It is now less than a decade to a century since the FIFA World Cup began in 1930 in South America, and this year 2022, the tournament is ready to take place in Middle East Asia.
On 2 December 2010, it was announced that the hosting rights of the most prestigious elite event globally had been given to Qatar.
The stadiums to host the showpiece are primed and prepared. A total of 32 teams with all the top players and coaches around the world will grace this event, which is predicted to pull a massive five billion viewership.
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBetWhen and where will the World Cup 2022 be?
Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in the oil-rich state of Qatar—Middle East, Asia. Beginning on 20 November 2022, it will run through to 18 December 2022.
Thirty-two teams distributed into 8 groups will compete, playing a combined total of 64 games from the group stages, second round, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, all the way to the final.
It kicks off with an opening fixture between the tournament host, Qatar squaring off against Ecuador at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor, Qatar on 20 November, while the curtains fall at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on 18 December.
Which Stadiums Will Host the Tournament
At the start of March 2010, the initial five proposed stadiums for the World Cup were unveiled. Cooling technology will be employed in these match centers, capable of reducing temperatures by up to 20 °C (36 °F).
With an additional three stadiums later announced, eight stadiums will be used for sporting festivals.
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBetAl Bayt Stadium
The World Cup opening ceremony begins here as the Al Bayt Stadium hosts the opening game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Historically, the nomadic people in the Gulf region lived in tents, and this stadium is designed to reflect that culture. Al Bayt Stadium is the second-largest stadium to host the tournament.
After seven years of building, it was used for the FIFA Arab Cup. At the World Cup, nine matches, including three knock-out fixtures, will be played here. For the group stages, it will host:
- Qatar vs Ecuador;
- Morocco vs Croatia;
- England vs USA;
- Spain vs Germany;
- Netherlands vs Qatar;
- Costa Rica vs Germany.
- Opened: November 30, 2021;
- Capacity: 60,000
Education City Stadium
Located in Al Rayyan, within several university campuses at the Qatar Foundation's Education City, Education City Stadium is one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable stadiums.
After the World Cup, only 25,000 seats will be retained for use by university athletic teams. The venue hosted its first official match on September 3, 2020, For the World Cup, it will host:
- Denmark vs Tunisia;
- Uruguay vs South Korea;
- Poland vs Saudi Arabia;
- South Korea v Ghana;
- Tunisia vs France;
- South Korea vs Portugal.
- Opened: June 15, 2020
- Capacity: 45,32
Stadium 974
Stadium 974 is the first temporary venue in FIFA World Cup history. Constructed in Ras Abu Aboud, Doha, Qatar, the stadium is made from 974 recycled shipping containers, which will be dismantled and reused for other future construction projects after it hosts matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It will host group stage fixtures including:
- Mexico vs Poland;
- Portugal vs Ghana;
- France vs Denmark;
- Brazil vs Switzerland;
- Poland vs Argentina;
- Serbia vs Switzerland.
- Opened: November 30, 2021
- Capacity: 40,000
Khalifia International Stadium
Named after Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, this multipurpose stadium in Doha was initially built in 1976. The Khalifia International Stadium has been renovated multiple times. For the World Cup, the Khalifa International Stadium will host matches that include:
- England vs Iran;
- Germany vs Japan;
- Netherlands vs Ecuador;
- Croatia vs Canada;
- Ecuador vs Senegal;
- Japan vs Spain.
- Opened: May 19, 2017;
- Capacity: 45,416
Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium
Home to Al-Rayyan Sports Club and Al-Kharitiyath Sports Club, Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, primarily used for football. First built in 2003 with a 21,282 seating capacity, but demolished and rebuilt in 2015. The stadium's design is from the desert landscape around the ground and Qatar. It is billed to host group games in the World Cup, such as:
- USA vs Wales;
- Belgium vs Canada;
- Wales vs Iran;
- Japan vs Costa Rica;
- Wales vs England;
- Croatia vs Belgium.
- Opened: 2003, 2015;
- Capacity: 44,740
Al Thumama Stadium
Designed by Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah with inspiration from the traditional Taqiyah headcap that is worn by male folk in the Middle East.
The Al Thumama Stadium will host quarter-final matches in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Group stage games will also be played, they include:
- Senegal vs Netherlands;
- Spain vs Costa Rica;
- Qatar vs Senegal;
- Belgium vs Morocco;
- Iran vs USA;
- Canada vs Morocco.
- Opened: October 22, 2021;
- Capacity: 40,000
Al Janoub Stadium
Al-Janoub Stadium was formerly Al-Wakrah Stadium. It is a retractable roof football stadium in Al-Wakrah designed by the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.
It will be the official home of the football club Al-Wakrah SC, where matches for the Qatar Stars League will be played. After the tournament, only half of the seating is expected to remain. Group fixtures that will be played here are:
- France vs Australia;
- Switzerland vs Cameroon;
- Tunisia vs Australia;
- Cameroon vs Serbia;
- Australia vs Denmark;
- Ghana vs Uruguay.
- Opened: May 16, 2019
- Capacity: 40,000
Lusail Stadium
The Lusail Stadium, Lusail Iconic Stadium in Doha will host the final of the FIFA Qatar World Cup, 2022. Being the biggest stadium at the tournament, it features state of the art cooling systems to help control the local climate. The solar farm outside the city is where the stadiums power is generated. An estimated cost of $767 million was used in building this stadium, which will host group matches before the final showdown:
- Argentina vs Saudi Arabia;
- Brazil vs Serbia;
- Argentina vs Mexico;
- Portugal vs Uruguay;
- Saudi Arabia vs Mexico;
- Cameroon vs Brazil.
- Opened: November 22, 2021;
- Capacity: 80,000
