The 2022 World Cup in Qatar: Schedule, Matches, Venues And Stadiums

Corruption, criticism, climatic conditions – at first glance, the Arabian peninsula of Qatar has as much to do with football as the German national team has with winning the title at the last World Cup in Russia.

And even at second glance, the 2022 World Cup raises more questions than almost any other FIFA tournament before. Winter instead of summer and mulled wine instead of barbecue – the organizer gets numerous extra sausages and football fans have to be prepared for some innovations. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar

When will the soccer World Cup 2022 take place?

World Cup showers in this country will have to forego public viewing in summer temperatures at the next World Cup. Because of the high summer temperatures in Qatar of up to 50 degrees Celsius, the tournament was moved to the winter months.

For the first time in World Cup history. According to current plans, the World Cup is to take place from November 21, 2022, to December 18, 2022, i.e. for the most part during the Advent season, and at 28 days it has a shorter duration than the previous World Cup tournaments (32 days).The 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

When will the World Cup final take place in 2022?

The World Cup final will take place on December 18, 2022, and will fall on the 4th Advent in Germany. The final is to be played at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

How will the weather be at the World Cup?

In the World Cup winter in Qatar, fans and players can look forward to cooler, but still summery temperatures of 25 ° to 30 ° degrees. Since the state-of-the-art stadiums are air-conditioned, the conditions should be ideal for the games.

The heavy rainfalls, which are not uncommon in the winter months, could be a challenge: Then it will become clear which team is best able to cope with the Fritz Walter weather in Qatar.

Climate Table of Qatar, Doha :

Schedule, venues, and stadiums

When will the exact World Cup 2022 schedule be set?

The venues and kick-off times have been officially presented to FIFA on 15 July 2020th The opening game will take place on November 21, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. German time in the Al Bayt Stadium in front of up to 60,000 spectators.

The group stage is played in 4 games per day and is divided into a total of 64 games. Many of the games take place in the morning of our time.

A few weeks after all participating teams have been determined, the World Cup groups will be drawn. The final World Cup schedule is then set.

As a rule, the date for the group draw is around six months before the start of the tournament; at the previous summer world championships, this was always in December of the previous year.

According to the International Match Calendar 2018-2024 published by FIFA, the group draws for the World Cup in Qatar will take place in April 2022.

The game system of the World Cup in Qatar

The mode of the tournament in Qatar will be the same as in previous world championships. With 32 participants there are initially 8 groups with 4 teams each, each competing against each other once.

The best 2 teams per group qualify for the Round of 16, which it then continues with knockout games. This is followed by quarter and semi-finals, a game for third place and the final.

What are the kick-off times for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?

The kick-off times for the World Cup matches in Qatar have already been set. The organizers of the tournament have announced that on days with four group games the kick-off times at 11:00, 14:00, 17:00, and 20:00 should be German time. For late risers among football fans, the first game is a welcome breakfast television.

Kick-off times for the 2022 World Cup

Qatar belongs to the Arabia Standard Time time zone, which in the winter months is only 2 hours before the Central European Winter Time in Germany. The time difference at the 2022 World Cup is therefore manageable.

What are the venues and stadiums for the 2022 World Cup?

The host country is going its own way – this is also shown by the venues for the 2022 World Cup. Since Qatar is comparatively small, there are not enough cities available to host the World Cup games. Five of the eight World Cup stadiums alone are located in Qatar’s capital Doha.

The Stadiums of the 2022 World Cup:

Teams

How many teams are taking part in the World Cup?

Some time ago, FIFA had set the number of participants to 32 teams. The 32-team game mode had proven its worth since its introduction at the 1998 World Cup in France. FIFA chief Infantino would have loved to have played with 48 national teams in four years, like at the World Cup finals after next in 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the

SA. However, these plans are not yet feasible for the tournament in Qatar.

Which teams are qualified for the 2022 World Cup?

So far, the only thing that is certain is that Qatar will automatically host the next World Cup tournament. All other potential participants of the six continental federations, including the current world champion France, have yet to qualify.

The World Cup qualification for the 2022 tournament begins in June 2019 with the first qualifying round of the Asian Association (AFC).

In July 2019, the draw for the qualifying groups of the other continental associations will take place.

For the 2014 World Championships in Brazil and 2018 in Russia, qualification followed the following model:

+++ To the overview of the World Cup qualification 2022 +++

Who are the favorites for the title at the World Cup in Qatar?

“All theory is gray – what matters is on the pitch.”

Alfred “Adi” Preißler’s legendary quote is of course particularly true four years before a World Cup. For an exact classification of the possible candidates for the world title, the qualification must first be awaited.

It is not uncommon for supposedly strong national teams to fail before the tournament even started – as is well known, Italy and the Netherlands were allowed to watch the 2018 World Cup in Russia from the sofa at home.

But if everything goes according to plan with the big nations, defending champion France is a top candidate to defend the World Cup. The  Equipe Tricolore currently combines individual world-class with a distinctive team spirit and does not seem to have reached its zenith yet.

In the history of the World Cup, however, only two nations were able to win the cup twice in a row: Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962) achieved the difficult feat of defending their title – so the French should know how difficult the task is.

Who was the world champion how often?

In addition to France, the usual suspects are of course among the narrower circle of title candidates: Record world champion Brazil (5 titles) last won the Cup in 2002 and longs for the “Hexa”, the sixth World Cup title.

South America competitor Argentina is struggling with an even longer dry spell and, after the last success in 1986, wants to finally take the crown for the third time.

The German national team is also eager to make amends after the messed-up World Cup 2018 in Russia and is a hot contender for the top spots. The extended circle of favorites could also include Belgium, England, Italy, and the Netherlands.

The World Cup on TV

Which channels will broadcast the 2022 World Cup?

World Cup games can still be watched on free TV because the broadcasting rights for the soccer World Cup remain in the hands of public law: As usual, ARD and ZDF will split the World Cup games among themselves. The two broadcasters had already agreed on this with FIFA before the start of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The TV rights for the World Cup qualifiers for the German national soccer team, on the other hand, are held by the private broadcaster RTL, as in previous years.

The same applies to the qualifiers for the EM 2020 and the matches of the Nations League.

Can I watch all World Cup games on free TV and on the Internet?

If ARD and ZDF do not change their proven broadcasting procedure for the upcoming World Cup, football fans can enjoy all the games in full. The two broadcasting channels split the games between themselves – at the last World Cup in Russia that was a total of 64 games.

The last group matches, however, always take place in parallel to avoid collusion and distortion of competition.

The public broadcasters at the 2018 World Cup had a fan-friendly solution for this too: the supposedly more important games were broadcast on the main channels ARD and/or ZDF, while the parallel games taking place at the same time could be followed on ARD one or ZDFinfo.

It is quite possible that a similar solution will be used for the World Cup in Qatar.

In addition, the games at the past World Championships could also be watched live and free of charge on the Internet: sportschau.de and sport.zdf.de always showed all World Cup programs via live stream, which is probably also planned for the 2022 World Cup.

Which free TV channel shows which game and when?

Since neither the participating teams nor the schedule for the 2022 World Cup have been determined, there is currently no information on the schedule for the games in Qatar.

Tickets

When do ticket sales for the World Cup in Qatar start?

There is currently no information on ticket prices for the 2022 World Cup, nor is there an official advance booking date for tickets.

However, if FIFA relies on a similar approach to the last World Cup in Russia in 2018, ticket prices should be announced around 1.5 to 2 years in advance, i.e. probably sometime in 2020 or 2021.

Advance ticket sales started at the last tournament in the year before the World Cup – in that case, there would be tickets for the games in Qatar in 2021. Due to the great demand, it can be assumed that several sales phases will be planned for the next World Cup: If this is the case, then interested parties can apply for tickets directly from FIFA, as at the previous World Cup events.

If the number of applicants exceeded the available ticket quota, in the past a lottery decision was made about the allocation.

In addition, FIFA reserved a contingent for people with disabilities or limited mobility as well as overweight people for all matches at the last tournaments.

The ticket prices for the 2022 World Cup

Nothing is known about the ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup either. However, it can be assumed that the cost of an admission ticket is at least in line with the prices of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

There you had to pay between around 90 euros (cheapest category for group games) and almost 1000 euros (most expensive category for the World Cup final) for a visit to the stadium.

Ball, Logo, And Mascot

The logo of the soccer world cup 2022

The official logo was presented on September 3, 2019, in Doha and many other major cities. The eight-shaped ribbon emblem, which is also intended to be reminiscent of a woolen scarf, reflects Qatar’s vision to include and network the nations of the entire world and to make the 2022 World Cup an unforgettable event.

Which ball will be played with at the World Cup in Qatar?

The ball is round, made of leather, and is sewn together by hand. While the ball has indeed become rounder and rounder over the years (among other things due to the omission of the seams), other things taken for granted since the earlier World Cup tournaments have vanished to this day in the course of constant optimization of the manufacturing process.

The 1986 World Cup in Mexico, for example, marked the birth of plastic instead of leather balls. Since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, sewers are no longer necessary to patch the balls together by hand.

Because production is now almost 100 percent automated – the result is even more perfect playground equipment with constantly improved trajectories.

When the World Cup ball will appear for the tournament in Qatar has not yet been determined. What is certain, however, is that its production (as with all balls since the 1970 World Cup ) will once again be taken over by the German sporting goods giant Adidas, headquartered in Herzogenaurach, and all ball lovers can expect some innovations again.

Stay In Qatar

Do I need a visa to stay in Qatar?

Despite all the special regulations and criticism – thousands of football fans from all over the world will not be deterred from a trip to what is probably the most exotic World Cup to date. However, a visa is required to enter and stay in Qatar.

This is obviously not unnecessarily complicated for travelers from numerous countries, including Germany. Because a visa does not have to be applied for in advance, you can get one immediately after arriving at the airport.

For a visa on arrival according to the website of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Berlin:

• A passport with a validity of at least 6 months from the date of entry into Qatar
• A valid Visa Card or MasterCard, with which the cost of the visa can be paid (if you do not have a Visa Card or MasterCard, you must alternatively carry a cash amount of at least 1350 euros)

Do fans in Qatar have to adhere to a dress code?

Although Qatar is an Islamic state, there is no obligation to veil. And even if Qatari women are usually seen with a headscarf and a black overdress (abaya), this dress code does not apply to foreign visitors.

With national jerseys clad football fans will therefore also provide at the upcoming World Cup for atmospheric and colorful images.

Is there a ban on alcohol at the 2022 World Cup?

Bratwurst and beer are part of a visit to the stadium for many football fans, like Cologne Cathedral. However, Qatar is an Islamic country, and alcohol is not necessarily at the top of the drinks menu.

That is why many fans who love to travel ask themselves in advance the question: “Can I even drink beer at the 2022 World Cup?”

The current answer is: “Yes and no!”. Because while the bars of larger hotels are allowed to serve alcohol, this is prohibited in public. Actually. Because for the World Cup, Qatar may loosen its strict guidelines so that, as things stand, beer could also be sold on the planned fan miles.

Meanwhile, however, it is unclear whether beer can also be drunk in the stadiums. In addition, thirsty supporters should start filling up their World Cup coffers: In Qatar, the so-called “sin tax” was introduced on January 1, 2019, so that other alcohol is even more expensive than before.

A pallet of beer (24 x 0.33 liters) now costs around 90 euros, which corresponds to a liter price of 11.36 euros. Up until now, you had to pay around 5 euros for 0.5 liters of domestic beer in Qatar, but for the same amount of imported beer you had to shell out twice that amount, namely just under 10 euros.

Are there fan miles and public viewing at the 2022 World Cup?

At the past world championships, the so-called fan miles were real crowd pullers for all the fans who couldn’t get any of the coveted tickets for the stadium.

According to the current state of information, such public viewing opportunities are also being planned for the tournament in Qatar, and a precise concept is still to be worked out.

Will the 2022 World Cup in Qatar be a safe event?

In general, the desert state is considered a politically stable country in which the terror and crime rate is classified as rather low.

However, Qatar has not yet had any experience with major football events such as a World Cup or with supporters who are prepared to use violence. The safety concept for the world championship is currently being developed.

Criticism of The 2022 World Cup

The soccer World Cup in Qatar polarizes like none of the other World Cup tournaments before. The organizer attracted the displeasure of many fans and association representatives both before and during the awarding of the World Cup, as well as during the subsequent planning and preparation of the major event.

Was it lawful to award the World Cup to Qatar?

Accusations of corruption and bribery have been in the room since Qatar was announced as the venue for the 2022 World Cup.

There are suspicions that Qatar bribed some members of the FIFA Executive Committee before the voting process for the award of the World Cup in order to be able to prevail against the then competitor Australia.

So reported the English weekly Sunday Times already in 2014 of alleged bribe payments in the millions. A testimony made during the FIFA trial in 2017 confirmed this point of view, and even a re-award of the World Cup seemed to be within the realm of possibility on several occasions.

However, as there was no firm evidence at any point in time, it is now ruled out that the next World Cup will not take place in Qatar.

What is different in Qatar from previous world championships?

Critics criticize the many special regulations that are apparently necessary to guarantee a smooth tournament in Qatar.

Because of the usual climatic conditions there, especially the high summer temperatures, the World Cup has to take place in winter for the first time in the history of the tournament.

In terms of time, however, the event competes with the national leagues in many countries that are not actually in the winter break in November / December. As a result, numerous national associations have to adjust their fixtures and general calendar for the World Cup year. Another thorn in the side of many is Qatar’s lack of football tradition.

The country has never been able to qualify for a world championship so far – in order to gain competition practice, the Qatari national team takes part in the World Cup qualification, although it is already automatically qualified as a host.

What is the human rights situation like in Qatar?

One of the most serious points of criticism is the worrying human rights situation in Qatar. For example, homosexuality is illegal in the country and prosecuted. In addition, the apparently adverse working conditions on the construction sites for World Cup projects (e.g. new stadiums and renovations) made negative headlines.

The human rights organization Amnesty International reported several times on cases of exploitation and forced labor, which are believed to have also led to the death of workers employed in the construction industry.

In 2018, the federal government announced the first progress: The desert state faced criticism of the exploitation of foreign workers and implemented the first concrete reforms, such as the introduction of a provisional minimum wage and the abolition of exit visas for foreign workers.