From mid-November to mid-December, Qatar will host the twenty-second edition of the Football World Cup. The FIFA World Cup 2022 will include a total of 32 teams. The Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, will host the final match of the month-long event on December 18. The competition will be divided into two parts: group stages and knockout stages. There will be a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and championship match in the knockout stages. Let's have a look at the teams that are expected to win the Qatar World Cup 2022.

2022 FIFA World Cup: Participating Teams

Thirty-two teams have qualified from the six continental confederations of FIFA. Each confederation has allocated slots for the main event. Qatar qualified for the main event as a host nation. The rest of the teams have been selected through the qualifying phases of each confederation. Europe has the most participating teams with 13, while Oceania has only one slot but has to play a playoff against the fourth placed team in CONCACAF to secure a place in the main event. 

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As per FIFA qualification rules for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the following teams qualified for the main event:

   Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022

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Venues for the Qatar World Cup 2022

The bidding procedure for the 2022 World Cup started in January 2009. UEFA nations withdrew their interest in hosting the football World Cup 2022 after ensuring that a European nation would host the 2018 edition. Russia eventually hosted the 2018 World Cup.

There were five bids for the World Cup football 2022 and they were Qatar, the United States, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. Qatar and the USA took part in the final bidding as the other three were eliminated from the first, second and third rounds. Qatar eventually won the bidding with 14 votes, while the USA earned 8 votes.

The selection of Qatar as the host nation for the FIFA World Cup 2022 sparked a lot of controversy as some of the members of the game's highest governing body were accused of corruption. However, there is a keen interest among fans from all over the world regarding this World Cup.

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Qatar is one of the smallest nations yet rich. So, the question raised is how can they manage to organize such a mega event? Qatar promises a sparkling event which the world has never seen before. They intend to build a stadium that will reflect their history and culture. Besides, with this tournament, a country from the Middle East will host a world cup for the first time ever.

Qatar has built a total of eight stadiums in five major cities in the country. The cities which will host the tournament are Lusail, Al Khor, Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al Wakrah.

The following are the venues for the 2022 World Cup

   Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022

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World Cup Football 2022: Who will Play with Whom in the Group Stage?

32 teams were divided into eight groups, and each group contained four teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the first knockout round. The tournament hosts, Qatar, will compete in Group A, while the reigning champions, France, will compete in Group D. The competition will kick off with the match between the Netherlands and Senegal on November 21.

Take a look at the FIFA World Cup 2022 groups

   Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022

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As per the draw, Group H is considered to be the toughest of all. Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea are all well capable of finishing in the top two in this group. Senegal and the Netherlands are favourites to advance to the Round of 16 from Group A, but Ecuador are also capable of finishing in the top two. England are overwhelmingly favourites in Group B, while Iran, the USA and Wales all have an equal chance of finishing second in this group.

Argentina are the favourites to win Group C, while Mexico and Poland will compete for second place. France and Denmark are favourites to move to the Round of 16 from Group D, while Spain and Germany are likely to advance to the next round from Group E. Belgium and Croatia are the favourites in group F. Brazil are widely expected to win Group G. However, Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon all have a chance to finish second in group G, so Brazil will have to be careful in their group stage fixtures.

Who are the Favourites to Win the Qatar World Cup 2022?

As per the bookies, France, Brazil, Argentina, England, and Spain are the top favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Uruguay, and Portugal also have a good chance to do well during the tournament. Let’s take a look at the current scenario of the top favourites for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

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France

France are the reigning World Cup champions and arguably the hot favourites to win the 22nd edition of the tournament. France recently won the second edition of the Nations League in October 2021 by beating Spain 2-1 in the final. The third-ranked team by FIFA, France, have a very balanced squad with world class players in every position. France are expected to face relatively easier opponents until the quarter-finals, where they may meet either England or the Netherlands.

France's top three most important players: N'Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema

World Cup performance in 2018: Champions.

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Brazil

Five-time World Cup champions, Brazil, are one of the favourites to lift the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Brazil has a formidable squad with outstanding players at every position. Brazil must overcome significant obstacles from the group stage to the knockout rounds in order to reach the final. They must beat Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon to finish first in their group. So, the Selecao needs to be at their very best from the start of the competition.

Brazil's top three most important players: Alisson, Fabinho, Neymar Jr 

World Cup performance in 2018: Quarter-Finals.

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Argentina

One year ago, Argentina's team wasn’t considered a top favourite for the 2022 World Cup. However, things have changed after Argentina’s Copa America 2021 win, followed by the Finalissima 2022 win over Italy. Argentina have emerged as one of the favourites to win the tournament. They are currently unbeaten in 33 matches and are only five matches away from setting up a new world record. They could attain the record during the World Cup. Argentina have a relatively easier group to finish top of the points table and can face Denmark in the Round of 16.

Argentina's top three most important players: Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi

World Cup performance in 2018: Round of 16.

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England

England reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and finished second in the 2020 EURO Championship. The English side is very strong as they have some world-class players in their kitty. England should comfortably finish top of their group, but they may face some serious challenges in the knockout rounds. They may face the Netherlands and France in the Round of 16 and quarter-finals should they advance.

England's top three most important players: Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raheem Sterling

World Cup performance in 2018: Semi-Finals.

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Spain

The Spanish side is in a rebuilding process, but with the guidance of manager Luis Enrique, they have done pretty well in the recent international fixtures. Spain were runners-up in the second edition of the Nations League, losing to France 2-1 in the final. Spain have some seriously talented players who can inspire them to go further in the tournament. Spain may finish first or second in the group stage, which will determine their opposition in the Round of 16. They will likely face either Belgium or Croatia in the first knockout round.

Spain's top three most important players: Cesar Azpilicueta, Sergio Busquets, Rodri

World Cup performance in 2018: Round of 16.

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Germany

The current German squad is not as lethal as it was a few years ago. That is why many pundits don’t think Germany will be a top contender for this year's World Cup. However, Germany are the second-most successful team in the competition, and they can surprise everyone with their performance. Germany will compete against Spain to finish in the top two in the group stage. They may face either Belgium or Croatia in the Round of 16.

Germany's top three most important players: Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rudiger, Thomas Muller

World Cup performance in 2018: Group Stage.

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Belgium

The golden generation of Belgium hasn’t lived up to the expectations in recent tournaments. Belgium’s greatest-ever result in the World Cup competition came in the 2018 edition when they finished third. Belgium was one of the favorites to win the 2020 Euro, but they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Ranked second in the FIFA rankings, Belgium will have to fight against Croatia to finish top in their group. They may face either Spain or Germany in the Round of 16.

Belgium's top three most important players: Kevin De Bruyne, Axel Witsel, Romelu Lukaku

World Cup performance in 2018: Semi-Finals (Third Place).

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Netherlands

The Dutch team played well in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers after missing out on taking part in the 2018 edition. They have some quality players in their squad and can surprise everyone with some good performances in the main event. The Netherlands should qualify for the Round of 16. They may face an easier opponent if they finish top of their group, but will likely face England if they finish second in their group.

Netherlands top three most important players: Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong

World Cup performance in 2018: Did not qualify.

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Uruguay

Two-time World Cup champions Uruguay may not be an out-and-out favourite, but they have some very good players in their squad. Uruguay may surprise everyone in the knockout stages if they play to their full potential in the main event. However, they have to overcome some big hurdles to finish in the top two in the group stage and qualify for the Round of 16. They may face Brazil in the first knockout round if they finish second in their group.

Uruguay's top three most important players: Jose Gimenez, Federico Valverde, Darwin Nunez

World Cup performance in 2018: Quarter-Finals.

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Portugal

Portugal’s recent international success was to win the first edition of the Nations League in 2019. The Portuguese national team had to play in the playoffs to secure a place in the World Cup 2022. They have some top names in world football. The Portuguese team has the ability to win the tournament if they can execute their game plans properly during the competition. Portugal may face Brazil in the Round of 16 depending on the outcome of the group stage.

Portugal's top three most important players: Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo

World Cup performance in 2018: Round of 16.

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Way Forward

According to recent performances, France, Brazil, and Argentina are the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022. In addition, Germany, England, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Uruguay, and Portugal are all strong contenders and will all try to win this year's championship. The ambition for the remaining teams would be to finish at least second in their respective groups and go as far as possible in the knockout stages. Predicting who will perform at their best in the quest for the championship match is difficult given that the majority of the teams are unfamiliar with middle-east weather conditions. The 2022 Qatar World Cup will kick off on November 21 and finish with the title match on December 18.