2022 World Cup: Group stage schedule, knockout round schedule, and television information
Perhaps the world’s biggest sporting event gets underway later this month, with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 48 teams have their sights set on soccer’s biggest prize, with the group stage scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 20, when Qatar takes on Ecuador in the traditional opening match featuring the host country.
This year’s World Cup has no shortage of storylines, both on the pitch and off. On the pitch, this is the last World Cup for Lionel Messi, who has been underwhelming at times this year for Paris Saint-Germain. There is the return of Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac event during the 2021 Euros while playing for Denmark. Canada, who qualified for their first World Cup since 1986 by winning CONCACAF, features defender Alphonso Davies, who can impact the game anywhere on the field.
There is also the schedule, as the World Cup is being played in the middle of the club season due to the weather in Qatar, forcing leagues around the world to go into a midseason break while some of their best players descend on Qatar for the World Cup.
Finally, there are the storylines away from the pitch, as the World Cup is hosted by an Arab nation for the first time. Qatar is also the smallest nation ever to host a World Cup, and the effort to build and create the infrastructure for the event has but a bright light on the use of migrant workers by the nation. According to one report, more than 6,500 migrant workers died during the construction of stadiums and facilities.
But the matches will go on.
Here is a look at the entire schedule, along with television information for each match.
Group Stage
Sunday, November 20
Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador, 11:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Monday, November 21
Group B: England vs Iran, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands, 11:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group B: United States vs Wales, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Tuesday, November 22
Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group C: Mexico vs Poland, 11:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group D: France vs Australia, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Wednesday, November 23
Group F: Morocco vs Croatia, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group E: Germany vs Japan, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica, 11:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group F: Belgium vs Canada, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Thursday, November 24
Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group H: Portugal vs Ghana, 11:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group G: Brazil vs Serbia, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Friday, November 25
Group B: Wales vs Iran, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group A: Qatar vs Senegal, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador, 11:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group B: England vs United States, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Saturday, November 26
Group D: Tunisia vs Australia, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group D: France vs Denmark, 11:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group C: Argentina vs Mexico, 2:00 p.m. ET, FS1
Sunday, November 27
Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group F: Belgium vs Morocco, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group F: Croatia vs Canada, 11:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group E: Spain vs Germany, 2:00 p.m. ET, FS1
Monday, November 28
Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia, 5:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group H: South Korea vs Ghana, 8:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group G: Brazil vs Switzerland, 11:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Tuesday, November 29
Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal, 10:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group B: Iran vs United States, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Group B: Wales vs England, 2:00 p.m. ET, FS1
Wednesday, November 30
Group D: Tunisia vs France, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group D: Australia vs Denmark, 10:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group C: Poland vs Argentina, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico, 2:00 p.m. ET, FS1
Thursday, December 1
Group F: Croatia vs Belgium, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group F: Canada vs Morocco, 10:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group E: Japan vs Spain, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Group E: Costa Rica vs Germany, 2:00 p.m. ET, FS1
Friday, December 2
Group H: South Korea vs Portugal, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
Group H: Ghana vs Uruguay, 10:00 a.m. ET, FS1
Group G: Serbia vs Switzerland, 2:00 p.m. ET, FS1
Group G: Cameroon vs Brazil, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Round of 16
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16, with games scheduled as follows:
Saturday, December 3
1A vs 2B, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
1C vs 2D, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Sunday, December 4
1D vs 2C, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
1B vs 2A, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Monday, December 5
1E vs 2F, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
1G vs 2H, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Tuesday, December 6
1F vs 2E, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
1H vs 2G, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX
For example, with the United States in Group B, should they win the group they would play the second-place finisher out of Group A at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 4. If the United States advances out of Group B having finished in second place, they would play the winner of Group A at 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 3.
Quarter-finals
Friday, December 9
1A/2B Winner vs 1C/2D Winner, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX (Match 57)
1E/2F Winner vs 1G/2H Winner, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX (Match 58)
Saturday, December 10
1B/2A Winner vs 1D/2C Winner, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX (Match 59)
1F/2E Winner vs 1H/2G Winner, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX (Match 60)
Semi-finals
Tuesday, December 13
Match 57 Winner vs Match 58 Winner, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX (Match 61)
Wednesday, December 14
Match 59 Winner vs Match 60 Winner, 2:00 p.m. ET, FOX (Match 62)
Third Place Match
Saturday, December 17
Match 61 Loser vs Match 62 Loser, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
World Cup Final
Sunday, December 18
Match 61 Winner vs Match 62 Winner, 10:00 a.m. ET, FOX
