’ll talk you through everything you need to know about the 22nd running of the biggest sporting tournament in the world.
Qatar hasn’t exactly been a footballing mecca over the years, and there were plenty of raised eyebrows when it was announced that the 2022 FIFA World Cup would be played in the Middle Eastern nation. This location makes this the first World Cup to ever be played in the Middle East, and just the second to be played in an Asian nation following the 2002 edition of the event, which took place in Japan and South Korea. Interestingly, the host nation has never actually appeared in a previous incarnation of the event, and their automatic qualification – which every host receives –provides them with their first ever World Cup appearance. Senegal and the Netherlands will play the first match of the event, after which 32 of the best footballing nations in the world will go to toe in an effort to claim the ultimate glory. The tournament is played at eight different stadiums around the country, multiple of which have been built specifically for the purpose of the World Cup. Interestingly, the climate of Qatar means that playing it in the middle of the year would be unfeasible due to the heat; as a result, it takes place from late November to mid-December, and is the first World Cup not to take place throughout May, June or July.
There is no shortage of FIFA World Cup 2022 interesting facts, and there are plenty of reasons that the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup stands out from the rest. As mentioned above, it is the first to be played in the Middle East and just the second to take place in Asia, and the resultant later time of the year in which it will be played will add another layer of uniqueness to this event. This has a major impact on many leagues around the world; typically, when the World Cup takes place in the middle of the year most of the world’s best players are in their off-season. This time around, however, they will take a break in the middle of their league seasons. Another interesting point to note is that this is the last occasion on which just 32 teams compete at the FIFA World Cup. As of 2026, that number will jump hugely up to 48. While that will obviously dilute the talent pool to an extent, it will also give many nations that wouldn’t typically be able to make an appearance at the game’s biggest tournament a chance to compete. It will result in a different feeling event, at least in the initial stages, meaning the 2022 World Cup will be the last of its kind in this sense.
Let’s walk you through all that you need to know about the structure of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qualifiers When we refer to the qualifiers, we’re talking about the games which take place prior to the World Cup proper, and which determine the teams that will be playing at the event itself. These qualifiers are broken down into regions of the world – or confederations – with a pre-determined number of teams able to qualify from each confederation. For example, 13 slots were given to the UEFA confederation, which encompasses teams from Europe, while other confederations like CONCACOF (North and Central America, and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America) have three and four spots respectively guaranteed, and one other potential spot which is determined by an inter-confederation playoff match. Covid has wreaked havoc with these qualifiers, causing continual delays, but the final list of World Cup starters has eventually been settled by June of 2022. The Draw The draw is an important event in the lead up to every FIFA World Cup, as it determines which teams are placed into each of the eight groups which make up the Group Stage. A good draw can see quality teams cruise through to the Round of 16 and others unexpectedly advance, while a tough one can put a severe dampener on teams’ World Cup hopes. There are, of course, seedings involved to ensure the best teams don’t end up in the same group, but nonetheless there are invariably more difficult and easier groups at each World Cup. The draw for the 2022 World Cup was held on April 1. Tournament Now to the tournament itself, which for the last time follows the same format as the previous 32-team World Cups has utilised. This sees teams split into eight different groups of four – these groups are, as mentioned, decided at the draw – with each team playing the three others in their group once. During this Group Stage, there are four matches played per day – two from two different groups – from the 21st of November through to the 2nd of December, at 9pm and 1am AEDT. The top two teams in each group advance to the Round of 16, with the winner of Group A playing the runner-up from Group B, the runner-up from Group C playing the winner of Group D, and so on. From this point onwards the tournament is knockout; Round of 16 winners advance to the quarter-finals, the winners of which advance to the semi-finals, before the last two teams make it through to the final. The Playoffs The playoffs refers to the aforementioned period after the Group Stage which sees the top 16 teams advance, and a knockout format played until there is one team remaining. Two games per day will be held at 2am and 6am from the 4th until the 7th of December for the Round of 16; there will then be a break before the quarter-finals are held at the same times on the 10th and 11th; the semis will take place at 6am on the 14th and 15th of December; the third place playoff will kick off at 2am on the 18th of December; before the one everyone will be waiting for, the final to determine the World Cup champions, will begin at 2am AEDT on the 19th of December. World Cup 2026 The following World Cup will take place in 2026 in North America, with games spread between Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico. There will be 16 venues at what will be the 23rd World Cup – twice as many as at the 2022 FIFA World Cup – spread across 16 cities. As mentioned earlier, this will also be the first World Cup at which 48 teams will compete, with a total of 80 matches – significantly more than the 64 in Qatar.
Looking for a summary of the most important dates and times for the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Look no further. 29th of March, 2022: UEFA and CAF qualifying ends 1st of April, 2022: The draw 13-14th of June, 2022: AFC , CONCACOF, CONMEBOL and OFC qualifying ends 21st of November, 2022: 2022 FIFA World Cup begins (9pm AEDT) 4th of December, 2022: Round of 16 begins (2am AEDT) 10th of December, 2022: Quarter-finals begin (2am AEDT) 14th of December, 2022: Semi-finals begin (6am AEDT) 18th of December, 2022: Third place playoff game (2am AEDT) 19th of December, 2022: FIFA World Cup Final (2am AEDT)
There are a total of eight stadiums hosting games throughout the course of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with these stadiums spread across five different cities. Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of each of them. Lusail Iconic Stadium Name: Lusail Iconic Stadium Year constructed: 2021 Location: Lusail Capacity: 80,000 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16, 1 quarter-final, 1 semi-final, World Cup Final About the stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium was developed in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. Construction began in 2017, and the stadium was completed in April of 2021 before opening in October of the same year. The biggest stadium at this year’s FIFA World Cup, it has a capacity of 80,000 patrons and will be the host venue for the final of the tournament. Al Bayt Stadium Name: Al Bayt Stadium Year constructed: 2021 Location: Al Khor Capacity: 60,000 Matches: Group Stage (including opening match), 1 Round of 16, 1 quarter-final, 1 semi-final About the stadium: Like Lusail Iconic Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium was constructed to be ready in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Located in the city of Al Khor, this stadium will host the first match of the event, as well as numerous other big games throughout the tournament. With a retractable roof and a capacity of 60,000, it is the second biggest stadium of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Stadium 974 Name: Stadium 974 Year constructed: 2021 Location: Doha Capacity: 40,000 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16 About the stadium: Stadium 974 is a temporary venue built on an artificial promontory on the waterfront in Doha, and is the first temporary stadium to ever be used at a FIFA World Cup. It was opened in November of 2021 and first played host to a match during the FIFA Arab Cup. At the conclusion of the World Cup it will be dismantled, with some parts of the stadium to be used to provide aid to under-developed African nations. Al Thumama Stadium Name: Al Thumama Stadium Year constructed: 2021 Location: Doha Capacity: 40,000 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16, 1 quarter-final About the stadium: Al Thumama Stadium is yet another which was constructed to be used for the World Cup. First opening its doors in late 2021, it hosted numerous matches, including a semi-final, during the Arab Cup of that same year. Designed to resemble a taqiyah hat – a cap worn by males in the Middle East – it has a capacity of 40,000 people, and will host a quarter-final at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Education City Stadium Name: Education City Stadium Year constructed: 2020 Location: Al Rayyan Capacity: 45,350 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16, 1 quarter-final About the stadium: Education City Stadium is located in Al Rayyan on the outskirts of Doha, and was again built to be used for the FIFA World Cup. Construction of the stadium was completed in the middle of 2020, meaning that it was the third stadium to be used for the World Cup to be completed. It will remain in use at the conclusion of the World Cup, though the capacity will be reduced to just 25,000; it will thereafter be utilised by university teams. Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Name: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Year constructed: Originally finished in 2003, rebuild finished in 2020 Location: Al Rayyan Capacity: 40,740 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16 About the stadium: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium was originally constructed near the beginning of the century, and was for a long time used for multiple purposes. That stadium, which had a capacity of just 21,282, was demolished in 2015 in order to build the new one, which at 40,740 can fit nearly twice as many patrons. Khalifa International Stadium Name: Khalifa International Stadium Year constructed: 1976 (renovation completed in 2017) Location: Doha Capacity: 45,416 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16, third place playoff About the stadium: Khalifa International Stadium will be the oldest venue to host games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Opening way back in 1976, it is part of the Doha Sports City complex, and has long been used predominantly as a venue for association football matches, though it has also held athletics events and plenty more. Between 2014 and 2017, Khalifa International Stadium was renovated, and will be able to fit in over 45,000 fans if necessary for the 2022 World Cup. Al Janoub Stadium Name: Al Janoub Stadium Year constructed: 2019 Location: Al Wakrah Capacity: 40,000 Matches: Group Stage, 1 Round of 16 About the stadium: Our final venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is Al Janoub Stadium, located in Al Wakrah. It was built in preparation for the tournament, with construction beginning in 2014 and running through until 2019. Following the World Cup its capacity will be halved to 20,000 and it will be used as the home ground for Al Wakrah Sports Club. These eight stadiums will collectively be the scene of every moment of action throughout the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The vast majority of them were built specifically for use during the World Cup, with a couple of notable exceptions – namely Khalifa International Stadium. Six of them have a capacity of 40,000 or only slightly more, so it’s little wonder that Lusail Iconic Stadium (capacity of 80,000) and Al Bayt Stadium (capacity of 60,000) were constructed with the intent of playing host to the semi-finals and the World Cup Final.
For every World Cup, there is a song, or in recent years multiple songs, released as the official tracks of the tournament. The official soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup was released early in April, with the official song called Hayya Hayya (Better Together) by Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha. The song combines voices from around the world, specifically the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, and is intended to be a representation of the way in which ‘music and football can unite the world’, according to FIFA Chief Commercial Officer Kay Madati. Below, you can take a look at the other tracks which have been the signatures of other editions of the event. 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia: Live it Up (Nicky Jam featuring Will Smith and Era Istrefi), Komanda 2018 (DJ Smash featuring Egor Kreed and Polina Gagarina), Colors (Jason Derulo, Maluma, Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch), Positivo (J Balvin and Michael Brun). 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil: Dar um Jeito (Carlos Santana featuring Wyclef, Avicii and Alexandre Pires), We Are One (Pitbull featuring Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte), Tatu Bom de Bola (Arlindo Cruz), La La La (Shakira featuring Carlinhos Brown), Magic in the Air (Magic System and Chawki), Adrenalina (Wisin, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez), Time of Our Lives (Ahmed Chawki), The World is Ours (David Correy, Monobloco), La Copa de Todos (David Correy, Paty Cantú, Wisin, Monoblonco) 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa: Sign of a Victory (R. Kelly featuring the Soweto Spiritual Singers), Waka Waka (Shakira featuring Freshlyground), Wavin’ Flag (K’Naan) 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany: Zeit dass sich was drecht (Herbert Grönemeyer featuring Amadou and Mariam), The Time of Our Lives (Il Divo featuring Tony Braxton), Hips Don’t Lie (Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean), Love Generation (Bob Sinclair featuring Gary Pine), Arriba Arriba (Ana Bárbara, Mariana Seoane, Anais Martinez, Pablo Montero) 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan: Anthem (Vangelis), Boom (Anastacia), Let’s Get Together Now (Voices of Korea/Japan), Vamos Al Mundial (Jennifer Peña) 1998 FIFA World Cup in France: La Cour de Grands (Youssou N’Dour and Axelle Red), La Copa de la Vida (Ricky Martin), Carnaval de Paris (Dario G), Together Now (Jean Michel Jarre and Tetsuya Komuro) 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA: Gloryland (Daryl Hall and Sounds of Blackness), We Are the Champions (Queen) 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy: Un’estate italiana (Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini in Italian, Giorgio Moroder Project in English)
Every World Cup there is also a ball specifically designed for the tournament, often with a different ball created for the earlier stages of the event and the final or knockout stages of the event. The Qatar 2022 World Cup official ball is, as usual, created by Adidas and is called Al Rihla. Rihla is the Arabic word for journey, and the ball is punctuated by bright colours on the traditional white background. Below is a list of all of the balls from recent editions of the World Cup. 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar: Al Rihla (Adidas) 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia: Telstar 18 and Telstar Machta (both Adidas) 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil: Brazuca and Brazuca Final Rio (both Adidas) 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa: Jabulani and Jo’bulani (both Adidas) 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany: Teamgeist and Teamgeist Berlin (both Adidas) 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan: Fevernova (Adidas) 1998 FIFA World Cup in France: Tricolore (Adidas) 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA: Questra (Adidas) 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy: Etrusco Unico (Adidas)
The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup official kits are yet to be released, with their launch set to take place late in 2022. Each World Cup every team’s kit has idiosyncrasies unique to that event which differentiate them from past and future editions of the event, but of course there are plenty of similarities between national kits from one tournament to the next. We know that England will be donning some variation of a white and red outfit, for example, while Argentina will have their recognisable light blue and white somewhere on their kit.
Over the course of the 21 editions of the FIFA World Cup, a number of interesting facts and statistics have developed, so let’s take a look at some of them. The World Cup has been historically hosted almost exclusively by European and South American nations, with Mexico the only country not from one of these continents to host the event up until 1994. In recent years that has begun to change, however, with four of the past eight World Cups (including this year’s) being held elsewhere. The dominance of those regions in terms of hosting the World Cup is reflective of the positions of countries from those continents at the top of the footballing food chain. In fact, in 21 World Cups, no team from outside Europe and South America has ever won. Argentina and Uruguay have won two apiece, while the other 17 trophies all belong to European nations. That record extends to finalists, too; a handful of teams have made appearances in one or multiple World Cup finals without ever winning one, but every one of those five nations is from Europe.
The FIFA World Cup has been running for close to 100 years, but in that time there have only been eight teams who have managed the ultimate success. Below is a list of every winner since the inaugural edition of the event in 1930. 1930: Uruguay 1934: Italy 1938: Italy 1950: Uruguay 1954: West Germany 1958: Brazil 1962: Brazil 1966: England 1970: Brazil 1974: West Germany 1978: Argentina 1982: Italy 1986: Argentina 1990: West Germany 1994: Brazil 1998: France 2002: Brazil 2006: Italy 2010: Spain 2014: Germany 2018: France This year, a host of teams will fancy themselves as a genuine chance of adding their names to the above list. Perennial contenders Brazil will head in as slight favourites, but the likes of the reigning champs in France, the highly talented English team, as well as Spain and Germany will be hot on their heels.
The Golden Boot is one of the most highly sought after individual awards at the FIFA World Cup. Awarded to the player who scores the most goals throughout the tournament, some of the most lauded goalscorers in history have earned this prestigious honour. Below, we’ve listed all 21 winners of the Golden Boot, as well as how many goals they scored in the tournament in which they won it. 1930: Guillermo Stábile (8) 1934: Oldrich Nejedly (5) 1938: Leônidas (7) 1950: Ademir (8) 1954: Sándor Kocsis (11) 1958: Just Fontaine (13) 1962: Flórián Albert, Valentin Ivanov, Garrincha, Vavá, Dražan Jerković, Leonel Sánchez (4) 1966: Eusébio (9) 1970: Gerd Müller (10) 1974: Grzegorz Lato (7) 1978: Mario Kempes (6) 1982: Paolo Rossi (6) 1986: Gary Lineker (6) 1990: Salvatore Schillaci (6) 1994: Oleg Salenko, Hristo Stoichkov (6) 1998: Davor Šuker (6) 2002: Ronaldo (8) 2006: Miroslav Klose (5) 2010: Thomas Müller (5) 2014: James Rodríguez (6) 2018: Harry Kane (6) There are plenty of players with a chance of adding their names to the above list in 2022. Superstar Lionel Messi, in what will likely be his final World Cup, is one contender, while Neymar and Antoine Griezmann will also be expected to score lots of goals, as will Harry Kane and of course Cristiano Ronaldo. Players who play more games evidently have more chances to score more goals, so unsurprisingly the winners often come from teams which advance deep into the tournament, and the above names reflect that fact.
The FIFA World Cup has been played all around the world, but Europe and South America make up a disproportionate number of past hosts, with the tournament having played on one of those two continents 16 times out of the 21 it has been played. Below is a list of where every World Cup since the beginning has been held. 1930: Uruguay 1934: Italy 1938: France 1950: Brazil 1954: Switzerland 1958: Sweden 1962: Chile 1966: England 1970: Mexico 1974: West Germany 1978: Argentina 1982: Spain 1986: Mexico 1990: Italy 1994: United States of America 1998: France 2002: South Korea and Japan 2006: Germany 2010: South Africa 2014: Brazil 2018: Russia 2022: Qatar
Over the course of the 21 editions of the FIFA World Cup, a number of teams and players have stamped their authority on the tournament. In this section, we’re going to take a look at some of the most notable statistics from nearly 100 years of World Cup football. Just five teams have won the tournament on multiple occasions: Brazil sits out on top with five World Cups in their trophy cabinet, Germany and Italy have won four apiece, while Argentina and France round out the list of multiple winners having won it on two occasions. Brazil and Germany have been far and away the most prolific goalscoring teams in the history of the event, hitting the back of the net 229 and 226 times respectively. Sitting in third is Argentina with a comparatively paltry 137 goals. The host nation has won the World Cup on six occasions; Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, England in 1966, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978 and France in 1998. The player to have won the most World Cups is the man labelled ‘the greatest’ by FIFA in Pelé, who was a part of Brazil’s winning campaigns in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Germany’s Miroslav Klose is the most prolific goalscorer in World Cup history, having netted 16 goals over the course of his career. A host of stars sit just behind him, including Brazilian legend Ronaldo (15), fellow German Gerd Müller (14), Frenchman Just Fontaine (13) and Pelé (12). Just Fontaine has had the most prolific World Cup from a goalscoring perspective in history, scoring 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. Those were the only goals he ever scored at the tournament, but were still enough to have him sitting in fourth place of all time for World Cup goals.
