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World Cup 2022: Dates, Schedule, Kick-Off Times And Results

The 22nd FIFA World Cup is now over for another four years. This page contains information about the amazing World Cup 2022 tournament, including all fixtures, final scores, results, and historical statistics for the knockout rounds, round of sixteen matches, the quarter and semi finals.

Qatar 2022 was the first time that the FIFA World Cup will not be played during the summer due to weather conditions in the host country, and took place from 20 November to 18 December. It will be the first World Cup held in the Middle East and just the second to be staged in Asia.

The qualification tournament involves 210 teams in total. When they arrived in Qatar, only 32 teams remained. 

Al Thumama Stadium Qatar
Al Thumama Stadium

World Cup 2022 Dates

Opening game: Host nation Qatar played Ecuador in the World Cup 2022 first game on Sunday, November 20. The host lost the opening match 2-0.

Group stage dates: The group stage matches are played between November 20th to 2nd December.

Group knockout phase dates: The knockout phase stage is played between December 3 to 18 between the 16 teams that progress.

The World Cup 2022 Final date: The FIFA World Cup final was played on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 18:00 local time. The final will be played in front of 88,966 spectators at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Lusail Iconic Stadium Qatar
Lusail Iconic Stadium – The World Cup 2022 Stadium

Qatar Soccer Stadiums

In total, eight soccer stadiums was used in the World Cup 2022 tournament over five cities.

They are:

  • Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail (capacity: 89,000)
  • Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor (capacity: 60,000)
  • Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan (capacity: 45,350)
  • Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan (capacity: 44,740)
  • Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan (capacity: 40,000)
  • Stadium 974, Doha (capacity: 40,000)
  • Al Thumama Stadium, Doha (capacity: 40,000)
  • Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah (capacity: 40,000)

The average seat capacity at this year’s World Cup is 47,500 seats. All stadiums can be accessed via modern public transportation and are within 1 hour of Doha.

current fifa ranking of 2022 world cup teams

The most used stadium will be Lusail Iconic Stadium. It will host 5x Group Matches, 1x Round of 16, 1x Quarter-Final, 1x Semi-Final, and the World Cup soccer final. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia all play in the stadium twice in the group matches.

The Al Bayt Stadium (Capacity 60,000) hosted the other semi-final. Over the FIFA World Cup tournament, the Al Bayt stadium hosted 5 group matches, 1 x round of 16 matches, 1 x quarter-final, and the semi-final. Qatar and Germany will play twice in this stadium during the group matches.

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When Are The Group Matches Scheduled To Begin

During the group stage, which lasted 13 days, four matches were played each day, with the winning team and runners-up proceeding to the round of 16.

There were four kick-off times scheduled for the opening of two rounds of matches: 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, and 10 pm.

The final round of group matches and knockout round matches will begin at 6 pm and 10 pm local time.

The FIFA World Cup 2022 final began at 6 pm local time.

Stadium 974 Qatar
Stadium 974

2022 World Cup Qualified Teams

Country Qualified As Last Time They Qualified
Total Times Qualified For World Cup
Qatar Host Nation - 1
Argentina CONMEBOL runners-up 2018 18
Australia AFC v CONMEBOL play-off winner 2018 6
Belgium UEFA Group E winners 2018 14
Brazil CONMEBOL winners 2018 22
Cameroon CAF Third Round winner 2014 8
Canada CONCACAF Third Round winners 1986 2
Costa Rica CONCACAF v OFC play-off winners 2018 3
Croatia UEFA Group H winners 2018 6
Denmark UEFA Group F winners 2018 6
Ecuador CONMEBOL fourth place 2014 4
England UEFA Group I winners 2018 16
France UEFA Group D winners 2018 16
Germany UEFA Group J winners 2018 20
Ghana CAF Third Round winner 2014 4
Iran AFC Third Round Group A winners 2018 6
Japan AFC Third Round Group B runners-up 2018 7
Mexico CONCACAF Third Round runners-up 2018 17
Morocco CAF Third Round winner 2018 6
Netherlands UEFA Group G winners 2014 11
Poland UEFA Second Round winner 2018 9
Portugal UEFA Second Round winner 2018 8
Saudi Arabia AFC Third Round Group B winners 2018 6
Senegal CAF Third Round winner 2018 3
Serbia UEFA Group A winners 2018 13
South Korea AFC Third Round Group A runners-up 2018 11
Spain UEFA Group B winners 2018 16
Switzerland UEFA Group C winners 2018 12
Tunisia CAF Third Round winner 2018 6
United States CONCACAF Third Round third place 2014 11
Uruguay CONMEBOL third place 2018 14
Wales UEFA play-off winner 1958 2

The Group Stage

The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout round.

The teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be divided among five continents and will also include the directly qualified host nation:

  • Asia: 5
  • Africa: 5
  • Europe: 13
  • Host: 1
  • North America, Central America, and the Caribbean: 4
  • South America: 4
Khalifa International Stadium Qatar
Khalifa International Stadium

World Cup 2022 Groups

A total of 32 teams competed in eight groups of four at the 2022 World Cup:

Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales

Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland

Group D: France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia

Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica

Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Education City Stadium Qatar
Education City Stadium

2022 FIFA World Cup Scores And Results

Group Stage Games

20 November:

Group A: Ecuador 2 – Qatar 0 – With Enner Valencia’s double, Ecuador defeated Qatar 2-0 in the opening game of the World Cup, becoming the first host nation to lose the opening match – Goalscorer: Enter Valencia 16′ pen, 31′- Attendance 67,372

usa vs wales

21 November:

Group B: England 6 – Iran 2 – Gareth Southgate’s team beat Iran 6-2 in the opening match of the World Cup in Qatar – England Goalscorers: J Bellingham 35′, B Saka 43′, 62′, R Sterling 45+1′, M Rashford 71′, J Grealish 90′ – Iran Goalscorer: M Taremi 65′, 103′ pen – Attendance: 45,334

Group A: Netherlands 2 – Senegal 0 – Netherlands won their opening World Cup Group A match against Senegal with late goals from Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen – Goalscorers: C Gakpo 84′, D Klaassen 99′ – Attendance: 41,721

Group B: United States Of America 1 – Wales 1 – The Welsh World Cup 2022 opener in Qatar, ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to a late penalty from Gareth Bale – USA Goalscorer: T Weah 36 – Wales Goalscorer: G Bale 82′ pen – Attendance: 43,418

Cameroon 3 - Serbia 3

22 November:

Group C: Argentina 1 – Saudi Arabia 2 – Lionel Messi’s penalty is canceled out in the second half by a famous comeback by Salem Al-Dawsari and his teammates. This was one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history – Argentina Goalscorer: Leo Messi 10′ pen, Saudi Arabia Goalscorers: S Al-Shehri 48′, S Al-Dawsari 53′ – Attendance: 88,012

Group D: Denmark 0 – Tunisia 0 – After suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 18 months ago, Christian Eriksen made his major tournament return – but his World Cup dark horse team were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Tunisia in Group D – Attendance: 42,925

Group C: Mexico 0 – Poland 0 – Robert Lewandowski’s penalty was saved by Guillermo Ochoa as Mexico and Poland drew 0-0 in their World Cup Group C opener – Attendance: 39,369

Group D: France 4 – Australia 1 – Defending World Cup champions France won 4-1 in Qatar after recovering from an early goal by Australia – France Goalscorers: A Rabiot 27′, O Giroud 32′, 71′, K Mbappe 68′ Australia Goalscorer: C Goodwin 9′- Attendance: 40,875

FIFA-World-Cup-logos.

23 November:

Group F: Morocco 0 – Croatia 0 – A resolute Morocco held World Cup runners-up Croatia 0-0 in their Group F opener – Attendance: 59,407

Group E: Germany 1 – Japan 2 – The Japanese stunned Germany with a late comeback to win 2-1 at the Khalifa International Stadium thanks to Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano’s goals – Germany Goalscorer: I Gündogan 33′ pen – Japan Goalscorers: R Doan 75′, T Asano 83′ – Attendance: 42,608

Group E: Spain 7 – Costa Rica 0 – Costa Rica was thrashed 7-0 by Spain in their World Cup opener to provide an early indication of their strength – Spain Goalscorers: D Olmo 11′, M Asensio 21′, F Torres (31′ and 54′, P Paez Gaviria 74′, C Soler Barragan 90′, Á Morata 92′ – Attendance: 40,013

Group F: Belgium 1 – Canada 0 – Belgium defeated Canada 1-0 in their opening World Cup game thanks to Michy Batshuayi’s performance. In just their second World Cup final, Canada missed an opportunity to take the lead early, as Alphonso Davies’ penalty was saved – Belgium Goalscorer: M Batshuayi 44′ – Attendance: 40,432

Brazil 2 - Serbia 0

24 November:

Group G: Switzerland 1 – Cameroon 0 – Switzerland started their Group G campaign with a win thanks to Cameroon native Breel Embolo’s goal. – Swiss Goalscorer: B Embolo 48′ – Attendance 39,089

Group H: Uruguay 0 – South Korea 0 – The Uruguayans and the South Koreans played out a goalless draw in the opening game of Group H at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, with Darwin Nunez, Luis Suarez and Heung-Min Son all failing to score – Attendance: 41,663

Group H: Portugal 3 – Ghana 2 – A penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal beat Ghana 3-2 in Group H as he became the first player to score in five World Cups – Portugal Goalscorers: C Ronaldo 65’pen, Joao Félix 78′, R Leão 80′ – Ghana Goalscorers: A Ayew 73′, O Bukari 89′ – Attendance: 42,662

Group G: Brazil 2 – Serbia 0 – Brazil defeated Serbia 2-0 in their Group G opener at Lusail thanks to Richarlison’s second-half goals. – Brazil Goalscorer: Richarlison 62′ and 73′ – Attendance: 88,103

Ecuador 1 - Senegal 2

25 November:

Group B: Iran 2 – Wales 0 – In World Cup 2022 heartbreak, Wales lost 2-0 to Iran in second-half stoppage time to leave their knockout hopes hanging in the balance – Iran Goalscorers: R Cheshmi 98′ and R Rezaeian 101′ – Sending Off Wales: W Hennessey 86′ – Attendance: 40,875

Group A: Qatar 1 – Senegal 3 – After a 3-1 loss to Senegal at Al Thumama Stadium, hosts Qatar have been eliminated from the World Cup after just two games – Qatar Goalscorer: M Muntari 78′ – Senegal Goalscorers: B Dia 41′, F Diedhiou 48′, A Dieng 84′ – Attendance: 41,797

Group A: Netherlands 1 – Ecuador 1 – Ecuador held Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in their second World Cup match, knocking out hosts Qatar in the process. Due to the result, neither team has qualified for the next round – Netherlands Goalscorer: C Gakpo 6′ – Ecuador Goalscorer: E Valencia 49′ – Attendance: 44,833

Group B: USA 0 – England 0 – As a result of a 0-0 draw with the USA, England edged closer to the knockout rounds at the World Cup, but their lackluster performance was a reality check on their ambitions at the tournament, which means they won’t be able to secure a place in the last 16 until their final group match with Wales. The USA did not manage to emulate the famous upset of 1950, but they did enough to boost their own hopes and to recalibrate perceptions about England’s prospects – Attendance: 68,463

Al Janoub Stadium Qatar
Al Janoub Stadium

26 November:

Group D: Tunisia 0 – Australia 1 – Mitchell Duke’s excellent header in the first half gave Australia a 1-0 win over Tunisia to kick off their World Cup campaign – Australia Goalscorer: M Duke 23′ – Attendance: 41,823

Group C: Poland 2 – Saudi Arabia 0 – Poland’s Robert Lewandowski expressed his joy at scoring his first World Cup goal, helping his team to a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia – Poland Goalscorers: P Zielinski 39′, R Lewandowski 82′ – Attendance: 44,259

Group D: France 2 – Denmark 1 – Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France beat Denmark 2-1 to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup – France Goalscorer: K Mbappe 61′ and 86′ – Denmark Goalscorer: A Christensen 68′ – Attendance: 42,860

Group C: Argentina 2 – Mexico 0 – Argentinean World Cup hopes were revived by Lionel Messi’s superb long-range strike against Mexico in a crucial 2-0 victory – Argentina Goalscorers: L Messi 64′, E Fernández 87′ – Attendance 88,966

Morocco upset

27 November:

Group E: Japan 0 – Costa Rica 1 – A smash-and-grab 1-0 win over Japan launched Costa Rica’s World Cup 2022 campaign. After being humbled 7-0 by Spain in their opening match, Luis Fernando Suarez’s team prioritized defensive solidity. – Costa Rica Goalscorer: K Fuller 81′ – Attendance: 41,479

Group F: Belgium 0 – Morocco 2 – With goals from Romain Saiss and Zakaria Aboukhlal, Morocco earned only their third World Cup victory – Morocco Goalscorers: A Sabiri 73′ and Z Aboukhlal 92′ – Attendance: 43,738

Group F: Croatia 4 – Canada 1 – In a 4-1 victory, Croatia knocked Canada out of the World Cup. The game was turned on its head by two strikes from Andrej Kramaric either side of one from Marko Livaja after Alphonso Davies opened the scoring for Canada just two minutes in. The fourth goal came from substitute Lovro Majer – Croatia Goalscorers: A Kramaric 36′, 70′, M Livaja 44′ and L Majer 94′ – Canada Goalscorer: A Davies 2′ – Attendance: 44,374

Group E: Spain 1 – Germany 1 – The Germans just about kept their World Cup campaign on track with a 1-1 draw against Spain thanks to Niclas Fullkrug’s late goal. Spain had taken the lead through Alvaro Morata earlier in the second half, but Germany earned their first point thanks to fellow substitute Fullkrug’s shot beyond Unai Simon – Spain Goalscorer: Á Morata 62′ – Germany Goalscorer: N Füllkrug 83′ – Attendance 68,895

28 November:

Group G: Cameroon 3 – Serbia 3 – After a breathless comeback in Al-Wakrah, Cameroon kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the round of 16. After Aleksandar Mitrovic had put Serbia in a commanding position, Serbia will surely wonder how they allowed a two-goal lead to evaporate at the Al Janoub Stadium – Cameroon Goalscorers: J Castelletto 29′, V Aboubakar 63′, M Choupo-Moting 66′ – Serbia Goalscorers: S Pavlovic 46′, S Milinkovic-Savic 48′, A Mitrovic 53′ – Attendance: 39,789

Group H: South Korea 2 – Ghana 3 – Ghana beat South Korea 3-2 in a pulsating game as Mohammed Kudus scored twice. Mohammed Salisu scored Ghana’s first goal against the run of play after a goalmouth scramble despite South Korea’s early pressure. With two quick headers around the hour-mark, Cho Gue Song brought South Korea back on level terms, and Kudus added a well-taken goal in the 68th minute to make the score 3-2 – South Korea Goalscorer: G Cho 58′ and 61′ – Ghana Goalscorers: M Salisu 24′, M Kudus 34’and 68′ – Attendance: 43,983

Brazil 1 - Switzerland 0

Group G: Brazil 1 – Switzerland 0 – As Brazil beat Switzerland 1-0, Casemiro scored a late goal to send them into the last 16 of the World Cup 2022. In the absence of Neymar, the five-time champions struggled for long periods as they struggled to break down their opponents’ determined defensive set-up – Brazil Goalscorer: Casemiro 83′ – Attendance: 43,649

Group H: Portugal 2 – Uruguay 0 – With a game to spare, Portugal advanced from Group H with a 2-0 win over Uruguay thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ two goals. Despite not getting a touch on Fernandes’ cross which ended up in the net, Cristiano Ronaldo thought he had scored with a header in the second half. – Portugal Goalscorer: B Fernandes 54′ and 93′ pen – Attendance: 88,668

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29 November:

Group A: Ecuador 1 – Senegal 2 – In a 2-1 victory over Ecuador, Senegal reached the last 16 of the World Cup thanks to Kalidou Koulibaly. The Chelsea defender’s superb volleyed winner happened only two minutes after Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo leveled from a corner, which would have taken Ecuador through – Ecuador Goalscorer: M Caicedo 67′ – Senegal Gaolscorers: I Sarr 44′ pen, K Koulibaly 70′ – Attendance: 44,569

Group A: Qatar 0 – Netherlands 2 – With a 2-0 victory over Qatar, the Netherlands clinched top spot in Group A. Midway through the first half, Cody Gakpo scored his third goal of the tournament, and Frenkie de Jong added a second soon after – Holland Goalscorers: C Gakpo 26′, F De Jong 49′ – Attendance: 66,784

Group B: Iran 0 – USA 1 – Christian Pulisic scored the crucial goal for the USA in a shootout for qualification with great energy and attacking intent. The Chelsea man suffered an injury to his hip in that brave action and didn’t come out for the second half – United States Of America Goalscorer: C Pulisic 38′ – Attendance: 42,127

Group B: England 3 – Wales 0 – English players Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden capitalized on their starting roles to help England defeat Wales 3-0 and secure top spot in Group B. They will face Senegal in the last-16 of the World Cup 2022 – England Goalscorers: M Rashford 50′ and 68′, P Foden 51′ – Attendance – 44,297

Tunisia 1 - France 0

30 November:

Group D: Tunisia 1 – France 0 – In a dramatic finale in which Antoine Griezmann’s goal was ruled out by VAR late in the game, Tunisia beat France 1-0 but failed to qualify. With Didier Deschamps making nine changes and resting Kylian Mbappe, Tunisia took full advantage of a brilliant solo run from Wahbi Khazri on 58 minutes to score the winning goal – Tunisia Goalscorer: W Khazri 58′ – Attendance: 43,627

Group D: Denmark 0 – Australia 1 – After Mathew Leckie’s strike earned Australia a 1-0 victory over Denmark at the World Cup, the team qualified to the last 16 for the first time since 2006 – Australia Goalscorer: M Leckie 60′ – Attendance: 41,232

Group C: Poland 0 – Argentina 2 – In a dramatic night of high drama, Argentina’s Leo Messi missed a penalty, but they still won 2-0 against Poland, who advanced on goal differential over Mexico – Argentina Goalscorers: A Mac Allister 46′, J Álvarez 67′ – Attendance: 44,089

Group C: Saudi Arabia 1 – Mexico 2 – Due to a superior goal difference, Poland advanced as Group C runners-up, despite Mexico’s spirited 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia Goalscorer: S Al-Dawsari 95′ – Mexico Goalscorers: H Martín 47′, L Chávez 52′ – Attendance 84,985

spain vs japan world cup 2022

1 December:

Group F: Croatia 0 – Belgium 0 – A series of missed chances saw Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ knocked out of the World Cup after their 0-0 draw with Croatia sent them into the last 16 along with Group F winners Morocco. The ageing squad of Roberto Martinez finished third four years ago, leading the world rankings until recently, but they did not match the pace in Qatar – Attendance: 43,984

Group F: Canada 1 – Morocco 2 – For the first time in 36 years, Morocco made it to the World Cup last 16 with first-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri – Canada Goalscorer: N Aguerd 40′ own goal – Morocco Goalscorers: H Ziyech 4′, Y En-Nesyri 23′ – Attendance: 43,102

Group E: Japan 2 – Spain 1 – In a hugely controversial goal, Japan beat Spain 2-1 to top Group E in World Cup 2022, with Spain needing a goal difference to advance as runners-up ahead of Germany – Japan Goalscorers: R Doan 48′, A Tanaka 51′ – Spain Goalscorer: A Tanaka 51′ – Attendance 44,851

Group E: Germany 4 – Costa Rica 2 – On a night of sensational World Cup drama in Qatar, Germany suffered a second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit despite a thrilling 4-2 win over Costa Rica. It was also the first time a woman had refereed a match at the men’s World Cup when France’s Stephanie Frappart took charge. The on-field team was all-female thanks to assistants Neuza Back from Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina from Mexico – Germany Goalscorers: S Gnabry 10′, K Havertz 73′ and 85′, N Fullkrug 89′ – Costa Rica Goalscorers: Y Tejeda 58′, M Neuer 70′ own goal – Attendance: 67,054

stephanie-frappart-first-woman-world-cup-referee

2 December:

Group H: South Korea 2 – Portugal 1 – Hee-Chan Hwang scored a 91st-minute winner to help South Korea reach the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. South Korea has only advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup twice before. Heung-Min Son’s pass was latched onto by Hwang to send reverberations through Seoul as he slotted past Diogo Costa in dramatic fashion – South Korea Goalscorers: Y Kim 27′, H Hwang 91′, Portugal Goalscorer: R Horta 5′ – Attendance: 44,097

Group H: Ghana 0 – Uruguay 2 – As a result of South Korea’s dramatic win against Portugal, Uruguay were knocked out of the World Cup on goals scored. As the final games in Group H approached, Uruguay believed they had done enough in the first half, scoring twice in quick succession through Flamengo midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta – Uruguay Goalscorer: G de Arrascaeta 26′ and 32′ – Attendance: 43,443

Group G: Serbia 2 – Switzerland 3 – Switzerland survived a scare from Serbia with a 3-2 win after a four-goal first half.With a deflected shot in the 20th minute, Xherdan Shaqiri gave Switzerland the lead. As a result of their superior play, Serbia equalized through the trademark header of Aleksandar Mitrovic, and then sensationally led when Dusan Vlahovic found the bottom corner. After a thrilling first half, Switzerland fought back through Breel Embolo and regained the lead early in the second period with a great team goal. – Serbia Goalscorers: A Mitrovic 26′, D Vlahovic 35′ – Switzerland Goalscorers: X Shaqiri 20′, B Embolo 44′, R Freuler 48′ – Attendance: 41,378

Group G: Brazil 0 – Cameroon 1 – The Cameroonians knew they had to beat Brazil in order to qualify for the knockout stages of World Cup 2022, and they didn’t disappoint thanks to their captain Aboubakar, who was sent off after scoring late – Cameroon Goalscorer: V Aboubakar 92′ Sent Off: V Aboubakar 93′

Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar
Al Bayt Stadium

Round Of 16 (Head To Head Knock Out)

December 3:

Game 49: Netherlands 3 – USA 1 – Despite a spirited second half from USA, the Netherlands won 3-1 and qualified for the World Cup quarterfinals. Memphis Depay and Daley Blind, both of whom netted from Dumfries crosses in the first half, put the Dutch in control. However, USA forced both the Inter Milan defender and Cody Gakpo to clear off the line before Haji Wright set up a thrilling finale with an “impossible” finish in the 76th minute – Netherlands Goalscorers: M Depay 10′, D Blind 45′, D Dumfries 81′ – USA Goalscorer: H Wright 76′ – Attendance: 44,846

Game 50: Argentina 2 – Australia 1 – During the first half, Messi marked the 1,000th game of his senior career with a measured finish. Julian Alvarez doubled the lead early in the second half following Mat Ryan’s error. Enzo Fernandez’s shot deflected into the net, giving Argentina a late scare, and Lisandro Martinez’s dramatic tackle and Emiliano Martinez’s fine save kept out the equalizer – Argentina Goalscorers: L Messi 35′ J Álvarez 57′- Australia Goalscorer: E Fernandez 77′ own goal – Attendance: 45,032

December 4:

Game 51: France 3 – Poland 1 – Kylian Mbappe’s second-half double and Olivier Giroud’s opener gave France a 3-1 win over Poland to move into the quarter-finals of World Cup 2022. France’s Giroud broke Thierry Henry’s record and scored his 52nd goal with a neat first-half finish to secure a last-16 win – France Goalscorers: O Giroud 44′, K Mbappe 74′ and 91′ – Poland Goalscorer: R Lewandowski 99′ – Attendance: 40,989

Game 52: England 3 – Senegal 0 – England broke through after a sluggish start when Jude Bellingham set up Jordan Henderson for a brilliant goal in the 39th minute. Harry Kane scored his first goal of the tournament just before the break when Bellingham launched a devastating England counter. After the break, England sealed its place in the last eight with a deft goal by Bukayo Saka – England Goalscorers: J Henderson 38′, H Kane 45′, B Saka 57′ – Attendance: 65,985

Japan 1 - Croatia 1 - Croatia Win 3-1 On Penalties

December 5:

Game 53: Japan 1 – Croatia 1 – Croatia Win 3-1 On Penalties – After a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties – including three saves from Dominik Livakovic during the shootout. After a largely even 90 minutes, Japan needed an extra half hour to beat their third European opponent in a row – Japan Goalscorer: D Maeda 43′ – Croatia Goalscorer: I Perisic 55′ – Attendance: 42,523

Game 54: Brazil 4 – South Korea 1 – With a 4-1 victory over South Korea, Brazil cruised into the World Cup quarterfinals. After some stunning build-ups, Richarlison scored his third goal of the tournament, and Lucas Paqueta made it 4-0 before halftime. However, after the break, the momentum slowed down since much of the work had already been done. The South Koreans did not let their heads drop, and Seung-Ho Paik’s thumping strike allowed them to reduce the deficit. – Brazil Goalscorer: Vinicius Júnior 7′, Neymar 13′, Richarlison 29′ and L Tolentino Coelho de Lima 36′ – South Korea Goalscorer: S Paik 76′ – Attendance: 43,847

December 6:

Game 55: Morocco 0 – Spain 0 – Morocco Win 3-0 On Penalties – In a dramatic shootout after a 120-minute stalemate, Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup 2022 quarterfinal. Spain’s weaknesses in attack were exposed. Throughout the match, they only managed one shot on target. From close range, Nayef Aguerd headed over Morocco’s best chance of the first half. After a lackluster second half, Morocco substitute Walid Cheddira was denied one-on-one by Unai Simon before Spain’s Pablo Sarabia hit the post with a volley in extra time – Attendance: 44,667

Game 56: Portugal 6 – Switzerland 1 – Despite dropping Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal was able to beat Switzerland easily with a hat-trick from Goncalo Ramos. With just 17 minutes on the clock, Ramos opened his own account with a thunderous effort that flew past Yann Sommer. As the game approached the interval, Portugal’s 39-year-old Pepe became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history from a corner before Ramos ended it with a poacher’s finish – Portugal Goalscorers: G Matias Ramos 17′, 51′ and 67′, Pepe 33′, R Guerreiro 55′, R Leão 92′ – Switzerland Goalscorer: M Akanji 58′ – Attendance: 83,720

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Quarter-Finals

Croatia 1 - Brazil 1 - Croatia Win On Penalties 4-2

December 9:

Game 58: Croatia 1 – Brazil 1 – Croatia Win On Penalties 4-2

In a dramatic penalty shootout, Croatia stunned five-time world champions Brazil to reach the World Cup semis. The Brazilians looked to be fighting their way to extra time, but Neymar’s moment of magic proved to be the deciding factor.

It was very nearly checkmate as Croatia probed pragmatically throughout the game, restricting and stifling Brazil’s usual rhythm before succumbing to Neymar’s brilliance in extra time.

As a result of a cruel Marquinhos deflection, Bruno Petkovic snatched onto Mislav Orsic’s cross, causing Alisson to be wrong-footed, taking the quarter-finals to penalties.

Brazil Goalscorer: Neymar 106′

Croatia Goalscorer: B Petkovic 117′

Attendance: 43,893

Netherlands 2 - Argentina 2

Game 59: Netherlands 2 – Argentina 2 – Brazil Win On Penalties 4-3

With a 4-3 victory over the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, Argentina qualified for the last-four round. With fewer than 20 minutes left to play, Lionel Messi added a second penalty to put Argentina in the World Cup 2022 semi-finals. Nahuel Molina had opened the scoring with his first goal for Argentina.

After a delicious Steven Berghuis cross, substitute Wout Weghorst headed the Netherlands back into the game with their first effort on target before poking home from an injury-time free kick. Despite Lautaro Martinez’s late strike, the quarter-final tie went to the dreaded spot-kicks with the score level at 2-2.

Emiliano Martinez saved the first two Netherlands penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Berghuis, giving the Dutch a mountain to climb, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the decisive spot-kick to ensure Argentina prevailed 4-3 in the shootout.

Netherlands Goalscorer: W Weghorst 83′, 90′

Argentina Goalscorers: N Molina 35′, L Messi 73′ pen

Attendance: 88,235

Morocco 1 - Portugal 0

December 10:

Game 60: Morocco 1 – Portugal 0

Morocco is the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals after Youssef En-Nesyri’s first-half winner shocked Portugal.

It was a historic strike for not only Walid Regragui’s side – but the entire continent of Africa as well – thanks to En-Nesyri capitalizing on a fault by Portugal’s Diogo Costa.

Even Cristiano Ronaldo’s introduction, in the 51st minute could not inspire a Portugal comeback, as Bruno Fernandes hit the crossbar while Goncalo Ramos and Bernardo Silva missed clear chances.

As time ticked away, Morocco needed heroics from goalkeeper Bono to save from Joao Felix and Ronaldo before substitute striker Walid Cheddira was sent off for two quick yellow cards.

Morocco Goalscorer: Y En-Nesyri 42′, W Cheddira sent off 93′

Attendance: 44,198

France 2 - England 1

Game 61: France 2 – England 1

Defending champions France defeated England 2-1 in the quarterfinals after Harry Kane missed a penalty late in the match.

Aurelien Tchouameni’s thunderbolt had put France ahead earlier in the game, but the England captain leveled from 12 yards. Theo Hernandez recklessly barged into Mason Mount to give the Englishman a golden opportunity to equalize for a second time after Olivier Giroud’s header.

In his first penalty, Harry Kane tied Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 goals for England. He also became the player with the most penalties scored in normal time at World Cups.

Despite huge pressure, he missed his second spot kick high over the bar with six minutes to play. His expression was one of devastation. The final whistle left him inconsolable, and there was no way he could turn back. Once again, England’s World Cup heartbreak was caused by a penalty kick.

England Goalscorer: H Kane 54′ pen

France Goalscorers: A Tchouameni 17′, O Giroud 78′

Attendance: 68,895

argentina fans celebrate

Semi-Finals

December 13:

Game 61:  Argentina 3 – Croatia 0

In a 3-0 win over Croatia, Messi and Julian Alvarez scored for Argentina to reach the World Cup 2022 final. After Alvarez earned a debatable penalty following a collision with Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, Messi fired into the top corner from the penalty spot against the run of play.

In doing so, he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup finals, with 11 goals. Five minutes later, Argentina counter-attacked after comical defending by Croatia and Alvarez doubled Argentina’s lead after carrying the ball from his own half.

Argentine forward Lionel Messi put the game out of reach with a moment of magic down the right, beating Josko Gvardiol before setting up Alvarez to score.

Argentina Goalscorers: L Messi 34′ pen, J Álvarez 39′, 69′

Attendance: 88,966

france vs morocco semi final 2022 world cup

December 14:

Game 62: France 2 – Morocco 0 

Didier Deschamps’ side reached the final thanks to Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani. Argentina will now face France in the World Cup final of 2022.

To contain France’s considerable attacking threat, Moroccan manager Walid Regragui switched to a back five. Still, his plans were immediately disrupted when Nayef Aguerd, listed as a starter after missing the win over Portugal because of injury, had to withdraw before kick-off.

The French promptly capitalized on the upheaval, with Griezmann creating the first goal as an El Yamik error allowed him to cut back for Mbappe. His shot was blocked and then converted by Hernandez.

In response, Morocco sought an immediate response to Hernandez’s well-taken goal, which marked the first time the opposition had scored past them in the tournament.

France Goalscorers: T Hernández 5′, R Kolo Muani 79′

Attendance: 68,294

Third Place Playoff

December 17:

Game 63: Croatia 2 – Morocco 1

Croatia finished third at the World Cup for the second time, thanks to superb goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic.

After finishing runners-up to France four years ago, Croatia’s win secured their third top-three finish at the World Cup, while Morocco’s loss prevented them from becoming the first African nation to win a medal.

As Croatia took the lead in the seventh minute thanks to a stunning diving header from Gvardiol. After just two minutes, Morocco responded with a goal from Achraf Dari.

Croatia regained the lead in the 42nd minute with a curling winner by Orsic as his first-time effort inside the box went in off the far post and past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Despite a late equalizer attempt by Morocco, Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic denied Youssef En-Nesyri, ensuring Morocco’s second World Cup bronze medal.

Croatia Goalscorers: J Gvardiol 7′, M Orsic 42′

Morocco Goalscorer: A Dari 9′

Attendance: 44,137

fifa world cup qatar 2022 world cup presentation

World Cup 2022 Final

December 18:

Game 64: Argentina 3 – France 3 – Argentina Win On Penalties 3-3

After an enthralling 120-minute draw, Argentina beat defending champions France 4-2 on penalties, led by Lionel Messi.

The French team came back twice from behind in a game that will go down in history as one of the greatest. A hat-trick by Kylian Mbappe in a World Cup final was the first since Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966 for England.

For the first 80 minutes, Argentina dominated and looked on their way to their first World Cup title since 1986. As a result of Ousmane Dembele tripping Angel Di Maria, Messi scored his team’s first goal from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute.

As France appeared to be suffering from illness in the days leading up to the World Cup 2022 final, Di Maria scored Argentina’s second. The goal was after a fine sweeping move spearheaded by Alexis Mac Allister.

messi scoring the thred goal in the 2022 final

After Nicolas Otamendi tripped Randal Kolo Muani in the 79th minute, France came roaring back into the tie. Just 90 seconds later, Mbappe added a stunning second to take the game to extra time from the penalty spot.

After a rebounded strike in the 108th minute, Messi thought he had won it for his team. France were awarded a penalty with only minutes left after Gonzalo Montiel was penalized for handball.

As Mbappe stepped up for the second time, he beat Emiliano Martinez once again to bring France back into the game.

Taking the first kick of the shootout, the 23-year-old scored his third penalty of the final before Messi responded.

The remaining three penalties were all scored by Argentina, with Montiel scoring the winning penalty to win the 2022 World Cup after Kinsgley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni missed their spot kicks.

Argentina Goalscorers: L Messi 23′ pen and 108′, Á di María 36′

France Goalscorer: K Mbappe 80′ pen, 81′, 118′ pen

Attendance: 88,966

world cup 2022 winners

Group Bracket Results

Group A

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
Netherlands 2 1 0 +4 7 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Senegal 2 0 1 +1 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Ecuador 1 1 1 +1 4
Qatar 0 0 3 -6 0

Group B

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
England 2 1 0 +7 7 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
United States 1 2 0 +1 5 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Iran 1 0 2 -3 3
Wales 0 1 2 -5 1

Group C

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
Argentina 2 0 1 +3 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Poland 1 1 1 0 4 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Mexico 1 1 1 -1 4
Saudi Arabia 1 0 2 -2 3

Group D

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
France 2 0 1 +3 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Australia 2 0 1 -1 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Tunisia 1 1 1 0 4
Denmark 0 1 2 -2 1

Group E

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
Japan 2 0 1 +1 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Spain 1 1 1 +6 4 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Germany 1 1 1 +1 4
Costa Rica 1 0 2 -8 3

Group F

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
Morocco 2 1 0 +3 7 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Croatia 1 2 0 +3 5 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Belgium 1 1 1 -1 4
Canada 0 0 3 -5 0

Group G

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
Brazil 2 0 1 +2 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Switzerland 2 0 1 +1 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Cameroon 1 1 1 0 4
Serbia 0 1 2 -3 1

Group H

Country Won Draw Lost Goal Difference Points Qualification
Portugal 2 0 1 +2 6 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
South Korea 1 1 1 0 4 Advanced To Knockout Rounds
Uruguay 1 1 1 0 4
Ghana 1 0 2 -2 3

World Cup 2022 Final Standings And Prizemoney

Argentina received US$42 million for winning the 2022 sundial, the most in World Cup history. France,  the runners-up, received $30 million. Third place Croatia received $27 million, and fourth place Morocco ended up with $25 million.

Here are the final standings and prize money for the 2022 World Cup.

Country Final Standing Prizemoney
Argentina 1 $42 million
France 2 $30 million
Croatia 3 $27 million
Morocco 4 $25 million
Netherlands 5 $17 million
England 6 $17 million
Brazil 7 $17 million
Portugal 8 $17 million
Japan 9 $14 million
Senegal 10 $14 million
Australia 11 $14 million
Switzerland 12 $14 million
Spain 13 $14 million
USA 14 $14 million
Poland 15 $14 million
South Korea 16 $14 million
Germany 17 $9 million
Ecuador 18 $9 million
Cameroon 19 $9 million
Uruguay 20 $9 million
Tunisia 21 $9 million
Mexico 22 $9 million
Belgium 23 $9 million
Ghana 24 $9 million
Saudi Arabia 25 $9 million
Iran 26 $9 million
Costa Rica 27 $9 million
Denmark 28 $9 million
Serbia 29 $9 million
Wales 30 $9 million
Canada 31 $9 million
Qatar 32 $9 million

 

Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Qatar
Ahmed bin Ali Stadium

World Cup 2022 Goalscorers

The average number of goals per match was 2.69, with 172 goals scored in 64 games. Here is the list of players who scored three or more goals in the World Cup 2022. The Golden Boot winner, Kylian Mbappé, scored a hat-trick in the final, whiles runners-up Lionel Messi scored two goals too in the final.

Player Country Goals Scored
Kylian Mbappé France 8
Lionel Messi Argentina 7
Julián Álvarez Argentina 4
Olivier Giroud France 4
Richarlison Brazil 3
Enner Valencia Ecuador 3
Marcus Rashford England 3
Bukayo Saka England 3
Cody Gakpo Netherlands 3
Gonçalo Ramos Portugal 3
Álvaro Morata Spain 3

2022 World Cup Facts About Qatar

Qatar is the smallest nation ever to host the World Cup in terms of population and land area. Qatar has a population of only 2.6 million, which makes it the smallest nation to host an event of this magnitude.

This will be the second time an Asian country has hosted the event, following South Korea & Japan in 2002. Qatar will be the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup. In any case, Qatar will be the first Arab or Muslim nation to host the full event.

More than $220 billion was spent by Qatar on hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. For comparison, Brazil spent $20 billion on the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and Russia invested $15 billion in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Organizers expect the tournament to boost Qatar’s economy by $20 billion.

adidas soccer ball in qatar skyline

A new airport, metro, and roads were built in Qatar for the finals, as well as seven stadiums. A new stadium, that also hosts nine other matches, will host the World Cup 2022 Final, which is the centerpiece of a new city.

A country’s economic prosperity will be boosted by the construction of infrastructure to host and accommodate visitors. Qatar has predicted that hosting the FIFA World Cup will create 1.5 million new jobs in industries including construction, real estate, and hospitality.

Live TV & On Demand Soccer Streaming

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Temperatures in Qatar can reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius during the period of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It will be the first time a World Cup will be held in fully air-conditioned stadiums.

There will be air conditioning in all eight venues, allowing fans to enjoy a comfortable viewing experience while players can play in good conditions. The FIFA World Cup Qatar Football Association pledges to equip stadiums with air conditioning systems that maintain temperatures below 27 degrees Celsius.

In Qatar during the construction of the infrastructure projects for the 2022 World Cup, more than 6,500 migrant workers died, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

stephanie-frappart-first-woman-world-cup-referee

FIFA has revealed a list of the women referees for the 2022 World Cup. This will mark the first time there will be female referees at a men’s World Cup final. There are 36 match referees with France’s Stephanie Frappart, Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga, and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita among them.

Several allegations of bribery have been made between the Qatar bid committee and FIFA executives and members. Theo Zwanziger and Sepp Blatter have both said the decision to award the 2002 World Cup tournament to Qatar was a mistake.

Qatar eight World Cup stadiums

Which Supporters Are Attending The 2022 World Cup

The United States was the team with the best-supported team prior to the tournament. The fans purchased 146,000 tickets for their matches

There were 123,000 tickets purchased by Saudi Arabian fans following their national team. The next two countries on the list are Mexico and England, each with 91,000 tickets. Traveling fans are a tradition for both teams, and Qatar 2022 will be no different.

Yellow Cautions And Red Cards During The Tournament

Before the tournament, FIFA will wipe out any yellow cards a player received in the preliminary rounds, such as play-offs and qualifiers. A player’s suspension will continue into the group stage of the World Cup if he or she has received a red card during the preliminary stages.

During the group stage, what are the rules regarding yellow and red cards?

A player who receives a yellow card twice during the World Cup will automatically be suspended from the team’s next match. A player will also be suspended from participating in their team’s next game if they are sent off during the game.

Depending on the nature of the red card and the extent of the foul, FIFA can also add on further sanctions if deemed necessary.

What happens after the Group Stage of the World Cup? Are cautions wiped out?

Just before the World Cup’s semi-final stage, yellow cards are eliminated. If a player receives a yellow card during the group stage, the card will carry over into the first two knockout games – the round of 16 and quarterfinal.

World Cups haven’t always followed this pattern. Until 2010, yellow cards were wiped out after the initial group stage of a competition to give players a chance to reset as they entered the knockout stage.

leo messi kissing the world cup trophy

Who Sponsored The Qatar World Cup?

Football is big business, and the World Cup is the sport’s biggest international event, held every four years over four weeks and featuring the best teams from around the globe.

Every World Cup and FIFA’s many other international tournaments raise billions of dollars through sponsorship deals. The event is sponsored by some of the biggest brands in the world.

Here is a list of all sponsors, regional and global, for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Adidas, Byju’s, Claro, Coca-Cola, Crypto.com, Gulf Warehousing Company, Hisense, Hublot, Hyundai, McDonald’s, Mengniu, Nubank, Ooredoo, QatarEngergy, Qatar Airways, Qatar National Bank, The Look Company, Ooredoo, Visa, Vivo, and Wanda Group.

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