We are now less than three months away from the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar. Thirty-two nations will be competing for the unmatched glory of winning the world’s second most-watched competition.

The World Cup will take place throughout November and December instead of the usual summer months due to the competition being held in Qatar. Summers in Qatar are brutally hot, with temperatures often reaching over one hundred degrees. Because the competition is close to the end of the year, it will also be held in a shorter timeframe than usual—this year’s World Cup will span twenty-nine days, as opposed to the 2018 World Cup’s thirty-two days.

Notable Countries

Brazil

Brazil has been getting a lot of buzz around the soccer community. Several ESPN analysts predict them to emerge victorious. But their journey these past few years has been rough, with Covid and injuries riddling Brazil’s roster. Brazil is hoping to try to get back on their feet in time for the tournament. This is very possible. Their mix of veteran players, such as Paris Saint Germain’s Neymar and Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus, and their young talent is creating major excitement among fans. It’s going to be interesting to see how Brazil will manage against the stiff competition.

France

Fans are eager to see how the defending champions will perform. The French have no weak spots in their squad. France’s roster of world-class players includes Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, and Antione Griezmann. France will be especially exciting to watch this year because of the multitude of players making their world cup debut. They are definitely a team to watch out for.

Belgium

Belgium’s team full of veterans is one to watch. This is possibly the last world cup for many of the country’s star players, including Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Thibaut Courtois. These players are all in their late twenties and early thirties, rapidly approaching the time when most players hang up their boots (the average age to retire from soccer is 35). Seeing how things play out for the Red Devils will be exciting.

England

England’s talented squad will be a force to be reckoned with this year. The country’s passionate fans are excited to see how their nation will perform, and rightfully so. England has

a perfect mixture of skill, experience, and grit. Their offense will be a major headache for the opposition. Featuring stars like Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Phil Foden, the expectations in the final third are set high. England’s defense and midfield do not lack skill and class either. However, fans wonder if the nation’s unfortunate past in international competition will continue. Their recent results in the 2020 Euro Cup and 2018 World Cup have spectators wondering if England can break the streak.

Groups

Eight groups featuring four countries each have been announced. These groups will be used in the group stage of the World Cup. The four teams will all play each other to determine which two teams will advance to the next phase of the competition.

Group A

Group A will feature Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, and The Netherlands. This group consists of mostly smaller countries that are not expected to move very far. The Netherlands is the only exception due to their success in previous World Cups.

Group B

Group B is an exciting group to watch. It features the United States, England, Iran, and Wales. The matchup that everyone is waiting for (at least in America) is England vs the USA. Americans are excited to see how their young squad will do against the experienced and revered English squad.

Group C

Group C has a lot of potential. Mexico, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Poland will be competing in this group. A lot of world-renowned players will be competing in group C. They include Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, and Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico.

Group D

Group D is an interesting group, featuring France, Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia. France is expected to win without much resistance, but other countries are looking to make an upset. The country with the highest chance of doing this is Denmark. Denmark has a strong presence of veteran players. They include Christian Erikson and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who are both prominent players in the English Premier League. Group D is one to keep your eyes on.

Group E

Group E will be one of the more popular groups to watch. This group will showcase Spain, Japan, Costa Rica, and Germany. All of these countries have strong squads that are hungry to win. Spain and Germany are powerhouses in the soccer world, with both countries holding a World Cup win within the last 20 years (Spain in 2010 and Germany in 2014). On the

other hand, Costa Rica and Japan are both looking to prove themselves. This star-studded group will feature class and fierceness from all four countries.

Group F

Group F will feature Belgium, Croatia, Canada, and Morocco. Similar to other groups, two countries are the clear winners of the group. Belgium and Croatia are expected to dominate Canada and Morocco. But, Canada’s young team is hungry to prove themselves and make an upset.

Group G

Group G is similar to Group A. Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon will be competing. The clear winner is Brazil. On the other hand, the second-place winner is still up for grabs. Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon are all of relatively equal skill and will have to battle it out to advance.

Group H

Group H will feature many world-class players. The teams in this group are Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Luis Suarez of Uruguay, and South Korea’s Heung-min Son will all be playing in Group H. This group will be exciting to watch.

The 2022 World Cup is going to be one of the best ones yet. Many talented players and teams will be featured all throughout the competition. It is projected that billions of people will tune in from around the world to see the best soccer has to offer.