The FIFA World Cup might not generate as much excitement in the United States as the Super Bowl does, but for the rest of the world, it is one of the biggest sports tournaments – if not the biggest. Normally, the World Cup would be taking place at this time of year, in June and July, but this year, fans have a few more months to wait until they can enjoy four weeks of top-flight soccer.
There has been a damper on this year’s World Cup due to accusations of human rights violations that have been made against Qatar. After an initial investigation, the government of Qatar took steps to improve conditions for workers. There are still some concerns, and it remains to be seen how these will impact attendance and viewership.
Here’s everything you need to know about the FIFA World Cup 2022.
When and where?
As mentioned above, the World Cup will be held in Qatar. It will last from November 21 to December 18. The games will be played at eight stadiums in five different cities. All but one of the stadiums was purpose-built for the event. The one pre-existing stadium is the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
World Cup Top Contenders
Unsurprisingly, Argentina and Brazil are both considered top contenders. They should both easily make it through the group stage, but anything can happen once the knockout rounds start.
World Cup 2022 Odds
If you fancy betting on football, it is now easier than ever. All of the major sportsbooks will offer odds on the World Cup, though with a few months still to go before the tournament starts, the odds may well change. You can bet on who will win the overall tournament and who will win each group. There are also player odds, like who will be the top goalscorer.
Countries with the Most World Cup Appearances
There have been 21 World Cup tournaments, and 79 countries have participated. Brazil has the most appearances, having qualified for all 21 tournaments. Germany is a close second with 19 appearances. They are followed by Italy (18) and Argentina (17).
Odds for Previous Winners
France is the defending champion, and Germany won in 2014. The odds on both countries are fairly long, though shorter for France. France is the favourite to win Group D, whose strongest competition will come from Denmark. Germany is in Group E and will be up against Spain who will be hard to beat.
Who are the favourites?
Obviously every country’s fans will be hoping that their team will win. Some of the real underdogs that still have a chance to win are Iran and Ghana. England, as usual, is expected to make it through the group stage, but whether or not they can go all the way is still debatable.
FIFA World Cup Betting Trends
One of the most popular World Cup bets to place is on who will win the Golden Boot. This is the award for the top goalscorer and is incredibly prestigious. Watching how public opinion and oddsmaker opinions have shifted as the qualifying process has played out. As the various teams have made it through or have dropped out, sportsbooks have needed to adapt to the new possibilities that each qualifying team presents.
2022 World Cup FAQs
Where can you watch the World Cup?
FIFA has its own streaming platform called FIFA+, where all the games will be streamed live.
Are tickets still available?
FIFA opened up the “first come first served” sales period on July 5, in which members of the general public can search for and purchase any tickets that are still available.
What is the format?
The 32 qualifying teams are divided into eight groups of four, each playing the other three teams in their group once. The top two teams from each group then move on to the first knockout round (the round of 16), which is followed by the quarterfinals, then the semi-finals, then the match to determine the third-placed team, and then the final.
Which team has won the most World Cups?
Only eight teams have won the World Cup. Brazil not only has the most appearances, but they have also won the tournament the most times, with five victories.
They have come second twice, and come third twice. Germany and Italy have both won the tournament four times. Argentina, France and Uruguay have won it twice and England and Spain have won it once.