2022 World Cup" redirects here.

For other competitions of that name, see 2022 World

Cup (disambiguation).
2022 FIFA World Cup
٢٠٢٢ ‫كأس العالم لكرة القدم‬
Kaʾs al-ʿālam li-kurat al-qadam 2022
Qatar 2022
٢٠٢٢ ‫قطر‬
2022 FIFA World Cup.svg
The official emblem
Tournament details
Host country Qatar
Dates 21 November – 18 December 2022
Teams 32 (from 5 or 6 confederations)
Venue(s) 8 (in 5 host cities)
← 20182026 →
The 2022 FIFA World Cup (Arabic: ٢٠٢٢ ‫كأس العالم لكرة القدم‬, romanized: Kaʾs al-ʿālam li-
kurat al-qadam 2022) is scheduled to be the 22nd running of the FIFA World Cup
competition, the quadrennial international men's football championship contested by
the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take
place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022. This will be the first World
Cup ever to be held in the Arab world,[1] and it will be the second World Cup held
entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament was held in South Korea and Japan.[a] In
addition, the tournament will be the last to involve 32 teams, with an increase to
48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and
Canada. The reigning World Cup champions are France.[2] Due to Qatar's intense
summer heat, this World Cup will be held from late-November to mid-December, making
it the first tournament not to be held in May, June, or July; it is to be played in
a reduced timeframe of around 28 days.[3]

Accusations of corruption have been made relating to how Qatar won the right to
host the event. A FIFA internal investigation and report cleared Qatar of any
wrongdoing, but chief investigator Michael J. Garcia has since described FIFA's
report on his enquiry as containing "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous
representations."[4] On 27 May 2015, Swiss federal prosecutors opened an
investigation into corruption and money laundering related to the 2018 and 2022
World Cup bids.[5][6] On 6 August 2018, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed
that Qatar had used "black ops", suggesting that the bid committee had cheated to
win the hosting rights.[7] Additionally, Qatar has faced strong criticism due to
the treatment of foreign workers involved in preparation for the World Cup, with
Amnesty International referring to "forced labour" and stating that hundreds or
thousands of migrant workers have died as a result of human rights abuses, and
careless and inhumane work conditions, despite worker welfare standards being
drafted in 2014.[8]

Between 2015 and 2021, the Qatari government adopted new labour reforms[9] to
improve working conditions, including a minimum wage for all workers[10] and the
removal of the kafala system.[11] Amnesty International referred to these measures
as "a significant step towards protecting migrant workers" but added that "the
Qatari authorities have much more work to do to end the systematic abuse of migrant
workers".[12]

Contents
1 Host selection
2 Possible expansion
3 Qualification
3.1 Qualified teams
4 Venues
5 Schedule
6 Group stage
6.1 Group A
6.2 Group B
6.3 Group C
6.4 Group D
6.5 Group E
6.6 Group F
6.7 Group G
6.8 Group H
7 Knockout stage
7.1 Bracket
7.2 Round of 16
7.3 Quarter-finals
7.4 Semi-finals
7.5 Third-place match
7.6 Final
8 Marketing
8.1 Branding
9 Controversies
9.1 Migrant workers, slavery allegations and deaths
9.2 Move to November and December
9.3 Bidding corruption allegations
9.4 Qatar diplomatic crisis
10 Sponsorship
11 Broadcasting rights
12 Notes
13 References
14 External links
Host selection
Main articles: 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids and Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
The bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups began in January
2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their
interest.[13] Initially, eleven bids were made for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but
Mexico later withdrew from proceedings,[14][15] and Indonesia's bid was rejected by
FIFA in February 2010 after the Indonesian Football Association failed to submit a
letter of Indonesian government guarantee to support the bid.[16] Indonesian
officials had not ruled out a bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, until Qatar took the
2022 cup. During the bidding process, all non-UEFA nations gradually withdrew their
2018 bids, thus guaranteeing that a UEFA nation would host the 2018 cup and thereby
making UEFA nations ineligible for the 2022 bid.

In the end, there were five bids for the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Australia, Japan,
Qatar, South Korea, and the United States. The twenty-two member FIFA Executive
Committee convened in Zürich on 2 December 2010 to vote to select the hosts of both
tournaments.[17] Two FIFA executive committee members were suspended before the
vote in relation to allegations of corruption regarding their votes.[18] The
decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was graded as having "high
operational risk",[19] generated criticism from media commentators.[20] It has been
criticised by many as being part of the FIFA corruption scandals.[21]

The voting patterns were as follows:[22]

2022 FIFA bidding (majority 12 votes)

Bidders Votes
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4
Qatar 11 10 11 14
United States 3 5 6 8
South Korea 4 5 5 Eliminated
Japan 3 2 Eliminated
Australia 1 Eliminated
There have been allegations of bribery and corruption in the selection process
involving FIFA's executive committee members. These allegations are being
investigated by FIFA (see § Bidding corruption allegations, below).

Qatar is the smallest nation by area ever to have been awarded a FIFA World Cup –
the next smallest by area is Switzerland, host of the 1954 FIFA World Cup, which is
more than three times as large as Qatar and only needed to host 16 teams instead of
the current 32.

Qatar also became only the second country (not including Uruguay, as hosts of the
first-ever World Cup) to be awarded a FIFA World Cup despite having never qualified
for a previous edition. Japan was previously awarded co-hosting rights of the 2002
FIFA World Cup alongside South Korea without ever having qualified for the finals,
although they subsequently qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Some investigations found that Qatar sought an edge in securing hosting by hiring a
former CIA officer turned private contractor, Kevin Chalker, to spy on rival bid
teams and key football officials who picked the winner in 2010.[23]

Possible expansion
On 12 April 2018, CONMEBOL requested that FIFA expand the 2022 FIFA World Cup from
32 to 48 teams, four years before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as initially planned.[24]
[25] FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed willingness to consider the request.
[26] However, the FIFA congress rejected the request shortly before the beginning
of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Infantino said the global football governing body would
not discuss the possibility of having a 48-team World Cup, and that they would
first discuss the matter with the host country.[27]

In March 2019, a "FIFA feasibility study" concluded that it was possible to expand
the tournament to 48 teams, albeit with the assistance of "one or more"
neighbouring countries and "two to four additional venues." FIFA also said that
"while it cannot rule out legal action from losing bidders by changing the format
[of the tournament], the study said it 'concluded that the risk was low'." FIFA and
Qatar would have explored possible joint proposals to submit to the FIFA Council
and the FIFA Congress later in June. Had a joint proposal been submitted, FIFA's
member associations would have voted on the final decision at the 69th FIFA
Congress in Paris, France, by 5 June.[28][29] However, on 22 May, FIFA announced it
would not expand the tournament.[30]

Qualification
Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
FIFA's six continental confederations organise their own qualifying competitions.
All FIFA member associations, of which there are currently 211, are eligible to
enter qualification. Qatar, as hosts, qualified automatically for the tournament.
However, the AFC obliged Qatar to participate in the Asian qualifying stage as the
first two rounds also act as qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[31] If the
Qataris reach the final stage as winners in their group or as one of the four best
runners-up, the fifth-best team will advance instead.[32] The reigning World Cup
champions France will also go through qualifying stages as normal.[33] Saint Lucia
initially entered qualification but withdrew from it before their first match.
North Korea withdrew from the qualifying round due to safety concerns related to
the COVID-19 pandemic.

The allocation of slots for each confederation was discussed by the FIFA Executive
Committee on 30 May 2015 in Zürich after the FIFA Congress.[34] The committee
decided that the allocations in 2006, which remained unchanged for 2010, 2014, and
2018, would continue for the 2022 tournament:[35]
CAF (Africa): 5
AFC (Asia): 4.5 (not including host nation)
UEFA (Europe): 13
CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean): 3.5
OFC (Oceania): 0.5
CONMEBOL (South America): 4.5
A qualifying draw was scheduled to take place in July 2019; this was later
cancelled to allow each confederation to hold their own draws for their individual
qualifying tournaments.[36] The first qualifying matches were played in June 2019
in the Asian qualifying tournament, with Mongolia defeating Brunei 2–0 on 6 June,
in which Mongolian player Norjmoogiin Tsedenbal scored the first goal of
qualifying.[37]

On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency handed Russia a four-year ban from
all major sporting events, after RUSADA was found non-compliant for handing over
manipulating lab data to investigators.[38] However, the Russia national team could
still enter qualification, as the ban only applies to the final tournament to
decide the world champions. If Russia qualified, Russian footballers could still
potentially compete at the tournament, pending a decision from FIFA. However, a
team representing Russia, which uses the Russian flag and anthem, cannot
participate under the WADA decision.[39] The decision was appealed to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport,[40] and on 17 December 2020, Russian teams were banned from
competing at world championships organized or sanctioned by a WADA signatory until
16 December 2022.[41]

Due to concerns about the heat, leading football clubs in Europe wanted the World
Cup to take place from 28 April to 29 May rather than the typical June and July
staging.[42]

Qualified teams
Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament1
Previous best
performance
Qatar Host nation 2 December 2010 0 (debut) —
Germany UEFA Group J winners 11 October 2021 19 (1934, 1938, 19542, 19582,
19622, 19662, 19702, 19742, 19782, 19822, 19862, 19902, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006,
2010, 2014, 2018) Champions (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
Denmark UEFA Group F winners 12 October 2021 5 (1986, 1998, 2002, 2010,
2018) Quarter-finals (1998)
Brazil One of CONMEBOL top four teams 11 November 2021 21 (1930, 1934,
1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998,
2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) Champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
France UEFA Group D winners 13 November 2021 15 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954,
1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) Champions
(1998, 2018)
Belgium UEFA Group E winners 13 November 2021 13 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954,
1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2014, 2018) Third place (2018)
Croatia UEFA Group H winners 14 November 2021 5 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2014,
2018) Runners-up (2018)
Spain UEFA Group B winners 14 November 2021 15 (1934, 1950, 1962, 1966,
1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) Champions
(2010)
Serbia UEFA Group A winners 14 November 2021 12 (19303, 19503, 19543,
19583, 19623, 19743, 19823, 19903, 19983, 20063, 2010, 2018) Fourth place
(1930, 1962)
England UEFA Group I winners 15 November 2021 15 (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962,
1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) Champions
(1966)
Switzerland UEFA Group C winners 15 November 2021 11 (1934, 1938, 1950,
1954, 1962, 1966, 1994, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954)
Netherlands UEFA Group G winners 16 November 2021 10 (1934, 1938, 1974,
1978, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014) Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
Argentina One of CONMEBOL top four teams 16 November 2021 17 (1930, 1934,
1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014,
2018) Champions (1978, 1986)
1 Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year.
2 Competed as West Germany. A separate team for East Germany also participated in
qualifications during this time, having only competed in 1974.
3 From 1930 to 1998, Serbia competed as Yugoslavia, while in 2006 as Serbia and
Montenegro.
Venues
The first five proposed venues for the World Cup were unveiled at the beginning of
March 2010. The country intends for the stadiums to reflect the historical and
cultural aspects of Qatar, and for the designs to meet the following terms of
reference: "legacy", comfort, accessibility, and sustainability.[43] The stadiums
will be equipped with cooling systems that aim to reduce temperatures within the
stadium by up to 20 °C (36 °F), but it is not yet known if this will actually work
in the open-air stadiums. Their marketing includes statements describing the
stadiums as Zero Waste, and the upper tiers of the stadiums will be disassembled
after the World Cup and donated to countries with less developed sports
infrastructure.[44][45] Qatar aspires to be compliant and certified by the Global
Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for all the World Cup stadiums. All of the
five stadium projects launched have been designed by German architect Albert Speer
& Partners.[46] The Al Bayt Stadium will be the only indoor stadium of the eight
used.[47]

A report released on 9 December 2010 quoted FIFA President Sepp Blatter as stating
that other nations could host some matches during the World Cup. However, no
specific countries were named in the report.[48] Blatter added that any such
decision must be taken by Qatar first and then endorsed by FIFA's executive
committee.[49] Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan told the Australian Associated
Press that holding games in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and possibly Saudi
Arabia would help to incorporate the people of the region during the tournament.
[50]

According to a report released in April 2013 by Merrill Lynch, the investment

banking division of Bank of America, the organisers in Qatar have requested FIFA to
approve a smaller number of stadiums due to the growing costs.[51] Bloomberg.com
said that Qatar wishes to cut the number of venues to eight or nine from the twelve
originally planned.[52]

Although as of April 2017, FIFA had yet to finalise the number of stadiums Qatar
must have ready in five years' time, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery &
Legacy said it expected there would be eight in and near Doha (with the exception
of Al Khor).[53][54]

In January 2019, Infantino said that FIFA was exploring the possibility of having
neighbouring countries host matches during the tournament, in order to reduce
political tensions.[55]

Stadium 974, formerly known as Ras Abu Aboud is the seventh FIFA World Cup 2022
venue to be completed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC). Its
name comes from the number of shipping containers used in its construction. The
stadium will host seven matches during the event.[56]

Lusail Al Khor Doha

Lusail Iconic Stadium Al Bayt Stadium Stadium 974 Al Thumama Stadium
Capacity: 80,000
Capacity: 60,000[57] Capacity: 40,000[58]
(under construction) Capacity: 40,000[59]
Lusail Iconic Stadium final render.jpg Al Bayt Stadium 02 crop.jpg
Host cities in Qatar
2022 FIFA World Cup is located in QatarLusailLusailDohaDohaAl-KhorAl-KhorAl-
WakrahAl-WakrahAl-RayyanAl-Rayyan
Stadiums in Doha area
2022 FIFA World Cup is located in DohaEducationEducationAbu AboudAbu
AboudKhalifaKhalifaThumamaThumama
Al Rayyan Al Wakrah
Education City Stadium Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Khalifa International Stadium Al
Janoub Stadium
Capacity: 45,350[60] Capacity: 44,740[61]
Capacity: 40,000[62]
(upgraded) Capacity: 40,000[63]
Aerial view of Education City Stadium and Oxygen Park in Al Rayyan (Education City
Stadium) crop.jpg Al-Rayan-Stadium-doha.jpg Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Brazil vs
Argentina (2010).jpg Visita ao estádio de futebol Al Janoub.jpg
Schedule
The final draw is scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar,[64] on 1 April 2022,[65]
prior to the completion of qualification. The two winners of the inter-
confederation play-offs will not be known at the time of the draw.

The match schedule was confirmed by FIFA on 15 July 2020.[66] The opening match,
featuring the hosts Qatar, will be played on 21 November 2022, 13:00 local time
(UTC+3), at the Al Bayt Stadium. During the group stage, four matches will be
played each day, with kick-off times being 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, and 22:00 for the
first two rounds, and 18:00 and 22:00 for the simultaneous kick-offs of the last
round and for knockout stage matches. The third-place match will be played on 17
December 2022 at the Khalifa International Stadium, and the final will be played on
18 December 2022 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, both at 18:00.[67]

Unlike previous tournaments where the match venues and kick-off times for each
fixture are set prior to the draw, the assignment of group fixtures for each
matchday to a specific venue and kick-off time will only be made after the group
stage draw, which will be held after the March 2022 international match window, and
the teams of each specific fixture are known. This is possibly due to the close
proximity of the venues, which will allow the organizers to optimize stadium
allocation for spectators and kick-off times for television audiences.[66] The
group stage matches for each group will be allocated to the following stadiums:[67]

Groups A, B, E, F: Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama

Stadium, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
Groups C, D, G, H: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium, Al
Janoub Stadium
Group stage
All times are local, AST (UTC+3).
Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Qatar (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to
knockout stage
2 A2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 A3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 A4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 21 November 2022. Source: FIFA
(H) Host

21 November 2022
13:00
Qatar Match 1 A2
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
21 November 2022
A3 v A4
25 November 2022
Qatar v A3
25 November 2022
A4 v A2
29 November 2022
A4 v Qatar
29 November 2022
A2 v A3
Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 B1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 B2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 B3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 B4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 21 November 2022. Source: FIFA

21 November 2022
B1 v B2
21 November 2022
B3 v B4
25 November 2022
B1 v B3
25 November 2022
B4 v B2
29 November 2022
B4 v B1
29 November 2022
B2 v B3
Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 C1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 C2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 C3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 C4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 22 November 2022. Source: FIFA

22 November 2022
C1 v C2
22 November 2022
C3 v C4
26 November 2022
C1 v C3
26 November 2022
C4 v C2
30 November 2022
C4 v C1
30 November 2022
C2 v C3
Group D
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 D1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 D2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 D3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 D4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 22 November 2022. Source: FIFA

22 November 2022
D1 v D2
22 November 2022
D3 v D4
26 November 2022
D1 v D3
26 November 2022
D4 v D2
30 November 2022
D4 v D1
30 November 2022
D2 v D3
Group E
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 E1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 E2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 E3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 E4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 23 November 2022. Source: FIFA

23 November 2022
E1 v E2
23 November 2022
E3 v E4
27 November 2022
E1 v E3
27 November 2022
E4 v E2
1 December 2022
E4 v E1
1 December 2022
E2 v E3
Group F
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 F1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 F2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 F3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 F4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 23 November 2022. Source: FIFA

23 November 2022
F1 v F2
23 November 2022
F3 v F4
27 November 2022
F1 v F3
27 November 2022
F4 v F2
1 December 2022
F4 v F1
1 December 2022
F2 v F3
Group G
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 G1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 G2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 G3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 G4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 24 November 2022. Source: FIFA

24 November 2022
G1 v G2
24 November 2022
G3 v G4
28 November 2022
G1 v G3
28 November 2022
G4 v G2
2 December 2022
G4 v G1
2 December 2022
G2 v G3
Group H
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 H1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout
stage
2 H2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 H3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 H4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 24 November 2022. Source: FIFA

24 November 2022
H1 v H2
24 November 2022
H3 v H4
28 November 2022
H1 v H3
28 November 2022
H4 v H2
2 December 2022
H4 v H1
2 December 2022
H2 v H3
Knockout stage
Bracket

Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final

3 December – Al Rayyan (Khalifa)

Winner Group A

9 December – Lusail

Runner-up Group B

Winner Match 49
3 December – Al Rayyan (Ahmed bin Ali)

Winner Match 50

Winner Group C

13 December – Lusail

Runner-up Group D

Winner Match 57

5 December – Al Wakrah

Winner Match 58

Winner Group E

9 December – Al Rayyan (Education City)

Runner-up Group F

Winner Match 53

5 December – Doha (974)

Winner Match 54

Winner Group G

18 December – Lusail

Runner-up Group H

Winner Match 61

4 December – Al Khor

Winner Match 62

Winner Group B

10 December – Al Khor

Runner-up Group A

Winner Match 51

4 December – Doha (Al Thumama)

Winner Match 52

Winner Group D

14 December – Al Khor

Runner-up Group C

Winner Match 59
6 December – Al Rayyan (Education City)

Winner Match 60 Third place match

Winner Group F

10 December – Doha (Al Thumama) 17 December – Al Rayyan (Khalifa)

Runner-up Group E

Winner Match 55 Loser Match 61

6 December – Lusail

Winner Match 56 Loser Match 62

Winner Group H

Runner-up Group G

Round of 16
3 December 2022
18:00
Winner Group A Match 49 Runner-up Group B
Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
3 December 2022
22:00
Winner Group C Match 50 Runner-up Group D
Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
4 December 2022
18:00
Winner Group D Match 52 Runner-up Group C
Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
4 December 2022
22:00
Winner Group B Match 51 Runner-up Group A
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
5 December 2022
18:00
Winner Group E Match 53 Runner-up Group F
Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
5 December 2022
22:00
Winner Group G Match 54 Runner-up Group H
Stadium 974, Doha
6 December 2022
18:00
Winner Group F Match 55 Runner-up Group E
Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
6 December 2022
22:00
Winner Group H Match 56 Runner-up Group G
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Quarter-finals
9 December 2022
18:00
Winner Match 53 Match 58 Winner Match 54
Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
9 December 2022
22:00
Winner Match 49 Match 57 Winner Match 50
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
10 December 2022
18:00
Winner Match 55 Match 60 Winner Match 56
Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
10 December 2022
22:00
Winner Match 51 Match 59 Winner Match 52
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Semi-finals
13 December 2022
22:00
Winner Match 57 Match 61 Winner Match 58
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
14 December 2022
22:00
Winner Match 59 Match 62 Winner Match 60
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Third-place match
17 December 2022
18:00
Loser Match 61 Match 63 Loser Match 62
Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Final
18 December 2022
18:00
Winner Match 61 Match 64 Winner Match 62
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Marketing
Branding
The official emblem was unveiled on 3 September 2019 during simultaneous events at
the Doha Tower, Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and
Zubarah. It is designed to resemble the tournament trophy, the infinity symbol, and
the number "8", reflecting upon the "interconnected" event and the eight host
stadiums. It also evokes imagery of shawls to signify the tournament's winter
scheduling, and contains waves resembling desert dunes. The typography of the
emblem's wordmark incorporates kashida—the practice of elongating certain parts of
characters in Arabic script to provide typographical emphasis.[68][69][70]

Controversies
Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup controversies
A number of groups and media outlets have expressed concern over the suitability of
Qatar to host the event,[71][72] with regard to interpretations of human rights,
particularly worker conditions and the rights of fans in the LGBT community because
of the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar.[72][73][74][75] In December 2020,
Qatar allowed the rainbow flags at the 2022 World Cup.[76] Hassan Abdulla al
Thawadi, chief executive of the country's 2022 World Cup bid, said that Qatar would
permit alcohol consumption during the event,[77][78] even though drinking in public
is not permitted, as the country's legal system is based on Sharia.[79]

The selection of Qatar as the host country has been controversial; FIFA officials
were accused of corruption and allowing Qatar to "buy" the World Cup,[80] the
treatment of construction workers was called into question by human rights groups,
[81] and the high costs needed to make the plans a reality were criticised. The
climate conditions caused some to call hosting the tournament in Qatar infeasible,
with initial plans for air-conditioned stadiums giving way to a potential date
switch from summer to winter.

In May 2014, Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA president at the time of the selection but
later banned for illegal payments, remarked that awarding the World Cup to Qatar
was a "mistake" because of the extreme heat.[82][83] However, while addressing
delegates from African and Asian confederations, Blatter said allegations of
corruption and some of the criticism, including those from sponsors, were "very
much linked to racism and discrimination".[84]

Migrant workers, slavery allegations and deaths

The issue of migrant workers' rights also attracted attention, with a 2013
investigation by The Guardian newspaper claiming that many workers were denied food
and water, had their identity papers taken away from them, and that they were not
paid on time or at all, making some of them in effect slaves. The Guardian
estimated that, by the time the competition would be held, without reforms of the
kafala system,[85] out of the 2 million-strong migrant workforce[10] up to 4,000
workers could die due to lax safety and other causes.[81] These claims were based
upon the fact that 522 Nepalese[86] workers and over 700 Indian[85] workers had
died since 2010, when Qatar's bid as World Cup's host had been won, about 250
Indian workers dying each year.[87] Given that there were half a million Indian
workers in Qatar, the Indian government said that was quite a normal number of
deaths.[87]

In 2015, a crew of four journalists from the BBC were arrested and held for two
days after they attempted to report on the condition of workers in the country.[88]
The reporters had been invited to visit the country as guests of the Government of
Qatar.[88]

The Wall Street Journal reported in June 2015 the International Trade Union
Confederation's claim that over 1,200 workers had died while working on
infrastructure and real-estate projects related to the World Cup, and the Qatar
Government's counter-claim that none had.[89] The BBC later reported that this
often-cited figure of 1,200 workers having died in World Cup construction in Qatar
between 2011 and 2013 is not correct, and that the 1,200 number is instead
representing deaths from all Indians and Nepalese working in Qatar, not just of
those workers involved in the preparation for the World Cup, and not just of
construction workers.[87] Most Qatari nationals avoid doing manual work or low-
skilled jobs; additionally, they are given preference at the workplace.[90] Michael
van Praag, president of the Royal Dutch Football Association, requested the FIFA
Executive Committee to pressure Qatar over those allegations to ensure better
workers' conditions. He also stated that a new vote on the attribution of the World
Cup to Qatar would have to take place if the corruption allegations were to be
proved.[91]

In March 2016, Amnesty International accused Qatar of using forced labour, forcing
the employees to live in poor conditions, and withholding their wages and
passports. It also accused FIFA of failing to stop the stadium from being built on
"human right abuses." Migrant workers told Amnesty about verbal abuse and threats
they received after complaining about not being paid for up to several months.
Nepali workers were even denied leave to visit their family after the 2015 Nepal
earthquake.[92]

In October 2017, the International Trade Union Confederation said that Qatar had
signed an agreement to improve the situation of more than 2 million migrant workers
in the country. According to the ITUC, the agreement provided for establishing
substantial reforms in labour system, including ending the Kafala system. The ITUC
also stated that the agreement would positively affect the general situation of
workers, especially those who work on the 2022 FIFA World Cup infrastructure
projects. The workers will no longer need their employer's permission to leave the
country or change their jobs.[93]

In February 2019, Amnesty International questioned whether Qatar would complete the
promised labour reforms before the start of the World Cup, a sentiment that FIFA
backed. Amnesty International found that abuses were still occurring despite the
nation taking some steps to improve labour rights.[94]

In May 2019, an investigation by the UK's Daily Mirror newspaper discovered some of
the 28,000 workers on the stadiums are being paid 750 Qatari Riyal per month, which
is equivalent to £190 per month or 99 pence an hour for a typical 48-hour week.[95]

Hendriks Graszoden, the turf supplier for the 2006 World Cup and for the European
Championships in 2008 and 2016, refused to supply Qatar with World Cup turf.
According to company spokesperson Gerdien Vloet, one reason for this decision was
the accusations of human rights abuses.[96]

In April 2020, the government of Qatar provided $824 million to pay the wages of
migrant workers in quarantine or undergoing treatment for COVID-19.[97][98]

In August 2020, the Qatari government announced a monthly minimum wage for all
workers of 1,000 riyals (US$275), an increase from the previous temporary minimum
wage of 750 riyals a month.[99][100] The new laws went into effect in March 2021.
[101] The International Labour Organization said "Qatar is the first country in the
region to introduce a non-discriminatory minimum wage, which is a part of a series
of historical reforms of the country's labour laws,"[102] while the campaign group
Migrant Rights said the new minimum wage was too low to meet migrant workers' need
with Qatar's high cost of living.[103] In addition, employers are obligated to pay
300 riyals for food and 500 riyals for accommodation, if they do not provide
employees with these directly. The No Objection Certificate was removed so that
employees can change jobs without consent of the current employer. A Minimum Wage
Committee was also formed to check on the implementation.[104] These reforms
removed the kafala system and a contractual system was introduced.[10][105]

In March 2021, investigative report published by the Guardian used data from
embassies and national foreign employment offices to estimate migrant worker death
toll since World Cup was awarded to Qatar. Between 2010 and late 2020 over 6,500
migrant workers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka have died in
Qatar.[106]

Move to November and December

Owing to the climate in Qatar, concerns were expressed over holding the World Cup
in its traditional timeframe of June and July. In October 2013, a task force was
commissioned to consider alternative dates and report after the 2014 FIFA World Cup
in Brazil.[107] On 24 February 2015, the FIFA Task Force proposed that the
tournament be played from late November to late December 2022,[108] to avoid the
summer heat between May and September and also avoid clashing with the 2022 Winter
Olympics in February, the 2022 Winter Paralympics in March and the Ramadan in
April.[109][110]

The notion of staging the tournament in November is controversial since it would

interfere with the regular season schedules of some domestic leagues around the
world. Commentators have noted the clash with the Western Christmas season is
likely to cause disruption, whilst there is concern about how short the tournament
is intended to be.[111] FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger said that
awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar's desert state was a "blatant mistake".[112]
Frank Lowy, chairman of Football Federation Australia, said that if the 2022 World
Cup were moved to November and thus upset the schedule of the A-League, they would
seek compensation from FIFA.[113] Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier
League, stated that they would consider legal action against FIFA because a move
would interfere with the Premier League's popular Christmas and New Year fixture
programme.[114] On 19 March 2015, FIFA sources confirmed that the final would be
played on 18 December.[115]

Bidding corruption allegations

See also: Garcia Report
Qatar has faced growing pressure over its hosting of the World Cup in relation to
allegations over the role of former top football official Mohammed bin Hammam
played in securing the bid.[116] A former employee of the Qatar bid team
alleged[year needed] that several African officials were paid $1.5 million by
Qatar.[117] She retracted her claims, but later said that she was coerced to do so
by Qatari bid officials.[118][119] In March 2014, it was discovered that disgraced
former CONCACAF president Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million
from a firm linked to Qatar's successful campaign. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) is investigating Warner and his alleged links to the Qatari
bid.[120]

Five of FIFA's six primary sponsors, Sony, Adidas, Visa, Hyundai, and Coca-Cola,
have called upon FIFA to investigate the claims.[121][122] The Sunday Times
published bribery allegations based on a leak of millions of secret documents.[123]
Jim Boyce, Vice President of FIFA, has gone on record stating he would support a
re-vote to find a new host if the corruption allegations are proven.[124][125] FIFA
completed a lengthy investigation into these allegations and a report cleared Qatar
of any wrongdoing. Despite the claims, the Qataris insist that the corruption
allegations are being driven by envy and mistrust while Sepp Blatter said it is
fueled by racism in the British media.[126][127]

In the 2015 FIFA corruption case, Swiss officials, operating under information from
the United States Department of Justice, arrested many senior FIFA officials in
Zurich, Switzerland. They also seized physical and electronic records from FIFA's
main headquarters. The arrests continued in the United States, where several FIFA
officers were arrested, and FIFA buildings were raided. The arrests were made on
the information of at least a $150 million (USD) corruption and bribery scandal.
[128]

On 7 June 2015, Phaedra Almajid, the former media officer for the Qatar bid team,
claimed that the allegations would result in Qatar not hosting the World Cup.[129]
In an interview published on the same day, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA's Audit
and Compliance Committee, stated that "should there be evidence that the awards to
Qatar and Russia came only because of bought votes, then the awards could be
cancelled."[130][131]

Qatar diplomatic crisis

On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen
cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region and
supporting terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Mauritania, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, in a letter, asked FIFA to replace Qatar as World Cup
Host, calling the country as a "base of terrorism".[132] In October 2017,
Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, deputy head of Dubai Police and General
Security, wrote about the Qatar diplomatic crisis on Twitter in Arabic; saying "If
the World Cup leaves Qatar, Qatar's crisis will be over … because the crisis is
created to get away from it". According to media reports, the message appeared to
imply that the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar was only enacted due to Qatar hosting
the world's biggest football event.[133] In reaction to media coverage of his
tweet, Dhahi Khalfan tweeted; "I said Qatar is faking a crisis and claims it's
besieged so it could get away from the burdens of building expensive sports
facilities for the World Cup".[134] UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar
Gargash said Dhahi Khalfan had been misunderstood in media coverage. In response,
Gargash clarified that Qatar's hosting of World Cup 2022 "should include a
repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism."[135]