FIFA World Cup 2022: start date, schedule, teams, venues and final

Here’s what you need to know about the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar:

When does World Cup 2022 start?

* This year’s World Cup in Qatar will be held from Nov 20-Dec. 18.

* The tournament will begin with a Group A match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Nov. 20.

* The World Cup will start a day earlier than originally scheduled to ensure hosts Qatar play the opening match.

Which teams are taking part?

The World Cup will feature 32 teams and will begin with a group stage, with teams divided into eight groups of four.

* Group A: Qatar (hosts), Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

* Group B: England, Iran, United States, 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

What are the venues?

* Games will take place at eight stadiums — Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Iconic Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium.

* With 80,000 seats, Lusail Iconic Stadium is the largest of Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums.

* All the stadiums are located within 40 kilometres of central Doha.

What is the schedule?

* There will be a round-robin format in the group stage when each of the 32 teams play three matches each. Teams will get three points for a win and one for a draw. The final group stage match will be played on Dec. 2.

* The top two in each group advance to the last 16. The knockout rounds will begin on Dec. 3 and will feature one-off matches, which can go to extra time and then penalties to decide the winner.