World Cup 2022: Dates, draw, schedule, kick-off times, final for Qatar tournament

From key dates to kick-off times, here’s all you need to know about this year’s tournament.

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When and where is the 2022 World Cup?

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicks off on Monday November 21 at the Al Thumama Stadium when Senegal take on the Netherlands in Group A followed by hosts Qatar against Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium.

England will also feature on the first day with their Group B match against Iran scheduled to take place just eight days after the Premier League shuts down.

After qualifying via the play-offs, Wales will play England on Tuesday November 29 in Group B.

The final will be played at the Lusail Stadium in Doha a week before Christmas on Sunday December 18.

Who has qualified?

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England's Best WCQ Goals Thumbnail

After a successful World Cup qualifying campaign, we pick out the best goals from England’s journey to Qatar 2022, featuring strikes from Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and more!

Finally, all of the 32 nations who will appear at the tournament are now known.

As hosts, Qatar received automatic qualification to next year’s tournament.

Four-time World Cup winners Germany were the first team to guarantee a spot through the qualification process in Europe, while Brazil – the most successful national team in World Cup history with five trophies – secured qualification as one of the top four teams in South America’s groups.

England secured their place in November by topping their qualifying group.

Portugal, Poland and Wales progressed to the finals after winning their play-off finals.

What is the World Cup group draw?

The 2022 World Cup will begin with 32 teams in eight 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

What is the World Cup format and schedule?

PA - France players celebrate winning the World Cup in Moscow in 2018

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France players celebrate winning the World Cup in Moscow in 2018

Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, which will run over a 12-day period and see winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16.

Unlike at Euro 2020, there will be a third-place play-off game on December 17.

Group stage – all kick-off times in UK y

Monday November 21

Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10am)
Group B: England vs Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 4pm)
Group B: USA vs Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)

Tuesday November 22

Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 10am)
Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group C: Mexico vs Poland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group D: France vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 7pm)

Wednesday November 23

Group F: Morocco vs Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 10am)
Group E: Germany vs Japan (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 4pm)
Group F: Belgium vs Canada (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)

Thursday November 24

Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10am)
Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group H: Portugal vs Ghana (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group G: Brazil vs Serbia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Friday November 25

Group B: Wales vs Iran (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10am)
Group A: Qatar vs Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 1pm)
Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm)
Group B: England vs USA (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)

Saturday November 26

Group C: Tunisia vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10am)
Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group D: France vs Denmark (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group C: Argentina vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Sunday November 27

Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 10am)
Group F: Belgium vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 1pm)
Group F: Croatia vs Canada (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 4pm)
Group E: Spain vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)

Monday November 28

Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 10am)
Group G: South Korea vs Ghana (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 1pm)
Group H: Brazil vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 4pm)
Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Tuesday November 29

Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 3pm)
Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group B: Wales vs England (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Group B: Iran vs USA (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)

Wednesday November 30

Group D: Australia vs Denmark (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm)
Group D: Tunisia vs France (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group C: Poland vs Argentina (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Thursday December 1

Group F: Croatia vs Belgium (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group F: Canada vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 3pm)
Group E: Costa Rica vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Group E: Japan vs Spain (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)

Friday, December 2

Group G: South Korea vs Portugal (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Group G: Ghana vs Uruguay (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm)
Group H: Serbia vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)
Group H: Cameroon vs Brazil (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Round of 16

Saturday December 3
49 – Winners of Group A vs. Runners-up of Group B (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
50 – Winners of Group C vs. Runners-up of Group D (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)

Sunday December 4
52 – Winners of Group D vs. Runners-up of Group C (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 3pm)
51 – Winners of Group B vs. Runners-up of Group A (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)

Monday December 5
53 – Winners of Group E vs. Runners-up of Group F (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm)
54 – Winners of Group G vs. Runners-up of Group H (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)

Tuesday December 6
55 – Winners of Group F vs. Runners-up of Group E (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
56 – Winners of Group H vs. Runners-up of Group G (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Quarter-finals

Friday December 9
58 – Winners of 53 vs. Winners of 54 (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
57 – Winners of 49 vs. Winners of 50 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 3pm)

Saturday December 10
60 – Winners of 55 vs. Winners of 56 (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 3pm)
59 – Winners of 51 vs. Winners of 52 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)

Semi-finals

Tuesday December 13
61 – Winners of 57 vs. Winners of 58 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)

Wednesday December 14
62 – Winners of 59 vs. Winners of 60 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)

Saturday December 17
63 – Third place play-off (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)

Final

Sunday December 18
64 – The World Cup final (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 3pm)

When will the matches kick off?

FIFA has confirmed the first two rounds of matches will kick off at 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm local time (10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm in the United Kingdom).

Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knockout-round matches will be at 6pm and 10pm local time (3pm and 7pm UK time).

The final is scheduled to kick off at 6pm local time (3pm UK time)

What are the venues?

This computer-generated image shows an artists impression of Ras Abu Aboud Stadium in the host city of Doha

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This computer-generated image shows an artists impression of Ras Abu Aboud Stadium in the host city of Doha

The group games will take place across eight stadia: Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Education City Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium.

What will happen with the Premier League?

The Premier League has confirmed key dates for the 2022/23 campaign, with the season adjusted to accommodate a World Cup that takes place in the middle of the domestic calendar.

The season will start a week earlier than normal on August 6 2022, with 16 matchdays taking place up to the weekend of November 12/13, before the tournament kicks off on November 21.

The Premier League will resume on Boxing Day following the World Cup final, which takes place on December 18.

The final match round of the 2022/23 season will be played on May 28 2023.