Qatar 2022: FIFA World Cup NOVEMBER 20 - DECEMBER 18 Qatar hosts the 22nd FIFA World Cup, marking the first time the showpiece has been held in the Middle East. After over a decade of controversy, Al Bayt Stadium, in Al Khor,is set to stage the opening match on November 20 PURPLE PRIDE: Qatar makes FIFA World Cup debut – 80th different nation to compete. South Korea finished fourth in 2002, the best performance by an Asian country to date Appearances by confederation Europe 34 Africa 13 Asia including Qatar 12 North America 11 South America 9 Oceania 1 Total 80 nations Host nations Canada, Mexico and USA chosen as hosts of 2026 FIFA World Cup Kylian Mbappé French talisman, 23, scored in 2018 triumph over Croatia to become youngest player to score in World Cup final since Pele in 1958 adidas Al Rihla 2022 Official World Cup match ball WINNING FEELING: Victory for France would be first successive title win since 1962 – Les Bleus kick off campaign against Australia Brazil Win ratio: 67.0% Tournament wins: 73 Germany 61.5% 67 Italy 54.2% 45 Argentina 53.1% 43 France 51.5% 34 Spain 47.6% 30 England 42.0% 29 Netherlands 54.0% 27 Reigning European champions Italy failed to qualify for second consecutive World Cup Venues Lusail Stadium Capacity: 80,000 Ahmad bin Ali Stadium 40,000 Education City 40,000 Al Bayt Stadium (Al Khor) 60,000 DOHA Khalifa International 45,400 Al Thumama Stadium 40,000 THE GULF Doha Bay Stadium 974 40,000 Al Janoub Stadium 40,000 5km 3 miles BAHRAIN 50km 30 miles SAUDI ARABIA Main map QATAR Top goalscorers: England’s Harry Kane (right) – 2018 Golden Boot winner – scored 12 goals in qualifying matches. Surpassed by Cyle Larin (inset) with 13 goals, as Canada reached first World Cup since 1986 Competition schedule 32 teams contest total of 64 matches, played at eight venues, over four weeks 0 FIFA rank (Aug 2022) Nov A 48 44 18 8 20 Qatar Ecuador Al Bayt 21 Senegal Netherlands Al Thumama 25 Qatar Senegal Al Thumama Netherlands Ecuador Khalifa 29 Ecuador Senegal Khalifa Netherlands Qatar Al Bayt P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov B 5 22 14 19 21 England Iran Khalifa USA Wales Ahmad bin Ali 25 Wales Iran Ahmad bin Ali England USA Al Bayt 29 Wales England Ahmad bin Ali Iran USA Al Thumama P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov C 3 53 12 26 22 Argentina Saudi Arabia Lusail Mexico Poland Stadium 974 26 Poland S. Arabia Education City Argentina Mexico Lusail 30 Poland Argentina Stadium 974 Saudi Arabia Mexico Lusail P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov D 4 39 10 30 22 Denmark Tunisia Education City France Australia Al Janoub 26 Tunisia Australia Al Janoub France Denmark Stadium 974 30 Australia Denmark Al Janoub Tunisia France Education City P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov/Dec E 6 34 11 24 23 Germany Japan Khalifa Spain Costa Rica Al Thumama 27 Japan Costa Rica Ahmad bin Ali Spain Germany Al Bayt 1 Japan Spain Khalifa Costa Rica Germany Al Bayt P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov/Dec F 2 43 23 15 23 Morocco Croatia Al Bayt Belgium Canada Ahmad bin Ali 27 Belgium Morocco Al Thumama Croatia Canada Khalifa 1 Croatia Belgium Ahmad bin Ali Canada Morocco Al Thumama P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov/Dec G 1 25 16 38 24 Switzerland Cameroon Al Janoub Brazil Serbia Lusail 28 Cameroon Serbia Al Janoub Brazil Switzerland Stadium 974 2 Serbia Switzerland Stadium 974 Cameroon Brazil Lusail P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Nov/Dec H 9 60 13 28 24 Uruguay S. Korea Education City Portugal Ghana Stadium 974 28 South Korea Ghana Education City Portugal Uruguay Lusail 2 Ghana Uruguay Al Janoub South Korea Portugal Education City P W D L F A Pts 1 2 3 4 Top two from each group progress to knockout stage If scores level after 90 minutes, knockout stage matches go into extra-time. Matches remaining level decided on penalties Third-place play-off Dec 17 Khalifa International Second stage Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Second stage Dec Khalifa Dec Al Bayt 3 A1 4 B1 B2 A2 Dec 9 Lusail Dec 10 Al Bayt Ahmad bin Ali Semi-final FINAL Semi-final Al Thumama 3 C1 Dec 13 Dec 18 Dec 14 4 D1 D2 Lusail Lusail Stadium Al Bayt C2 Al Janoub Education City 5 E1 6 F1 F2 E2 Dec 9 Education City Dec 10 Al Thumama Stadium 974 Lusail 5 G1 6 H1 H2 G2 Centrepiece of Lusail City metropolis – design emulates decorative motifs on bowls found in Middle East Lusail Stadium Capacity: 80,000 Vast World Cup budget reportedly around $200bn – eight stadia, plus training sites and football pitches, cost some $6.5bn alone ROLL CALL OF CHAMPIONS Host nation 1930 Uruguay 4-2 Argentina Uruguay 1934 Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia Italy 1938 Italy 4-2 Hungary France 1950 Uruguay 2-1 Brazil Brazil 1954 West Germany 3-2 Hungary Switzerland 1958 Brazil 5-2 Sweden Sweden 1962 Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia Chile 1966 England 4-2 West Germany England 1970 Brazil 4-1 Italy Mexico 1974 West Germany 2-1 Netherlands West Germany 1978 Argentina 3-1 Netherlands Argentina 1982 Italy 3-1 West Germany Spain 1986 Argentina 3-2 West Germany Mexico 1990 West Germany 1-0 Argentina Italy 1994 Brazil 0-0 (3-2 pens) Italy USA 1998 France 3-0 Brazil France 2002 Brazil 2-0 Germany Korea/Japan 2006 Italy 1-1 (5-3 pens) France Germany 2010 Spain 1-0 Netherlands South Africa 2014 Germany 1-0 Argentina Brazil 2018 France 4-2 Croatia Russia Source: FIFA Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS