FIFA World Cup 2022

One of the most exciting events in sports, soccer fans worldwide eagerly anticipate the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022. With 82 countries participating, the biggest tournament in football history is bound to be one of the most extraordinary football events ever.

This year, plenty of legends of the game will probably be playing their final World Cup like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. As such, the stakes are quite high this year because a lot of players will still be in the middle of their league season so their fitness and fortitude will be put to test.

History of FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, which was given the most prestige before the inaugural tournament in 1930, was facing a transition to professionalism that wasn't consistent with the Olympic spirit. Therefore, FIFA made plans to organize a World Cup in 1930. The decision of arranging the first edition was officially declared on May 26, 1928.

The first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, and since then, every four years has been time for the tournament. There were also unofficially organized pre-FIFA events such as the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy matches held between 1909 and 1911.

Besides that, Olympic sports competitions were held before 1930 as well – but only amateur teams participated in these games. The FIFA World Cup became the real deal when it appeared on the world stage in 1930.

FIFA Qualification

The World Cup draw held on April 1st assigned the tournament schedule, including times and dates. The knockout phase is predetermined and includes two teams that qualify from each group. Two initial slots were also reserved for the winner of the two intercontinental playoff matches, in which Australia won over Peru in penalties and Costa Rica beat New Zealand 1–0 to claim their slot at Qatar 2022.

The 2022 Men's World Cup in Qatar will feature 32 teams before the field expands to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup. The FIFA Men's World Cup has featured 32 teams for the last six editions since France in 1998.

Latest Standings

The following are the top 10 teams in the FIFA rankings:

FIFA World Cup 2022 Venues

FIFA World Cup 2022, the 22nd edition of FIFA World Cup, will be held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022. The event becomes exponentially significant as for the first time the FIFA World Cup will be held in the Arab nations.

A total of 32 teams from 5 Confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA) will compete in the eight stadiums in five cities across the country to establish their dominance in the football world.

The stadiums where the 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place are the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Stadium 974 & Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Khalifa International Stadium & Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan and the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.

The first match will take place on 20 November 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor City while the final will take place on 18 December 2022, which also happens to be Qatar National Day, at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail city.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatar Stadiums

FIFA World Cup 2022 Tournament Format

The World Cup group stage will be played in eight groups of four teams. Every nation plays against its three group opponents, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout rounds. There are no extra time periods for tied matches and if a match ends in a draw, no more time is played.

Tiebreakers in FIFA are as follows:

1. Points obtained in all group matches
2. Goal difference in all group matches
3. Number of goals scored in all group matches
4. Points obtained in matches between teams in question
5. Goal difference from those matches
6. Number of goals scored from those matches
7. Fair play points

Knockout Stage

The 16 group winners and runners-up advance to the knockout stage, a single-elimination tournament where teams are placed on opposite sides of the bracket. Teams have a chance to win if they beat their opponent in the final game of the group stage.

If a match is tied after 90 minutes of play, 30 minutes of extra time are played (two 15-minute halves). If there is still no winner at the end of extra time, penalty kicks will determine which team advances.

When a match goes into extra time, the teams are allowed two extra substitutes (one less than normal). The losers of the semi-finals will play in a third-place game; otherwise, there are no second chances if you lose in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.

FIFA World Cup 2022 Top Players

32 teams head into the World Cup with talismanic players in their teams. Let us take a look at some of the teams and who could shine for them.

Neymar (Brazil)

Since his move to PSG, he has not been able to recapture the form that once saw him stand beside Messi and Ronaldo as a Ballon’ d'Or finalist. However, as a Brazilian national, he is a prolific goal scorer.

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

This might be Messi’s last major international tournament before he hangs up his boots. He came really close in 2014 when Argentina ended up losing the finals. However, with the Copa America win, the momentum is with them.

H3- Bukayo Saka (England)

The England player of the year will be looking for redemption this year. When he failed to convert the penalty in Euros, he had to go through a lot of humiliation but after the initial flak, the nation has been behind him.

Sergio Busquets (Spain)

The Spanish midfield maestro is in his final years as a footballer and is still going strong. As a deep-lying midfielder, he will be expected to provide cover for Eric Garcia and the backline.

Kylian Mbappe (France)

One of the highest paid players in the world, the face of French football, Kylian Mbappe is one of the most exciting talents in international football. Mbappe has had a massive contribution to France’s win in the 2018 World Cup and will be looking to emulate his form from the earlier campaign.

Joshua Kimmich (Germany)

Since taking on from Lahm as a right back, Kimmich has transformed himself into one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, a position that had worried German fans since the retirement of Ballack and Schweinsteiger.

Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Senegal is probably one of the strongest teams from the African continent and has recently won the AFCON. Sadio Mane will be looking to translate his Bayern form for his country.

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)

Hailed as the best playmaker of the generation, Kevin De Bruyne has been instrumental in Manchester City’s domestic success and his vision makes him one of the most devastating players in the game.

Bernardo Silva (Portugal)

The star-studded Portugal team will be looking for some moments of inspiration from creative midfielders like Silva and Bruno Fernandes to unlock thrifty defenses with a single pass.

Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Poland has arguably the best striker in the world in Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski has had a magical run over the last 5 years since his move to Bayern and has wreaked havoc on the best defenses.

FIFA World Cup Records & Awards

Golden Ball Winners

Golden Boot Winners

Golden Glove Award

Latest News and Updates

We all know how FIFA fans desperately wait for the official anthem to be out. This year, the FIFA 2022 event will see the release of several tracks for the World Cup anthem. Two of them have been released so far that includes the following songs:

Hayya Hayya (Better Together)- Trinidad Cardona, Davido and AISHA Arhbo- Gins and Ozuna

Another terrific preview of a FIFA “Goal of the Century” campaign done by the world famous South Korean boy band, BTS, has been released on Youtube that enjoyed over 1.5 million views in less than 24 hours.

Stay tuned with us on BalleBaazi for all the spice and updates surrounding the world famous sports event and drown yourself in the FIFA fever this season!

FIFA World Cup FAQs

Which country will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and to host them they have erected brand new stadiums so that all the matches can be accommodated without friction.

How many countries in the FIFA World Cup?

This year in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 32 nations will be participating with the host nation qualifying automatically.

How is the climate condition of Qatar for the FIFA world Cup?

The middle east and especially Qatar is known for its sultry and humid climate which might pose a challenge to the European nations playing at the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Which country won the maximum FIFA World Cup titles?

Brazil has won the most number of FIFA World Cups with 5 titles to its name so far in the years 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2022.

Who are the teams qualified for the World Cup 2022?

The usual suspects for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2022 include Brazil, Argentina, England, Germany, and Spain. Italy has missed out on this year's world cup.