The football Qatar World Cup 2022 is almost ready to kick-off later this year. Set to be the largest sporting event for the UK since last year’s Euro championship, with the England team taking on Iran on the opening day itself, here are the key details for the upcoming tournament and everything we know so far about it.

The 2022 World Cup is set to commence from Monday 21st November 2022, with the opening match being Senegal against the Netherlands at the Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar. The highly-anticipated finale will take place on Sunday 18th December 2022, to round off four weeks of intense matches as the 32 teams (29 of which have been confirmed as of 29th April 2022) complete for football glory.

Venues will include: Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Lusail Stadium, and Ras Abu Aboud Stadium. All eight venues are in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar.

Whereas previous World Cups have taken place during the UK summer season (for example, Brazil 2014 and, more recently, Russia 2018), due to the difference in seasonal patterns between the UK and Qatar the decision has been made to shift the 2022 World Cup back by almost half a year.

As for teams, three country teams are yet to be confirmed in qualifying matches that will take place over the next few weeks in various locations in different continents. However, the remaining teams have officially been announced alongside which group they are in and their first match.

  • Group A consists of Qatar (who, as the country hosting, qualify by default), Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands.
  • Group B consists of England, Iran, the United States of America (USA), and one of either Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine - to be decided in qualifying playoffs for Europe.
  • Group C consists of Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland.
  • Group D consists of France, Denmark, Tunisia, and one of either Peru, Australia, or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - to be decided in qualifying playoffs for Asia/America.
  • Group E consists of Spain, Germany, Japan, and one of either Costa Rica or New Zealand - to be decided in qualifying playoffs for Oceania.
  • Group F consists of Belgium, Canada, Morocco, and Croatia.
  • Group G consists of Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon.
  • Finally, Group H consists of Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea/Korea Republic.

Unsurprisingly, following recent events involving the Ukraine invasion since February 2022, Russia has been suspended from entering the 2022 World Cup, and several teams have openly expressed their disapproval of the country.

I asked a friend and avid football fan, Vishnu Selvakumar, about his opinions on which team will bring home the win. I was not surprised by what he had to say: "England. No doubt about it, we were so unlucky last time out in the Euros, I was devastated, and if anything, we deserve to win it this time around. 56 years is a long enough wait - and with the way the team has been built around [Gareth] Southgate, it's phenomenal. I reckon we'll make it to, at least, the finals, if not win it. How will I sum it all up? It's coming home."

One thing’s for sure. While the Euro 2020 championship may have been delayed by an entire year, and many other smaller sporting events further postponed or cancelled, the 2022 World Cup is the return to normality that the passionate football community needed, and it is finally here, and here to stay - and by the end, only one country can win. But who?