The 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins on 21 November as 32 teams aim to reach the final and become world champions on 18 December.
The tournament will be the first to be held in the Arab world and only the second to take place in Asia, after Japan and South Korea joint-hosted the event in 2002. This edition will be the last to feature just 32 teams, with the tournament being expanded from 2026 inwards in order to feature 48 nations.
Because of excessive summer temperatures in the Gulf state, the Qatar World Cup will be the first to be staged in winter rather than summer.
Key dates
Group stage: 21 November to 2 December
Round of 16: 3-6 December
Quarter-finals:Â 9-10 December
Semi-finals: 13-14 December
Final: 18 December
Kick-off times
The first two rounds of matches will kick off at 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm in Qatar (10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm by the UK’s British Summer Time).
The final round of group games and all knockout matches will be at 6pm and 10pm in Qatar (3pm and 7pm).
The final is set for 6pm locally (3pm).
World Cup 2022 group draw in full
Group A
Qatar
Ecuador
Senegal
Netherlands
Group B
England
Iran
USA
European Play-Off: Scotland/Ukraine/Wales
Group C
Argentina
Saudi Arabia
Mexico
Poland
Group D
France
IC Play-Off 1: Australia/United Arab Emirates/Peru
Denmark
Tunisia
Group E
Spain
IC Play-Off 2: Costa Rica/New Zealand
Germany
Japan
Group F
Belgium
Canada
Morocco
Croatia
Group G
Brazil
Serbia
Switzerland
Cameroon
Group H
Portugal
Ghana.
Uruguay
South Korea
