World Cup 2024 Guide

Soccer World Cup 2022 will take place in Qatar. Doha, the nation's capital, and surrounding areas will serve as the host cities for all the matches. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be the first time the tournament isn’t held in May, June, or July. Instead, the game will take place between 20th November to 18th December. This implies that the competition will last for close to one calendar month.

Soccer World Cup Qualifiers

The first round of the 2022 World Cup qualification process kicked off on 6th June 2019. The six confederations in charge of organising tournaments are:

• AFC (Asia)
• UEFA (Europe) 
• CONCACAF (North and Central America)
• CAF (Africa)
• CONMEBOL (South America)
• OFC (Oceania)

These confederations coordinate events to allow teams to compete in the World Cup finals. As the tournament's host, Qatar won the competition's automatic bid. The procedure for determining which teams will compete in the soccer World Cup is either organised as a league or knockout tournament. For the league, the organisers will evaluate the fair play points system and rank the teams according to their level of discipline (yellow and red cards).

In knockout competitions, the game goes into extra time if a score is drawn after the two legs tally. If neither team scores during regulation time or overtime, the organisers determine the winner by a shootout from the penalty spot. Each confederation has its unique system for the qualification procedure - it consists of many rounds to narrow the number of final competitors to the maximum available for that confederation.

Qualifying Teams for the World Cup

Below is a list of the countries that qualified for the 2022 World Cup.

UEFA Countries: Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, England, Netherlands, France, Germany, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Wales, and Portugal.

CAF Countries: Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, and Cameroon.

CONMEBOL Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay.

AFC Countries: Qatar, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

CONCACAF Countries: Canada, Mexico, USA and Costa Rica

World Cup Draw: The Group Overview

The draw for the group stage of the 2022 World Cup was held on Friday, 1st April 2022. On 31st March, the updated World Rankings went public. They used this to sort the teams into separate pots. Each group of the 2022 World Cup consists of one team from each of the four corresponding pots.

As hosts, Qatar will be placed in Pot 1, where they will be joined by the seven highest-ranked qualified teams from the Men's World Ranking. The draw will begin with Pot 1 and will conclude with Pot 4. Before moving on to the next pot, each one will be completely emptied. The standard procedure is to draw a ball from a team pot, followed by a ball from one of the group pots, determining the position in which the team will play. 

Below is a list of the 32 teams in their respective groups of four:

• Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands.
• Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
• Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland.
• Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia.
• Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan.
• Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia.
• Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon.
• Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea.

Following the playoff, the OFC was left without a representative in Qatar after New Zealand lost to Costa Rica.

World Cup Schedule

Below is the Soccer World Cup 2022 schedule based on South African time:  

Group Stage 

November 20

Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 21

Group B: England vs Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group B: USA vs Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 22

Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group C: Mexico vs Poland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group D: France vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 23

Group F: Morocco vs Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group E: Germany vs Japan (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group F: Belgium vs Canada (Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 24

Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group H: Portugal vs Ghana (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group G: Brazil vs Serbia matchup (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 25

Group B: Wales vs Iran (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group A: Qatar vs Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group B: USA vs England (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 26

Group C: Tunisia vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group D: France vs Denmark (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group C: Argentina vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 27

Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group F: Belgium vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group F: Canada vs Croatia (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 6: 00 pm)

Group E: Spain vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 28 

Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 12:00 pm)

Group G: South Korea vs Ghana (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3:00 pm)

Group H: Brazil vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 6:00 pm)

Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 29

Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group B: England vs Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Group B: Iran vs the United States (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

November 30

Group D: Australia vs Denmark (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group D: France vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group C: Poland vs Argentina (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 1

Group F: Croatia vs Belgium (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; by 5:00 pm)

Group F: Canada vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group E: Costa Rica vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Group E: Japan vs Spain (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 2

Group G: South Korea vs Portugal (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group G: Ghana vs Uruguay (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Group H: Serbia vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Group H: Cameroon vs Brazil (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Round of 16

December 3 

49 -Winners of Group A vs Runners-up of Group B (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off is at 5:00 pm)

50 - Champions of Group C vs Runners-Up of Group D (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 4

52 - Champions of Group D vs Runners-up of Group C (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 5:00 pm)

51 -  Champions of Group B vs Runners-Up of Group A (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 5

53 - Champions of Group E vs Runners-Up of Group F (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 5:00 pm)

54 - Champions of Group G vs Runners-Up of Group H(Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 6

55 - Champions of Group F compete against Runners-Up of Group E (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 5:00 pm)

56 - Champion of Group H compete against Runners-Up of Group G (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Quarter-finals

December 9

58 - Winners of 53 vs winners of 54 (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 5:00 pm)

57 -  Winners of 49 vs winners of 50 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 9:00 pm)

December 10

60 - Winners of 55 vs winners of 56 (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 5:00 pm)

59 - Winners of 51 vs Winners of 52 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

Semi-finals

December 13

61 - Winners of 57 face off against winners of 58 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 14

62 - Winners of 59 compete against winners of 60 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 9:00 pm)

December 17

63 - Playoff for third place (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 5:00 pm)

Final

December 18

64 - The World Cup final (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 5:00 pm)

World Cup 2022 Predictions

Brazil is the top favourite of most 2022 World Cup predictions. However, Brazil has a mixed record compared to most European countries. As a result, another European team may win the World Cup. France, England, and Argentina also have high odds of winning the competition.

The following nations are projected to advance to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2022: 

• Argentina 
• Brazil
• France
• Germany
• Belgium 
• Netherlands
• England
• Spain
• Portugal
• Croatia
• Uruguay

World Cup Odds & How to Read Them

Below are the 2022 World Cup odds.

To understand the odds better, we’ll be explaining the types of football odds available and how to read them for an effective betting strategy.

Fractional Odds - Common in UK and Ireland

Bookmakers in Great Britain and Ireland frequently use odds expressed as fractions. In most cases, a hyphen (-) or a forward slash (/). A fractional listing of odds of 6/1 would indicate that you win R6 for every R1 you stake. You would also get your initial R1 investment back, which means you will receive your stake (R1) in addition to the profit (R6), resulting in a total payout of R7. 

American Odds - The Money Line Odds

You can also call this the money line odds. These odds are denoted by a plus (+) or minus (-) sign. The plus sign indicates the event that has a lower probability but a higher payout. A minus sign tells you how much money you have to wager to win R100. 

The odds for the underdogs are denoted with a plus sign (+), revealing the amount of money gained for every R100 a player wagers. In either scenario, winners receive the amount they initially wagered plus the amount won. The disparity in odds between the favourite and the underdog is more expansive as the likelihood of victory for the favourite increases.

Decimal Odds 

The use of decimal odds is common in Europe, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. These are a little less complicated to deal with and comprehend. Simply looking at the odds will immediately reveal who the favourites and underdogs are in any given situation. The number displayed as decimal odds indicates how much you can win for each dollar wagered. 

The number in decimal odds indicates the entire payment rather than the profit, which means your bet is already factored into the decimal number. Therefore, there is no need to add back your bet when calculating your payout. This makes the calculation of its total payout much simpler.

How to Place Soccer World Cup Bets?

You must first understand the betting markets to place wagers on soccer World Cup odds. Take your time to consider the betting options and study the teams. After considering the necessary factors, choose a reliable bookmarker and register an account on the site. Select a game or futures market you wish to bet on, then click on it - the bookmarker will add your selection to the bet slip. Check your bet slip again to be sure there are no errors. You can then choose an amount to wager and click the confirmation button.

Essential Tips

As a player intending to bet on the World Cup, there are a few tips to know if you must be on the winning side. Some essential strategies for betting on the 2022 World Cup include:

• Consider a wide range of bet types
• Search for the best odds
• Keep a betting record
• Always focus on vital stats
• Take advantage of bonus offers
• Hedge your future bets.

Previous Winners

The soccer World Cup began in 1930. Here is a list of the previous winners from inception till date.