All you need to know about the Cup
The 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar finally kicks off on Monday, when the hosts take on Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
Here’s everything you need to know about the quadrennial tournament.
When is the World Cup?
The tournament begins on November 21 and runs through to the final on December 19.
The group stage featuring eight pools of four concludes on December 3, with the round of 16 beginning on the next day. The quarterfinals take place on December 10-11 and the semifinals on December 14-15 (NZ time).
Why is the competition being held in November?
The World Cup was controversially moved from its traditional June-July window to avoid Qatar’s intense summer temperatures (which can reach up to 45C), disrupting the European season.
That is despite the Qataris winning hosting rights in 2010 on the understanding that they would stage the event in the northern summer and build enclosed, airconditioned stadiums to cope with the heat.
Why is Qatar such a controversial host?
From the moment Qatar was surprisingly awarded hosting rights in December 2010, the tiny Gulf nation has been dogged by controversy.
First, there was scrutiny over how the oil-rich Qataris won the vote, amid claims of corruption and Fifa delegates being bribed.
Then there was anger in Europe when Qatar was permitted by Fifa to move the tournament to the winter, despite winning with a bid that promised to hold it during the summer once Europe’s lucrative domestic leagues had concluded.
But most of the criticism of Qatar has focused on the conservative Muslim country’s appalling human rights record, whether that be its anti-LGBT laws (being homosexual is a crime punishable by three years in prison or even death), women’s rights or its treatment of migrant workers.
An estimated 6500 migrant workers in Qatar from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in the last decade working on stadiums and infrastructure for the tournament.
Qatar disputes this, claiming only 38 deaths have been workrelated, but the government has faced intense criticism from human rights groups, including Amnesty International, for its exploitation of migrant labour.
To add fuel to the fire, a Qatari World Cup ambassador recently called homosexuality a ‘‘disease of the mind’’ during an interview with German TV, sparking concerns over the treatment of LBGT fans attending the tournament.
There will also be strict controls on the sale of alcohol and a crackdown on drunken behaviour, adding to the worries of travelling supporters used to letting their hair down during World Cups.
Which countries qualified?
There are 32 nations going for glory in Qatar, divided into eight groups of four. The competition will expand to 48 teams in four years when Canada, Mexico and the United States co-host the 2026 edition.
Qatar is the only country making its World Cup debut having automatically qualified as the host nation. Had they beaten Costa Rica in a June playoff in Doha, the All Whites would have been in group E alongside European giants Germany and Spain and Japan.
Canada, coached by former Football Ferns coach John Herdman, are making their first appearance since the 1986 tournament after topping the Concacaf qualifying section ahead of Mexico and the United States.
Wales ended an even longer wait, reaching their first finals for 64 years.
Three-time runners-up the Netherlands also return after failing to qualify in 2018, as do Ghana, the United States, Ecuador and Cameroon.
Group A: Ecuador, Netherlands, Qatar, Senegal
Group B: England, Iran, United States, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia
Group D: Australia, Denmark, France, Tunisia
Group E: Costa Rica, Germany, Japan, Spain
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Morocco
Group G: Brazil, Cameroon, Serbia, Switzerland
Group H: Ghana, South Korea, Portugal, Uruguay
Who are the favourites?
Five-time winners Brazil are the bookmakers’ favourites, along with Argentina, England and defending champions France.
European heavyweights Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium are also tipped to be contenders for the coveted trophy.
Two-time champions Uruguay (36-1), Mexico (81-1) and Senegal (101-1) are outside bets for glory.
TAB odds: Brazil ($4.50), Argentina ($6.50), England ($8), France ($8.50), Spain ($8.50), Germany ($11), Netherlands ($13), Portugal ($15), Belgium ($17), Denmark ($23), Croatia ($36), Uruguay ($36), Mexico ($81), Serbia ($81), Switzerland ($81), Senegal ($101), United States ($101), Wales ($101), Poland ($126), Ecuador ($176), Cameroon ($201), Canada ($201), Ghana ($201), Japan ($201), Morocco ($201), South Korea ($201), Australia ($501), Costa Rica ($501), Iran ($501), Qatar ($501), Saudi Arabia ($501), Tunisia ($501).
How often is the World Cup played?
Since the inaugural tournament hosted and won by Uruguay in 1930, the World Cup has been played every four years – with two exceptions.
The 1942 and 1946 editions had to be cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath. The competition would resume in Brazil in 1950, and has run without interruption ever since.
How do teams advance in the World Cup?
Each country has to play the three other teams in their group once, earning three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The top two teams in each pool advance to the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. There is also a third-place playoff between the two losing semifinalists.
What is the World Cup schedule?
The full schedule of all 64 World Cup games can be found on page 20.
In August, the start of this year’s World Cup was officially moved up a day to maintain the tradition of the host nation playing the opening match of the tournament.
The competition will now open with Qatar’s Group A clash with Ecuador, rather than Senegal against the Netherlands, which was pushed to the evening of November 22.
Where will the games be played?
The group matches will be played in eight stadiums across Qatar: Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Education City Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium.
Which country has won the most World Cups?
World No 1 Brazil have won five World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) – the most of any men’s team.
Italy – who failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup – and Germany are next best with four each, while France, Argentina and Uruguay have two each.
England (1966) and Spain (2010) complete the eight-team list of champions.
How are World Cup groups decided?
The eight groups were determined during the World Cup draw in Doha in April.
Ahead of the draw, teams were divided into four pots, best to worst, based on their world ranking. As is custom, hosts Qatar were included alongside the toprated sides, in spite of their lowly ranking.
Teams were then placed into eight groups of four in a draw guided by rules that prevent too many teams from the same region being placed together.