With the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar on the horizon, the 32 teams competing in the first tournament hosted in the Middle East will be getting ready for some of the biggest weeks in their nation's soccer calendars.
The tournament will be held in November and December for the first time, as temperatures can top 45 degrees Celsius during a Qatari summer.
Eight stadiums across five cites in the country, its capital Doha as well as Lusail, Al Khor, Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah will host the games.
Here is who is playing, how they qualified, and who they will meet in the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Which Nations Have Qualified for the World Cup?
There will be 32 nations involved in the 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar, the same number of qualifiers since France 1998.
However, this will change when the finals are hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026, when the number increases to 48.
This time, Qatar qualifies as the host nation and the 31 other countries have qualified via:
- Africa (CAF): 5
- Asia (AFC): 6 (Qatar as hosts, plus 1 playoff qualifier)
- Europe (UEFA): 13
- North/Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF): 4 (1 playoff qualifier)
- South America (CONMEBOL): 4 (1 playoff qualifier)
Here is a breakdown of each federation:
Africa
Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon.
Asia
Qatar (hosts), Iran, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia
Europe
Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland and Wales
North/Central America & Caribbean
Canada, United States, Mexico and Costa Rica
South America
Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay and Argentina
World Cup Group Draw
There will be eight groups with four teams in each, and this is how they look:
Group A
Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and Netherlands
Group B
England, Iran, United States and Wales
Group C
Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland
Group D
France, Australia, Denmark and Tunisia
Group E
Spain, Costa Rica, Germany and Japan
Group F
Belgium, Canada, Morocco and Croatia
Group G
Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H
Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
