The 2022 FIFA World Cup is happening this month and while Ireland certainly won’t be there, there are plenty of teams to cheer for as France attempt to become the first side since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend their world title. Only Italy (1934 and 1938) have been able to achieve a similar feat.
It’s a different year for the World Cup as well. With Qatar playing host, temperatures in the Middle East can easily hit 40-50 degrees celsius in the summer months so we’re in for a winter World Cup, out of health and safety concerns if nothing else. Yes, there’s plenty of controversy surrounding this edition of the World Cup, from finances to human rights concerns to calls for teams to be banned from participating even less than three weeks out.
Parking all that aside for another day’s discussion, there is plenty of football to be played, and there will be hundreds of millions of eyes on the games running November through December. We all still want to see Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar shine on the world stage. We’ll revel in the wonders that Brazil can throw up, watch on as the tournament unearths the next international breakout star and dry our eyes when England falter in the knockout stages. Or, 56 years later, is this the time it’s actually coming home?
When are the games on?
So, the group stages will begin on Sunday 20 November with four games per day until Friday 2 December. An exception is for the opening two days with Qatar (as hosts) kicking off the tournament on Sunday against Ecuador with three games taking place on Monday 21 November. At the end of the 12-day run, the winners and group runners-up move on to the knockout stages.
Group stages (Irish time)
Sunday November 20
- Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Monday November 21
- Group B: England vs Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 1pm)
- Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, 4pm)
- Group B: USA vs Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 7pm)
Tuesday November 22
- Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 10am)
- Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 1pm)
- Group C: Mexico vs Poland (Stadium 974, Doha, 4pm)
- Group D: France vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 7pm)
Wednesday November 23
- Group F: Morocco vs Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 10am)
- Group E: Germany vs Japan (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 1pm)
- Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, 4pm)
- Group F: Belgium vs Canada (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 7pm)
Thursday November 24
- Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 10am)
- Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 1pm)
- Group H: Portugal vs Ghana (Stadium 974, Doha, 4pm)
- Group G: Brazil vs Serbia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Friday November 25
- Group B: Wales vs Iran (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 10am)
- Group A: Qatar vs Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, 1pm)
- Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 4pm)
- Group B: England vs USA (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Saturday November 26
- Group C: Tunisia vs Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 10am)
- Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 1pm)
- Group D: France vs Denmark (Stadium 974, Doha, 4pm)
- Group C: Argentina vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Sunday November 27
- Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 10am)
- Group F: Belgium vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, 1pm)
- Group F: Croatia vs Canada (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 4pm)
- Group E: Spain vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Monday November 28
- Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 10am)
- Group G: South Korea vs Ghana (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 1pm)
- Group H: Brazil vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha, 4pm)
- Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Tuesday November 29
- Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 3pm)
- Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Group B: Wales vs England (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 7pm)
- Group B: Iran vs USA (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Wednesday November 30
- Group D: Australia vs Denmark (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 3pm)
- Group D: Tunisia vs France (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Group C: Poland vs Argentina (Stadium 974, Doha, 7pm)
- Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Thursday December 1
- Group F: Croatia vs Belgium (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Group F: Canada vs Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor, 3pm)
- Group E: Costa Rica vs Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
- Group E: Japan vs Spain (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 7pm)
Friday, December 2
- Group G: South Korea vs Portugal (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Group G: Ghana vs Uruguay (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 3pm)
- Group H: Serbia vs Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha, 7pm)
- Group H: Cameroon vs Brazil (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Knockouts: Round of 16
Saturday December 3
- Game 49: Winners of Group A vs Runners-up of Group B (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Game 50: Winners of Group C vs Runners-up of Group D (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, 7pm)
Sunday December 4
- Game 52: Winners of Group D vs Runners-up of Group C (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, 3pm)
- Game 51: Winners of Group B vs Runners-up of Group A (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Monday December 5
- Game 53: Winners of Group E vs Runners-up of Group F (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, 3pm)
- Game 54: Winners of Group G vs Runners-up of Group H (Stadium 974, Doha, 7pm)
Tuesday December 6
- Game 55: Winners of Group F vs Runners-up of Group E (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Game 56: Winners of Group H vs Runners-up of Group G (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Knockouts: Quarter-finals
Friday, December 9
- Game 58: Winners of 53 vs Winners of 54 (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
- Game 57: Winners of 49 vs Winners of 50 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7pm)
Saturday December 10
- Game 60: Winners of 55 vs Winners of 56 (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, 3pm)
- Game 59: Winners of 51 vs Winners of 52 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Knockouts: Semi-finals, Third-place play-off
Tuesday December 13
- Game 61: Winners of 57 vs Winners of 58 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 7pm)
Wednesday December 14
- Game 62: Winners of 59 vs Winners of 60 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, 7pm)
Saturday December 17
- Game 63: Third place play-off (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, 3pm)
2022 FIFA World Cup Final
Sunday December 18
- Game 64: The World Cup final (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, 3pm)
For fans of the Premier League, games resume eight days later on Monday 26 December for the usual St. Stephen’s Day programme.
