Despite a controversy over FIFA’s decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the tournament is now underway. The first round of matches is set to kick off on November 20. All of the groups will have two games each, with the winners entering the knockout phase. A quarter-final match will take place on December 9, while the third place play-off is set for December 17 in the UAE. The final is set for December 18.
The USMNT will play Wales in the first match of the tournament today. The team hasn’t won a game since June. The last two victories were against South Korea and Japan. The team is in Group B, where they will play England if they finish second.
FIFA decided to take aim at the players in the tournament, a move that had little precedent. It has been criticized for undermining Qatar’s reputation and for threatening discipline. Qatar has also been accused of human rights abuses and has been under scrutiny since winning the bid for the tournament. There have been reports of gay workers and their families being discriminated against.
The FIFA World Cup will have eight stadiums, which are located across five cities. The Al Bayt Stadium is the largest, and it is located in Al Khor. Al Rayyan is another stadium that will be used. The Education City Stadium is located in Doha, and the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium is located in Al Rayyan. Al Wakrah will also be used for the World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to start five months later than usual due to Qatar’s high heat. This will mean that the tournament will be compressed into four weeks. The tournament will also be held during the winter months, a first for a World Cup in the Northern Hemisphere. The tournament is expected to draw up to one million fans. Many of the fans will stay on cruise ships, but some will stay in neighboring countries.
The World Cup will feature eight stadiums in the Doha area. Each stadium is within 40 miles of the next. This is the lowest number of stadiums since Argentina hosted the World Cup in 1978. The stadiums are set to be used during both the group stage and knockout phase.
The group stage of the 2022 World Cup will last 13 days instead of 15. The group winners will move onto the knockout stage, while the group runners-up will go into the round of 16. The final will be held on December 18 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail. The third place play-off will take place in the UAE on December 17.
The World Cup will have eight different kickoff times. All of the matches will begin at the same time every day. However, some of the matches will be scheduled for 10 p.m., which is unusual for a World Cup. The time change is meant to maximize viewership.
