World Cup Fever has Arrived

The FIFA World Cup 2022 has arrived in Qatar. As the competition gets underway, the world turns its focus to screens in homes, offices, bars, restaurants and even shops to see the 32 nations battle it out.

A stalwart of many societies, football has its roots deep in many communities and captaining your nations team is every little boy’s dream. Only few ever realise that incredible achievement, with the pinnacle of the game’s professionals selected to be amongst the 26 players on each team’s bench.

The Stages

There are 8 groups which make up the early stages of the competition, each with 4 teams. These points-based groups will each emerge with two progressing teams, who advance to the knockout stages.

Next up come single-game knockout stages, first, the round of 16 onto the quarterfinals, semi-finals and the final, where the winner advances to the next round and the losers head home. Every knockout round is definitive with the winner decided through 90 minutes of football, and additional time and an often heart-skipping penalty shootout where needed.

Each match will be held at staggered times, giving fans around the world the chance to see the games. Groups stages will be held at 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm; with knockouts at 6pm and 10pm. The schedule runs from 20^th November through to the final on the 18^th December.

The Groups are as follows: –

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

The Predictions

The favourites for the competition in the run up, have been South American squads Brazil and Argentina, although Portugal, Spain, and France will undoubtedly top many people’s predictions.

Whilst it’s easy to pick out teams that stand out from the crowd, the glory of the good game comes down to its unpredictability. Scientific studies have shown football to be the most exciting game on the planet, with teams from the bottom leagues able to snatch wins from those in the top on match day.

As the hype around the world cup builds, underdogs can often find extra fight, with their big chance on the big stage to shine driving grit and determination.

The Shirts

Supporting your nations team is made easier this year, as you can grab all the latest kits and colours from SoccerTop’s country range.