Fixture Dates To Highlight And Teams To Keep An Eye On At The 2022 Soccer World Cup

Don’t miss out on Soccer’s biggest and most-watched tournament, and here’s why! The 2022 Soccer World Cup promises to be an event that’s worth waiting four years to watch. With some of the biggest names in the history of soccer gracing the fields for their last World Cup, the spectacle promises to be a thriller. Not to mention the wealth of up-and-coming talent stepping out onto the World Cup field for the first time.

If you aren’t up to speed yet with fixtures, groups, and teams, we’ve got you covered with some vital information. Keep reading to find out more about crucial match dates, players, and teams to look out for during the 2022 Soccer World Cup.

When Is The Next Soccer World Cup? 

Before we dive into the more intricate details, let’s start at the beginning and answer some of the more basic questions about the competition. Listed below are the important dates you should diarise, so that you’re kept in the loop and don’t miss a second of the action.

• First Match: The first world cup game is set to take place on Sunday, November 20, at 18:00 (SAST).
• Opening Ceremony: Tune in at 16:00 (SAST) on Sunday, November 20 to watch the opening ceremony.
• Third Place Play-off: The battle for the bronze medal is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 17, at 17:00 (SAST)
• Final Match: The final of the Soccer World cup 2022 will kick off at 17:00 (SAST) on Sunday, December 18.

World Cup 2022 Fixtures

If you aren’t up to date with the fixtures list, you could miss out on one or two of your favourite team’s matches. Other than the fixtures we’ve listed above, here are some of the other important world cup fixtures to highlight:

• Round Of 16 Fixtures: The 8 matches for this stage of the tournament take place from the 3rd to the 6th of December. There will be two matches a day happening at 17:00 and 21:00 (SAST). 
• Quarter-finals: The final 8 teams will battle it out for a spot in the semi-finals on the 9th and 10th of December. Two matches will take place a day – one at 17:00 and one at 21:00 (SAST).
• Semi-finals: The much-anticipated final 4 teams will take to the field for a spot in the coveted final on the 13th and 14th of December. Both games will be played at 21:00 (SAST).

For a full fixtures schedule that can conveniently be downloaded to your phone or laptop, click here.

World Cup 2022 Groups 

32 qualified teams will have the honour of playing for the top prize in Qatar. They have been drawn into 8 different groups, from which the top 2 teams in each group will make it to the round of 16. Below are the official World Cup groups:

• 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

World Cup 2022 Teams To Watch

Of the 32 teams that are competing for the top honours in Qatar, there are some stand-out groups that will be exciting to watch, and more likely to win the entire tournament. In no particular order, here are 5 of the best teams you should keep an eye on for this year’s World Cup:

1. Portugal: You won’t want to miss a minute of action from Portugal as their long-standing talisman, and one of the best to ever play the sport, Christiano Ronaldo, will be playing in his final World Cup. He will play alongside exciting young prospects of the game who are sure to wow us with their talent.
2. Belgium: The third-place finishers from the 2018 World Cup will be hoping to make it to the semi-finals round once again, but with a different outcome this time. Their FIFA ranking of second in the world is enough to suggest they won’t finish any lower than they did in 2018.
3. Argentina: Another team with one of the best to ever play the beautiful game, Argentina is a force to be reckoned with. This will likely be Lionel Messi’s last chance to win the trophy, but playing alongside the likes of Ȧngel Di Maria certainly makes it possible. 
4. France: The champions from 4 years ago return as favourites, and will be hoping to repeat their success and secure their spot in history. Look out for the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Karin Benzema (the 2022 Ballon d’Or), to lead their squad to many victories. 
5. Brazil: The highly-skilled footballing nation of Brazil will be hoping to add to their 5 previous World Cup tournament title victories. As the country with the most titles in history, they can certainly be considered one of the favourites. The skill and finesse that their players lead with make their games a delight to watch.

Which African Teams Are Taking Part In The 2022 Soccer World Cup?

There are 5 representatives from Africa that will be taking part at the 2022 World Cup. Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, Ghana, and Tunisia are the teams that will have the opportunity to become the first African team to ever win the tournament. Defending AFCON champions Senegal should be considered favourites to make it the furthest in the tournament. 

Conclusion  

If you won’t be sitting down to cheer on your favourite soccer team during the World Cup, you’ll be missing out on the pleasure of an exhibition that will be remembered for a lifetime. Whenever it’s your turn to host game day, book a cleaning service and gardening service to ensure your home is in perfect condition for your loved ones. Share these important World Cup dates and tips with those who also don’t want to miss a single moment of the action.