The 2022 World Cup in Qatar began on 20 November as 32 teams aim to reach the final and become world champions on 18 December.
The tournament is the first to be held in the Arab world and only the second to take place in Asia, after Japan and South Korea joint-hosted the event in 2002. This edition will be the last to feature just 32 teams, with the tournament being expanded from 2026 onwards in order to feature 48 nations.
Reigning champions France are among the favourites, though no team has successfully defended the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, alongside fellow European sides England, Spain, and the Netherlands. Brazil and Argentina feature in the knockout stages, while Senegal could represent Africa’s biggest hopes of winning for the first time.
England met play-off winners Wales in Group B with USA advancing alongside them. Germany went out after being drawn in a tough-looking Group E with Spain, Japan and Costa Rica, while Portugal and South Korea emerged from Group H ahead of Ghana and Uruguay.
Hosts Qatar started their tournament against Ecuador, before taking on Senegal and Netherlands – the latter duo were set to be the first match of the 2022 World Cup before organisers moved Qatar’s match to be a day earlier. Because of excessive summer temperatures in the Gulf state, the Qatar World Cup will be the first to be staged in winter rather than summer.
Check out the full World Cup fixtures and schedule below.
Who is playing at the World Cup?
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.
Who is playing today, and which UK and US channels will air the games?
For the first time in the tournament there are no matches on Wednesday 7 December or Thursday 8 December.
The next games are on Friday 9 December with Brazil vs Croatia and Netherlands vs Argentina kicking off the quarter-finals.
Key dates
Group stage: 20 November to 2 December
Round of 16: 3-6 December
Quarter-finals: 9-10 December
Semi-finals: 13-14 December
Final: 18 December
