2022 FIFA World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2010. It was the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world and Muslim world, and the second held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.[upper-alpha 1]

2022 FIFA World Cup
كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2022
Kaʾs al-ʿālam li-kurat al-qadam 2022
الآن هو كل شيء
Al-ʾāna huwa kullu šayʾ
"Now Is All"[1]
Tournament details
Host countryQatar
Dates20 November – 18 December
Teams32 (from 5 confederations)
Venue(s)8 (in 5 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Argentina (3rd title)
Runners-up France
Third place Croatia
Fourth place Morocco
Tournament statistics
Matches played64
Goals scored172 (2.69 per match)
Attendance3,404,252 (53,191 per match)
Top scorer(s)France Kylian Mbappé (8 goals)
Best player(s)Argentina Lionel Messi
Best young playerArgentina Enzo Fernández
Best goalkeeperArgentina Emiliano Martínez
Fair play award England

This tournament was the last with 32 participating teams, with the number of teams being increased to 48 for the 2026 edition. To avoid the extremes of Qatar's hot climate,[upper-alpha 2] the event was held during November and December.[upper-alpha 3] It was held over a reduced time frame of 29 days with 64 matches played in eight venues across five cities. Qatar entered the event—their first World Cup—automatically as the host's national team, alongside 31 teams determined by the qualification process.

Argentina were crowned the champions after winning the final against the title holder France 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra time. It was Argentina's third title and their first since 1986, as well being the first nation from outside of Europe to win the tournament since 2002. French player Kylian Mbappé became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final and won the Golden Boot as he scored the most goals (eight) during the tournament. Argentine captain Lionel Messi was voted the tournament's best player, winning the Golden Ball. The tournament has been considered exceptionally poetic as the capstone of his career, for some commentators fulfilling a previously unmet criterion to be regarded the greatest player of all time.[4] Teammates Emiliano Martínez and Enzo Fernández won the Golden Glove, awarded to the tournament's best goalkeeper; and the Young Player Award, awarded to the tournament's best young player, respectively. With 172 goals, the tournament set a record for the highest number of goals scored in the 32-team format, with every participating team scoring at least one goal.

The choice to host the World Cup in Qatar attracted significant criticism, with concerns raised over the country's treatment of migrant workers, women and members of the LGBT community, as well as Qatar's climate, lack of a strong football culture, scheduling changes, and allegations of bribery for hosting rights and wider FIFA corruption.[upper-alpha 4]

Format

The FIFA World Cup is a professional football tournament held between national football teams, organised by FIFA.[13][14] The tournament, held every four years, was first played in 1930 in Uruguay,[15] and has been contested by 32 teams since the 1998 event.[15] The tournament was contested with eight round-robin groups followed by a knockout round for 16 teams.[16] The defending champions were France, who defeated Croatia 4–2 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final.[17][18] The event was scheduled to take place under a reduced length,[19] from 20 November to 18 December in Qatar.[20][21][22] Being held in Qatar, it was the first World Cup tournament to be held in the Arab world.[23] Spectators were not required to follow most COVID-19 pandemic restrictions such as social distancing, wearing masks, and negative tests.[24]

Schedule

Unlike previous FIFA World Cups, which are typically played in June and July, because of Qatar's intense summer heat and often fairly high humidity,[2][21][25] the 2022 World Cup was played in November and December.[5][26] As a result, the World Cup was unusually staged in the middle of the seasons of many domestic association football leagues, which started in late July or August, including all of the major European leagues, which had been obliged to incorporate extended breaks into their domestic schedules to accommodate the World Cup. Major European competitions had scheduled their respective competitions group matches to be played before the World Cup, to avoid playing group matches the following year.[27]

The match schedule was confirmed by FIFA in July 2020.[28] The group stage was set to begin on 21 November, with four matches every day. Later, the schedule was tweaked by moving the Qatar vs Ecuador game to 20 November, after Qatar lobbied FIFA to allow their team to open the tournament.[29][30][31] The final was played on 18 December 2022, National Day, at Lusail Stadium.[32][28]

The matches for each group were allocated to the following stadiums:[32]

FIFA confirmed the group stage venue and kick-off times on 1 April 2022, following the draw.[33][34]

Prize money

In April 2022, FIFA announced the prizes for all participating nations. Each qualified team received $1.5 million before the competition to cover preparation costs with each team receiving at least $9 million in prize money. This edition's total prize pool was $440 million, $40 million greater than the prize pool of the previous tournament.[35]

Place Teams Amount (in millions)
Per team Total
Champions 1 $42 $42
Runners-up 1 $30 $30
Third place 1 $27 $27
Fourth place 1 $25 $25
5th–8th place (quarter-finals) 4 $17 $68
9th–16th place (round of 16) 8 $13 $104
17th–32nd place (group stage) 16 $9 $144
Total 32 $440

Rule changes

The tournament featured new substitution rules whereby teams could make up to five substitutions in normal time, and an additional substitution in extra time.[36][37][38] In addition, it was the first World Cup to feature concussion substitutions, whereby each team was permitted to use a maximum of one concussion substitute during a match. A concussion substitution did not count towards a team's quota of regular substitutions.[39] Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand suffered a concussion in his country's opening match against England and was replaced by Hossein Hosseini. This was the first use of a dedicated concussion substitute during a World Cup.[40]

Host selection

The bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups began in January 2009. National associations had until 2 February 2009 to register interest.[41] Initially, 11 bids were made for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but Mexico withdrew from proceedings,[42][43] 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.[44]

After UEFA were guaranteed to host the 2018 event, members of UEFA were no longer in contention to host in 2022.[45] There were five bids remaining for the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, and the United States. The 22-member FIFA Executive Committee convened in Zürich, Switzerland, on 2 December 2010 to vote to select the hosts of both tournaments.[46] Two FIFA executive committee members were suspended before the vote in relation to allegations of corruption regarding their votes.[47] The decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was graded as having "high operational risk",[48] generated criticism from media commentators.[49] It was criticised by many as being part of the FIFA corruption scandals,[50] which led to the 2015 FIFA corruption case.

The voting patterns were as follows:[51]

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

Cost of hosting the tournament

At an estimated cost of over $220 billion,[52] it is the most expensive World Cup ever held to date; this figure is disputed by Qatari officials, including organising CEO Nasser Al Khater, who said the true cost was $8 billion, and other figures related to overall infrastructure development since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in 2010.[53]

Venues

Six of the eight venues, such as the venue for the final, Lusail Stadium, were new stadiums built specifically for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The first five proposed venues for the World Cup were unveiled at the beginning of March 2010. Qatar intended that the stadiums should reflect its history and culture, and for the designs to meet the following terms of reference: legacy, comfort, accessibility, and sustainability.[54] The stadiums were equipped with cooling systems that aim to reduce temperatures within the stadium by up to 20 °C (36 °F).[55][56]

Their marketing included 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.[55][56] Qatar aspired 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 were designed by German architect Albert Speer & Partners.[57] The Al Bayt and Al Wakrah stadiums were the only indoor stadiums of the eight used.[58]

Some venues, such as the 68,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium, had its upper tier of seating removed to reduce capacity after the tournament.

In an April 2013 report by Merrill Lynch, the organisers in Qatar requested that FIFA approve a smaller number of stadiums due to the growing costs.[59] Bloomberg said that Qatar wished to cut the number of venues to eight or nine from the twelve originally planned.[60] By April 2017, FIFA had yet to finalise the number of stadiums Qatar must have readied in five years' time. Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) said it expected there would be eight in and near Doha, with the exception of Al Khor.[61][62]

Stadium 974, formerly known as the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, was the seventh FIFA World Cup 2022 venue to be completed by the SC. Its name comes from the number of shipping containers used in its construction and Qatar's international dialling code. The venue will be dismantled completely after the tournament – this stadium was the first temporary stadium ever used for a FIFA World Cup.[63] All of the other stadiums used except Khalifa International were reduced in capacity by half.[64]

Stadiums

Qatar
City Stadium Capacity
Al Khor Al Bayt Stadium 68,895[65][66][upper-alpha 5]
Lusail Lusail Stadium 88,966[67][68][upper-alpha 6]
Al Rayyan Ahmad bin Ali Stadium 45,032[69][70][upper-alpha 7]
Education City Stadium 44,667[71][72][upper-alpha 8]
Khalifa International Stadium 45,857[73][74][upper-alpha 9]
Doha Al Thumama Stadium 44,400[75][76][upper-alpha 10]
Stadium 974 44,089[77][78][upper-alpha 11]
Al Wakrah Al Janoub Stadium 44,325[79][80][upper-alpha 12]

Team base camps

Base camps were used by the 32 national squads to stay and train before and during the World Cup tournament. In July 2022, FIFA announced the hotels and training sites for each participating team.[81][82] This World Cup was the most compact since the inaugural edition in 1930, with 24 of the 32 teams being within a 10 km radius of each other, and are concentrated within the Doha area. It was the first Cup since 1930 in which players did not need to take flights to matches and could remain at the same training base throughout the entire tournament.[83][84]

Team base camps[83][84]
Team Hotel Training site
 Argentina Qatar University Hostel 1 Qatar University Training Site 3
 Australia New Aspire Academy Athlete Accommodation Aspire Zone Training Facilities 5
 Belgium Hilton Salwa Beach Resort and Villas Salwa Training Site
 Brazil The Westin Doha Hotel and Spa Al Arabi SC Stadium
 Cameroon Banyan Tree Doha at La Cigale Mushaireb Al Sailiya SC Stadium
 Canada Century Marina Hotel Lusail Umm Salal SC Training Facilities
 Costa Rica dusitD2 Salwa Doha Al Ahli SC Stadium
 Croatia Hilton Doha Al Ersal Training Site 3
 Denmark Retaj Salwa Resort & SPA Al Sailiya SC 2
 Ecuador Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha Mesaimeer SC Training Facilities
 England Souq Al Wakra Hotel Qatar by Tivoli Al Wakrah SC Stadium
 France Al Messila – A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Doha Al Sadd SC Stadium
 Germany Zulal Wellness Resort Al Shamal SC Stadium
 Ghana DoubleTree by Hilton Doha – Al Sadd Aspire Zone Training Facilities 1
 Iran Al Rayyan Hotel Doha Curio Collection by Hilton Al Rayyan SC Training Facilities 1
 Japan Radisson Blu Hotel Doha Al Sadd SC New Training Facilities 1
 Mexico Simaisma, A Murwab Resort Al Khor SC Stadium
 Morocco Wyndham Doha West Bay Al Duhail SC Stadium
 Netherlands The St. Regis Doha Qatar University Training Site 6
 Poland Ezdan Palace Hotel Al Kharaitiyat SC Training Facilities
 Portugal Al Samriya Autograph Collection Hotel Al Shahaniya SC Training Facilities
 Qatar Al Aziziyah Boutique Hotel Aspire Zone Training Facilities 3
 Saudi Arabia Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort Sealine Training Site
 Senegal Duhail Handball Sports Hall Al Duhail SC 2
 Serbia Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha Al Arabi SC Training Facilities
 South Korea Le Méridien City Center Doha Al Egla Training Site 5
 Spain Qatar University Hostel 2 Qatar University Training Site 1
  Switzerland Le Royal Méridien, Doha University of Doha for Science and Technology Training Facilities
 Tunisia Wyndham Grand Doha West Bay Beach Al Egla Training Sites 3
 United States Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl – Doha Al Gharafa SC Stadium
 Uruguay Pullman Doha West Bay Al Ersal Training Site 1
 Wales Delta Hotels City Center Doha Al Sadd SC New Training Facilities 2

Security

The Qatari government employed about 50,000 security personnel including police departments and military forces from at least thirteen countries, including Poland, Germany, France, Kuwait, Jordan, Italy, Palestine, Spain, Pakistan, Turkey, USA, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.[85] The Turkish government provided about 3,000 riot police personnel,[85] whilst Pakistan provided about 4,500 Army troops to Qatar for the event.[86]

Teams

Qualification

FIFA's six continental confederations organised their own qualifying competitions. All 211 FIFA member associations were eligible to enter qualification. The Qatari national team, as hosts, qualified automatically for the tournament. However, the Asian Football Confederation (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.[87] Since Qatar reached the final stage as winners in their group, Lebanon, the fifth-best second place team, advanced instead.[88] France, the reigning World Cup champions, qualified for the event through European qualification.[89]

Saint Lucia initially entered CONCACAF qualification but withdrew from it before their first match. North Korea withdrew from the AFC qualifying round due to safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both American Samoa and Samoa withdrew before the OFC qualification draw due to travel restrictions following the pandemic.[90] Tonga withdrew after the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami.[91] Due to COVID-19 outbreaks in their squads, Vanuatu and Cook Islands also withdrew because of the travel restrictions.[92][93]

Of the 32 nations qualified to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 24 countries competed at the previous tournament in 2018.[94] Qatar were the only team making their debut in the FIFA World Cup, becoming the first hosts to make their tournament debut since Italy in 1934. The Netherlands, Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon, and the United States returned to the tournament after missing the 2018 tournament. Canada returned after 36 years, their only prior appearance being in 1986.[95] Wales made their first appearance in 64 years – the longest ever gap for any team, their only previous participation having been in 1958.[96]

Italy, four-time winners and reigning European champions, failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup for the first time in their history, losing in the qualification play-off semi-finals.[97] The Italians were the only former champions and the highest ranked team in the FIFA Men's World Rankings that failed to qualify. Italy were also the fourth team to have failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup after having won the previous UEFA European Championship, following Czechoslovakia in 1978, Denmark in 1994, and Greece in 2006.[98] The previous World Cup hosts, Russia, were disqualified from competing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[99]

Chile, the 2015 and 2016 Copa América winners, failed to qualify for the second consecutive time. Nigeria were defeated by Ghana on away goals in Confederation of African Football (CAF) final playoff round, having qualified for the previous three World Cups and six out of the last seven. Egypt, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Iceland, and Sweden, all of whom qualified for the 2018 World Cup, did not qualify for the 2022 tournament.[100] Ghana were the lowest ranked team to qualify, ranked 61st.[101]

The qualified teams, listed by region, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in the FIFA Men's World Ranking before the tournament were:[102]

Squads

Before submitting their final squad for the tournament, teams named a provisional squad of up to 55 players. Teams were required to have their 55-player roster submitted to FIFA by 21 October.[103] Teams were required to name their final squads by 13 November.[104] In August 2022, FIFA increased the final squad size to 26 players from a total of 23 players at the 2018 edition.[105] All teams had a total of 26 players in their final squads except for France and Iran, who chose 25 players.[106][107]

Draw

The final draw was held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar,[108] on 1 April 2022,[109] 19:00 AST, prior to the completion of qualification. The two winners of the inter-confederation play-offs and the winner of the Path A of the UEFA play-offs were not known at the time of the draw.[110] The draw was attended by 2,000 guests and was led by Carli Lloyd, Jermaine Jenas and sports broadcaster Samantha Johnson, assisted by the likes of Cafu (Brazil), Lothar Matthäus (Germany), Adel Ahmed Malalla (Qatar), Ali Daei (Iran), Bora Milutinović (Serbia/Mexico), Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Rabah Madjer (Algeria), and Tim Cahill (Australia).[111][112]

For the draw, 32 teams were allocated into four pots based on the FIFA Men's World Rankings of 31 March 2022.[113] Pot 1 contained host Qatar (who were automatically assigned to position A1) and the best seven teams. Pot 2 contained the next best eight teams, with the next best eight teams into pot 3. Pot 4 contained the five lowest-ranked teams, along with the placeholders for the two inter-confederation play-off winners and the UEFA Path A play-off winner. Teams from the same confederation could not be drawn into the same group except for UEFA teams, for which there was at least one and no more than two per group.[114]

This principle also applied to the placeholder teams, with constraints applying based on the confederation of both potential winners of each play-off tie. The draw started with pot 1 and ended with pot 4, with each team selected then allocated into the first available group alphabetically. The position for the team within the group would then be drawn (for the purpose of the match schedule), with the pot 1 teams automatically drawn into position 1 of each group.[114] The pots for the draw are shown below.[115]

Draw[116]
Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
 Qatar (51) (hosts)
 Brazil (1)
 Belgium (2)
 France (3)
 Argentina (4)
 England (5)
 Spain (7)
 Portugal (8)
 Mexico (9)
 Netherlands (10)
 Denmark (11)
 Germany (12)
 Uruguay (13)
  Switzerland (14)
 United States (15)
 Croatia (16)
 Senegal (20)
 Iran (21)
 Japan (23)
 Morocco (24)
 Serbia (25)
 Poland (26)
 South Korea (29)
 Tunisia (35)
 Cameroon (37)
 Canada (38)
 Ecuador (46)
 Saudi Arabia (49)
 Ghana (61)
 Wales (18)[upper-alpha 13]
 Costa Rica (31)[upper-alpha 14]
 Australia (42)[upper-alpha 15]

Officiating

In May 2022, FIFA announced the list of 36 referees, 69 assistant referees, and 24 video assistant referees for the tournament. Of the 36 referees, FIFA included two each from Argentina, Brazil, England, and France.[117][118]

For the first time women referees officiated games at a major men's tournament.[119] France's Stéphanie Frappart, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan became the first female referees to be appointed to a men's World Cup.[120] Frappart previously oversaw the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final.[121] They were joined by three female assistant referees, Neuza Back, Kathryn Nesbitt, and Karen Díaz Medina. Frappart then officially became the first ever female referee to officiate a World Cup match when she worked the Costa Rica vs Germany match in Group E on 1 December.[122]

Gambian referee Bakary Gassama and Argentine assistant referee Juan Pablo Belatti were among the officials to serve at their third World Cup. Belatti was an assistant referee in the 2018 final.[123][124][125] Other returning officials included referees César Arturo Ramos of Mexico and Janny Sikazwe of Zambia, and Iranian assistant referee Mohammadreza Mansouri.[126][127][128]

On 15 December 2022, FIFA announced that Polish referee Szymon Marciniak would adjudicate the final.[129]

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony took place on Sunday, 20 November 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, prior to the opening match of the tournament between hosts Qatar and Ecuador.[130] It included appearances by Morgan Freeman and Ghanim Al-Muftah, along with performances by South Korean singer and BTS member Jungkook and Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi.[131][132] It was the first time that the Qur'an had been recited as part of the opening ceremony.[133]

Group stage

The group stage was played from 20 November to 2 December.[134] Competing countries were divided into eight groups of four teams (groups A to H). Teams in each group played one another in a round-robin, where the top two teams advanced to the knockout stage.

Result of countries participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Group A

The first match of the tournament was held between Qatar and Ecuador in Group A. Ecuador had a disallowed goal in the opening minutes,[136] but eventually won 2–0 with two goals from Enner Valencia.[137] Qatar became the first host nation to lose their opening match at a World Cup.[138][139][140] Many Qatar natives were seen leaving the game before the end, with ESPN reporting that two-thirds of the attendance had left.[141][142] The other starting match in group A was won by the Netherlands 2–0 over Senegal. Cody Gakpo scored the opening goal in the 84th minute and Davy Klaassen added a second in stoppage time.[143] Senegal faced Qatar in the third match of the group; Boulaye Dia capitalised on a slip by Boualem Khoukhi to put Senegal 1–0 ahead. Famara Diédhiou scored a second with a header, before Mohammed Muntari scored Qatar's first-ever goal at a World Cup to reduce the deficit back to one. Senegal eventually won the match 3–1 after an 84th-minute goal by Bamba Dieng. With this result, Qatar became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, as well as becoming the first host nation to ever be knocked out of the tournament after two games.[144] Gakpo scored his second goal of the tournament as the Netherlands led Ecuador; however, Valencia scored an equaliser in the 49th minute.[145] The Netherlands won 2–0 against Qatar following goals by Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong to win the group, while Qatar attained the distinction of being the first home nation to lose all three group matches.[146] Senegal faced Ecuador to determine the second knockout round qualifier. At the end of the first half, Ismaïla Sarr scored a penalty kick to put Senegal ahead. In the 67th minute, Moisés Caicedo scored an equaliser, but shortly after, Kalidou Koulibaly gave Senegal the victory. The win was enough to qualify Senegal as the runners-up of Group A.[147]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Netherlands 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 7 Advanced to knockout stage
2  Senegal 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 6
3  Ecuador 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
4  Qatar (H) 3 0 0 3 1 7 6 0
Source: FIFA
(H) Hosts
Qatar 0–2 Ecuador
Report
  • Valencia 16' (pen.), 31'
Attendance: 67,372
Senegal 0–2 Netherlands
Report
Attendance: 41,721

Qatar 1–3 Senegal
Report
Attendance: 41,797
Netherlands 1–1 Ecuador
Report

Ecuador 1–2 Senegal
Report
Netherlands 2–0 Qatar
Report
Attendance: 66,784

Group B

England completed a 6–2 victory over Iran. Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand was removed from the game for a suspected concussion before England scored three first-half goals.[148] Mehdi Taremi scored in the second half after which England defender Harry Maguire was also removed for a concussion.[148] Timothy Weah, of the United States, scored a first-half goal against Wales; however, the match finished as a draw after a penalty kick was won and scored by Gareth Bale.[149] Iran defeated Wales 2–0 following a red card to Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey after he committed a foul outside of his penalty area. Substitute Rouzbeh Cheshmi scored the first goal eight minutes into stoppage time, followed by Ramin Rezaeian scoring three minutes later.[150] England and the United States played to a 0–0 draw, with only four shots on target between them, and one shot from Christian Pulisic hit the crossbar.[151] England won the group following a 3–0 win over Wales with a goal by Phil Foden and two by Marcus Rashford.[152] Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal as the United States defeated Iran 1–0 to qualify for the round of 16.[153]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  England 3 2 1 0 9 2 +7 7 Advanced to knockout stage
2  United States 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
3  Iran 3 1 0 2 4 7 3 3
4  Wales 3 0 1 2 1 6 5 1
Source: FIFA
England 6–2 Iran
Report
United States 1–1 Wales
Report

Wales 0–2 Iran
Report
England 0–0 United States
Report
Attendance: 68,463

Wales 0–3 England
Report
Iran 0–1 United States
Report
Attendance: 42,127

Group C

Argentina took an early lead against Saudi Arabia after Lionel Messi scored a penalty kick after ten minutes; however, second-half goals by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari won the match 2–1 for Saudi Arabia,[154] a result the media considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the event.[155][156] The match between Mexico and Poland ended as a goalless 0–0 draw after Guillermo Ochoa saved Robert Lewandowski's penalty kick attempt.[157] Lewandowski scored his first career World Cup goal in a 2–0 win over Saudi Arabia four days later.[158][159] Argentina defeated Mexico 2–0, with Messi scoring the opener and later assisting teammate Enzo Fernández who scored his first international goal.[160][161] Argentina won their last game against Poland with goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez, which was enough to win the group;[162] Poland qualified for the knockout stage on goal difference, thanks to Saudi Arabia scoring an injury-time consolation goal against Mexico in a match already lost.[163]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Argentina 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6 Advanced to knockout stage
2  Poland 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
3  Mexico 3 1 1 1 2 3 1 4
4  Saudi Arabia 3 1 0 2 3 5 2 3
Source: FIFA
Argentina 1–2 Saudi Arabia
Report
Attendance: 88,012
Mexico 0–0 Poland
Report
Attendance: 39,369

Poland 2–0 Saudi Arabia
Report
Argentina 2–0 Mexico
Report
Attendance: 88,966

Poland 0–2 Argentina
Report
Attendance: 44,089
Saudi Arabia 1–2 Mexico
Report
Attendance: 84,985

Group D

The match between Denmark and Tunisia ended as a goalless draw; both teams had goals disallowed by offside calls.[164] Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen made his first major international appearance since suffering a cardiac arrest at the UEFA Euro 2020.[164] Defending champions France went a goal behind to Australia, after a Craig Goodwin goal within ten minutes. France, however, scored four goals, by Adrien Rabiot, Kylian Mbappé and two by Olivier Giroud to win 4–1.[165] The goals tied Giroud with Thierry Henry as France's all-time top goalscorer.[165] Mitchell Duke scored the only goal as Australia won against Tunisia. This was their first World Cup win since 2010.[166][167] Mbappé scored a brace as France defeated Denmark 2–1. This was enough for France to qualify for the knockout round – the first time since Brazil in 2006 that the defending champions progressed through the opening round.[168][166] Mathew Leckie scored the only goal as Australia defeated Denmark 1–0, qualifying for the knockout round as runners-up with the win.[169] Wahbi Khazri scored for Tunisia against France in the 58th minute. Although Antoine Griezmann equalised in stoppage time it was overturned for offside. Tunisia finished third in the group, as they required a draw in the Denmark and Australia game.[170]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  France 3 2 0 1 6 3 +3 6 Advanced to knockout stage
2  Australia 3 2 0 1 3 4 1 6
3  Tunisia 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4
4  Denmark 3 0 1 2 1 3 2 1
Source: FIFA
Denmark 0–0 Tunisia
Report
France 4–1 Australia
Report

Tunisia 0–1 Australia
Report
Attendance: 41,823
France 2–1 Denmark
Report
Attendance: 42,860

Australia 1–0 Denmark
Report
Tunisia 1–0 France
Report

Group E

Group E began with Japan facing 2014 champions Germany. After an early penalty kick was converted by Germany's İlkay Gündoğan, Japan scored two second-half goals by Ritsu Dōan and Takuma Asano in a 2–1 win.[171] In the second group match, Spain defeated Costa Rica 7–0. First-half goals by Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio, and Ferran Torres were followed by goals by Gavi, Carlos Soler, Alvaro Morata, and a second by Torres.[172][173] This was the largest defeat in a World Cup since Portugal's victory over North Korea in the 2010 event by the same scoreline.[174] Costa Rica defeated Japan 1–0, with Keysher Fuller scoring with Costa Rica's first shot on target of the tournament.[175] Germany and Spain drew 1–1, with Álvaro Morata scoring for Spain and Niclas Füllkrug scoring for Germany.[176][177][178] Morata scored the opening goal for Spain against Japan as they controlled the first half of the match.[179] Japan equalised on Ritsu Doan before a second goal by Ao Tanaka was heavily investigated by VAR for the ball potentially being out of play. The goal was awarded, and Japan won the group following a 2–1 win.[179] Serge Gnabry scored on ten minutes for Germany against Costa Rica and they led until half-time. Germany required a win, and for Japan to not win their match, or for both teams to win their matches by a combined goal difference of at least 9 goals, to qualify. In the second half, goals by Yeltsin Tejeda and Juan Vargas gave Costa Rica a 2–1 lead, which would have qualified them into the knockout stages ahead of Spain. Germany scored three further goals—two by Kai Havertz and a goal by Niclas Fullkrug, ending in a 4–2 win for Germany—which was not enough to qualify them for the final stages. This was the second time in a row that the four-time champions failed to progress past the group stages.[180] Japan won the group ahead of Spain.[181]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Japan 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 6 Advanced to knockout stage
2  Spain 3 1 1 1 9 3 +6 4
3  Germany 3 1 1 1 6 5 +1 4
4  Costa Rica 3 1 0 2 3 11 8 3
Source: FIFA
Germany 1–2 Japan
Report
Spain 7–0 Costa Rica
Report

Japan 0–1 Costa Rica
Report
Spain 1–1 Germany
Report
Attendance: 68,895

Japan 2–1 Spain
Report
Costa Rica 2–4 Germany
Report
Attendance: 67,054

Group F

Group F's first match was a goalless draw between Morocco and Croatia.[182] Canada had a penalty kick in the first half of their match against Belgium which was saved by Thibaut Courtois. Belgium won the match by a single goal by Michy Batshuayi.[183][184] Belgium lost 2–0 to Morocco, despite Morocco having a long-range direct free kick goal by Hakim Ziyech overturned for an offside on another player in the lead up to the goal. Two second-half goals from Zakaria Aboukhlal and Romain Saïss helped the Morocco win their first World Cup match since 1998.[185][186] The match sparked riots in Belgium, with fires and fireworks being set off by residents.[187] Alphonso Davies scored Canada's first World Cup goal to give Canada the lead over Croatia. Goals by Marko Livaja, Lovro Majer, and two by Andrej Kramarić for Croatia completed a 4–1 victory.[188] Morocco scored two early goals through Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri in their game against Canada and qualified following a 2–1 victory. Canada's only goal was an own goal by Nayef Aguerd.[189] Croatia and Belgium played a goalless draw which eliminated Belgium, whose team was ranked second in the world, from the tournament.[190]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Morocco 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 7 Advanced to knockout stage
2  Croatia 3 1 2 0 4 1 +3 5
3  Belgium 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 4
4  Canada 3 0 0 3 2 7 5 0
Source: FIFA
Morocco 0–0 Croatia
Report
Belgium 1–0 Canada
Report

Belgium 0–2 Morocco
Report
Attendance: 43,738
Croatia 4–1 Canada
Report

Croatia 0–0 Belgium
Report
Canada 1–2 Morocco
Report
Attendance: 43,102

Group G

Breel Embolo scored the only goal in Switzerland's 1–0 defeat of Cameroon.[191] Richarlison scored two goals as Brazil won against Serbia, with star player Neymar receiving an ankle injury.[192] Cameroon's Jean-Charles Castelletto scored the opening goal against Serbia, but they were quickly behind as Serbia scored three goals by Strahinja Pavlović, Sergej Milinković-Savić, and Aleksandar Mitrović either side of half time. Cameroon, however, scored goals through Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, completing a 3–3 draw.[193] An 83rd-minute winner by Casemiro for Brazil over Switzerland was enough for them to qualify for the knockout stage.[194] Having already qualified, Brazil were unable to win their final group game, as they were defeated by Cameroon 1–0 following a goal by Vincent Aboubakar. Already having a yellow card, he was later sent off for removing his shirt in celebrating the goal.[195] Cameroon, however, did not qualify, as Switzerland defeated Serbia 3–2.[196]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Brazil 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6 Advanced to knockout stage
2   Switzerland 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 6
3  Cameroon 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
4  Serbia 3 0 1 2 5 8 3 1
Source: FIFA
Switzerland 1–0 Cameroon
Report
Attendance: 39,089
Brazil 2–0 Serbia
Report
Attendance: 88,103

Brazil 1–0  Switzerland
Report
Attendance: 43,649

Serbia 2–3  Switzerland
Report
Attendance: 41,378
Cameroon 1–0 Brazil
Report
Attendance: 85,986

Group H

Uruguay and South Korea played to a goalless draw.[197] A goalless first half between Portugal and Ghana preceded a penalty converted by Cristiano Ronaldo to give Portugal the lead. In scoring the goal, Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups. Ghana responded with a goal by André Ayew before goals by João Félix, and Rafael Leão by Portugal put them 3–1 ahead. Osman Bukari scored in the 89th minute to trail by a single goal, while Iñaki Williams had a chance to equalise for Ghana ten minutes into stoppage time, but slipped before shooting. The match finished 3–2 to Portugal.[198] Ghanaian Mohammed Salisu opened the scoring against South Korea, with Mohammed Kudus following it up. In the second half, Cho Gue-sung scored a brace for South Korea, levelling the score. Mohammed Kudus scored again in the 68th minute, winning the match 3–2 for Ghana.[199] Portugal defeated Uruguay 2–0 with two goals from Bruno Fernandes, advancing them to the knockout stage.[200] A controversial penalty decision was called late in the game, with a suspected handball from José María Giménez.[201][202] Portugal led South Korea through Ricardo Horta after 10 minutes. However, goals by Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Hee-chan won the match 2–1 for South Korea.[203] Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored two goals as Uruguay defeated Ghana 2–0.[204] However, with South Korea winning, Uruguay required another goal to progress as they finished third on goals scored.[205] Several Uruguay players left the pitch after the game surrounding the referees and followed them off the pitch.[206][207][208]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Portugal 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6 Advanced to knockout stage
2  South Korea 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
3  Uruguay 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
4  Ghana 3 1 0 2 5 7 2 3
Source: FIFA
Uruguay 0–0 South Korea
Report
Portugal 3–2 Ghana
Report
Attendance: 42,662

South Korea 2–3 Ghana
Report
Portugal 2–0 Uruguay
Report
Attendance: 88,668

Ghana 0–2 Uruguay
Report
Attendance: 43,443
South Korea 2–1 Portugal
Report

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, if the scores were equal when normal playing time expired, extra time was played for two periods of 15 minutes each. This was followed, if required, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.[135]

Bracket

 
Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
              
 
3 December – Al Rayyan (Khalifa)
 
 
 Netherlands3
 
9 December – Lusail
 
 United States1
 
 Netherlands2 (3)
 
3 December – Al Rayyan (Ahmad bin Ali)
 
 Argentina (p)2 (4)
 
 Argentina2
 
13 December – Lusail
 
 Australia1
 
 Argentina3
 
5 December – Al Wakrah
 
 Croatia0
 
 Japan1 (1)
 
9 December – Al Rayyan (Education)
 
 Croatia (p)1 (3)
 
 Croatia (p)1 (4)
 
5 December – Doha (974)
 
 Brazil1 (2)
 
 Brazil4
 
18 December – Lusail
 
 South Korea1
 
 Argentina (p)3 (4)
 
4 December – Al Khor
 
 France3 (2)
 
 England3
 
10 December – Al Khor
 
 Senegal0
 
 England1
 
4 December – Doha (Al Thumama)
 
 France2
 
 France3
 
14 December – Al Khor
 
 Poland1
 
 France2
 
6 December – Al Rayyan (Education)
 
 Morocco0 Third place play-off
 
 Morocco (p)0 (3)
 
10 December – Doha (Al Thumama)17 December – Al Rayyan (Khalifa)
 
 Spain0 (0)
 
 Morocco1 Croatia2
 
6 December – Lusail
 
 Portugal0  Morocco1
 
 Portugal6
 
 
  Switzerland1
 

Round of 16

The round of 16 was played from 3 to 7 December,[32] which for the first time ever included teams from the Americas and four other continents.[209] Group A winners Netherlands scored goals through Memphis Depay, Daley Blind, and Denzel Dumfries as they defeated the United States 3–1, with Haji Wright scoring for the United States.[210] Messi scored his third of the tournament alongside Julián Álvarez to give Argentina a two-goal lead over Australia, and despite an Enzo Fernández own goal from a Craig Goodwin shot, Argentina won 2–1.[211] Olivier Giroud's goal and Mbappé's brace enabled France to have a 3–1 victory over Poland, with Robert Lewandowski scoring the lone goal for Poland from a penalty.[212] England beat Senegal 3–0, with goals coming from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka.[213] Daizen Maeda scored for Japan against Croatia in the first half before a leveller from Ivan Perišić in the second. Neither team could find the winner, with Croatia defeating Japan 3–1 in a penalty shoot-out.[214] Vinícius Júnior, Neymar, Richarlison, and Lucas Paquetá all scored for Brazil, but a volley from South Korean Paik Seung-ho reduced the deficit to 4–1.[215] Pablo Sarabia had the best chance for Spain to break the deadlock against Morocco in stoppage time after two goalless hours, but he hit the goalie's right-hand post after a shot from the left; Morocco won the match 3–0 on penalties.[216] A hat-trick by Gonçalo Ramos led Portugal to defeat Switzerland 6–1, with goals from Portugal's Pepe, Raphaël Guerreiro, and Rafael Leão and from Switzerland's Manuel Akanji.[217]

Netherlands 3–1 United States
Report

Argentina 2–1 Australia
Report

France 3–1 Poland
Report
Attendance: 40,989

England 3–0 Senegal
Report
Attendance: 65,985


Brazil 4–1 South Korea
Report
Attendance: 43,847


Portugal 6–1  Switzerland
Report
Attendance: 83,720

Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals were played on 9 and 10 December.[32] Croatia and Brazil ended 0–0 after 90 minutes and went to extra time. Neymar scored for Brazil in the 15th minute of extra time. Croatia, however, equalised through Bruno Petković in the second period of extra time. With the match tied, a penalty shootout decided the contest, with Croatia winning the shootout 4–2.[218][219] In the second quarter-final match, Nahuel Molina and Messi scored for Argentina before Wout Weghorst equalised with two goals shortly before the end of the game. The match went to extra time and then penalties, where Argentina would go on to win 4–3.[220] Morocco defeated Portugal 1–0, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring at the end of the first half. Morocco became the first African and the first Arab nation to advance as far as the semi-finals of the competition.[221] Despite Harry Kane scoring a penalty for England, it was not enough to beat France, who won 2–1 by virtue of goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Olivier Giroud and a late missed penalty by Kane, sending them to their second consecutive World Cup semi-final and becoming the first defending champions to reach this stage since Brazil in 1998.[222][223]



Morocco 1–0 Portugal
Report
Attendance: 44,198

England 1–2 France
Report
Attendance: 68,895

Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played on 13 and 14 December.[32] Messi scored a penalty kick before Julián Álvarez scored twice to give Argentina a 3–0 victory over Croatia.[224] Théo Hernandez scored after five minutes as France led Morocco for most of the game. Randal Kolo Muani scored in the 78th minute to complete a 2–0 victory for France over Morocco as they reached their second consecutive final.[225]

Argentina 3–0 Croatia
Report
Attendance: 88,966

France 2–0 Morocco
Report
Attendance: 68,294

Third place play-off

The third place play-off was played on 17 December. The two teams had played against each other in their opening game in Group F which finished 0–0. Joško Gvardiol promptly scored for Croatia, with Achraf Dari equalising just 2 minutes later. Mislav Oršić scored the winner for Croatia as the match finished 2–1.[226] Morocco earned 4th place, a record for the team and the best World Cup finish of any African or Arab nation.[227]

Croatia 2–1 Morocco
Report

Final

The final was played on 18 December between Argentina and France. Both teams had won the event twice previously.[228] Early goals from Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María gave Argentina, leading 2–0, a head start against the French.[228][229] Despite substitutions in the first half, France did not record a shot until after the 70th minute but were energised by additional substitutions in the 71st. A few minutes later, France were awarded a penalty as Randal Kolo Muani was brought down in the penalty area by Nicolás Otamendi. Mbappé scored the penalty and added a second goal less than two minutes later to equalise the scores.[229] With the score tied at two goals apiece, the match went to extra time. Messi scored his second goal in the 108th minute, once again giving Argentina the lead. However, Mbappé was awarded a second penalty in the 115th minute after his shot hit the arm of Gonzalo Montiel. Mbappé scored his third goal, becoming the second player ever to complete a hat-trick in the final of a World Cup after Geoff Hurst for England in 1966.[229] With the score tied at 3–3, the match was determined via a penalty shootout. Argentina won the final after scoring all of their penalties, winning 4–2.[229] This marked their third World Cup win and their first since 1986.[229]

Argentina 3–3 (a.e.t.) France
Report
Penalties
4–2
Attendance: 88,966

Statistics

Goalscorers

There were 172 goals scored in 64 matches, for an average of 2.69 goals per match.

This was the most goals scored at a World Cup.[230]

8 goals

7 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Awards

Argentina captain Lionel Messi (left) won the Golden Ball award, becoming the first player to win it twice. France's Kylian Mbappé (right) won the Golden Boot award after scoring eight goals in the tournament, the most since Ronaldo in 2002.

The following World Cup awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament: the Golden Boot (top scorer), Golden Ball (best overall player) and Golden Glove (best goalkeeper).[236]

Golden Ball Silver Ball Bronze Ball
Argentina Lionel Messi France Kylian Mbappé Croatia Luka Modrić
Golden Boot Silver Boot Bronze Boot
France Kylian Mbappé Argentina Lionel Messi France Olivier Giroud
8 goals, 2 assists 7 goals, 3 assists 4 goals, 0 assists
Golden Glove
Argentina Emiliano Martínez
FIFA Young Player Award
Argentina Enzo Fernández
FIFA Fair Play Trophy
 England

Additionally, FIFA.com shortlisted 10 goals for users to vote on as the tournament's best. The award was won by Brazil's Richarlison for his second goal in the group stage match against Serbia.[237]

Marketing

Branding

The official emblem was designed by Unlock Brands[238] and unveiled in September 2019, during simultaneous events at the Doha Tower, Katara Cultural Village amphitheatre, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and Zubarah. It was 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 evoked imagery of shawls to signify the tournament's late fall scheduling, and contained waves resembling desert dunes. The typography of the emblem's wordmark incorporated kashida—the practice of elongating certain parts of characters in Arabic script to provide typographical emphasis.[239][240][241]

H.E Ambassador Dr. Hend Al-Muftah, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva, explained to WIPO Magazine that the tournament provided an opportunity to "promote our culture and showcase our signature hospitality in a multicultural environment", and highlighted that the country has used sports to demonstrate its "commitment to sustainable development, social inclusion and the values of community and mutual respect among peoples from different cultures and nations."[242]

Merchandise

Electronic Arts' licensed video games FIFA Mobile and FIFA 23 (except on Nintendo Switch) received free updates with tie-in content for the 2022 World Cup on 8 and 9 November 2022 respectively. The update for FIFA 23 added World Cup-themed tournament modes with all teams and two of the stadiums from the event, campaigns and World Cup-themed unlockable content for Ultimate Team mode, and real-time squad and fixture updates during the tournament.[243]

On 24 August 2022, the Panini Group produced themed stickers and a sticker album for a 14th consecutive World Cup. This year, rare cards with coloured borders were included and could be collected, traded, or sold.[244]

On 12 April 2022, FIFA released an over-the-top media service and app revolving around the World Cup called FIFA+, where fans could play games, predict matches, and compete with others.[245]

Broadcasting rights

In May 2022, Infantino projected that the 2022 FIFA World Cup could be the most-watched in its history, with a global audience of at least 5 billion. The 2018 tournament was seen by 3.57 billion across the tournament.[246] The various controversies surrounding the World Cup in Qatar led to questions over how the tournament would be covered in the media, and whether they would be discussed or addressed during coverage.[247][248] The match between England and the United States in the group stage was seen by approximately 20 million viewers across both Fox and Telemundo, ranking among the highest-rated associated football broadcasts in the United States (behind a 2014 World Cup match that drew 24.7 million).[249][250]

Sponsorship

FIFA partnersFIFA World Cup sponsorsAfrican and Middle Eastern supportersAsian supportersEuropean supportersNorth American supportersSouth American supporters

Symbols

Mascot

The tournament's official mascot was unveiled on 1 April 2022, during the group stage draw. Its name is Laʼeeb (Arabic: لعيب, romanized: Laʿīb), which is an Arabic word meaning "super-skilled player". The official website of FIFA says: "Laʼeeb will be known for his youthful spirit; spreading joy and confidence everywhere he goes", and the official backstory of the character, published there, claims that it comes from a parallel world where tournament mascots live, "a world where ideas and creativity form the basis of characters that live in the minds of everyone".[282]

Match ball

The adidas Al Rihla

The official match ball, "Al Rihla", was unveiled on 30 March 2022. It was mainly inspired by the culture, architecture, iconic boats and flag of Qatar. In Arabic, the word Al-Rihla (الْرِّحْلَة ar-riḥla) means "the journey". The ball was designed with sustainability as a priority, making it the first ever official match ball created with water-based glues and inks. As "the game is getting faster" and "speeds up", the Adidas ball has internal electronic sensors, allowing detection of its speed and position, updated 500 times per second[283] and it has to be charged before each game.[284] Two of the match balls were sent and returned from space by FIFA and Qatar Airways on a SpaceX falcon 9 suborbital mission for promoting the World Cup.[285]

The match ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final was announced on 11 December 2022. It is a variation of the Al Rihla named the Adidas Al Hilm (Arabic: الحلم, romanized: al-ḥulm, lit.'the dream', a reference to "every nation's dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup").[286] Whilst the technical aspects of the ball are the same, the colour is different from the Al-Rihla balls used in the group stages and preceding knockout games, with a Gold Metallic, maroon, Collegiate Burgundy, and red design,[287] a reference to the national colors of host nation Qatar and the golden colors shared by the Final's venue and the FIFA World Cup Trophy.[288]

Music

For the first time, a multi-song FIFA World Cup official soundtrack has been released, instead of one official song.[289] The first song of the album is "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)", performed by Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and AISHA, released on 1 April 2022 along with the music video.[290] The second song is "Arhbo", performed by Gims and Ozuna, released on 19 August 2022 along with the music video.[291] The third song is "The World Is Yours to Take" performed by American rapper Lil Baby, released on 23 September 2022 along with a music video.[292] The fourth song is "Light The Sky" performed by Nora Fatehi, Manal, Rahma Riad, and Balqees, composed by RedOne and released on 7 October 2022 along with the music video.[293] A fifth song, "Tukoh Taka", performed by Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares, was released on 17 November 2022 along with the music video, serving as the official song of the FIFA Fan Festival.[294] The final song is "Dreamers" by Jungkook of BTS released on 20 November 2022. It was performed with Fahad Al-Kubaisi during the tournament's opening ceremony.[295][296]

Controversies

Criticism of the 2022 FIFA World Cup focused on Qatar's human-rights record,[297] namely their treatment of migrant workers,[297] women, and position on LGBT rights,[298] leading to allegations of sportswashing.[upper-alpha 16] Others cited Qatar's climate, lack of a strong football culture, and allegations of bribery for hosting rights and wider FIFA corruption.[6][302] Boycotts of the event were declared by several countries, clubs, and individual players,[300][301] with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter twice stating that giving Qatar hosting rights was a "mistake".[303][304] The FIFA World Cup delivered record-breaking numbers of TV audiences across multiple markets.[305] In June 2023, Le Point revealed that FIFA World Cup has raised great interest in the country despite "calls for a boycott". According to the study by Arcom, six out of ten French people followed at least one match.[306]

Host selection criticism

Russian President Vladimir Putin handing over the symbolic relay baton for the hosting rights of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in June 2018

There have been allegations of bribery and corruption in the selection process involving FIFA's executive committee members.[307] These allegations are being investigated by FIFA (see § Bidding corruption allegations, 2014, below). In May 2011, allegations of corruption within the FIFA senior officials raised questions over the legitimacy of the World Cup 2022 being held in Qatar. The accusations of corruption were made relating to how Qatar won the right to host the event. A FIFA internal investigation and report cleared Qatar of any violation, but chief investigator Michael J. Garcia described FIFA's report on his enquiry as containing "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations."[308]

In May 2015, Swiss federal prosecutors opened an investigation into corruption and money laundering related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.[309][310] In 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.[311] 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.[312]

In September 2018, a delegation from al-Ghufran tribe lodged a complaint to FIFA's president to reject the establishment of the World Cup in Qatar unless its government restored the Qatari nationality to all those affected from the tribe and returned land allegedly stolen from them to build the sport facilities.[313]

Qatar faced strong criticism for the treatment of foreign workers involved in preparation for the World Cup, with Amnesty International referring to "forced labour" and poor working conditions,[314][315] while many migrant workers reported having to pay large "recruitment fees" to obtain employment.[316] The Guardian newspaper reported 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 up to 4,000 workers could die from lax safety and other causes by the time the competition was held. Between 2015 and 2021, the Qatari government adopted new labour reforms to improve working conditions, including a minimum wage for all workers and the removal of the kafala system. According to Amnesty International, however, living and working conditions of the foreign workers did not improve in the last years.[317]

Qatar was the smallest nation by area ever to have been awarded a FIFA World Cup – the next smallest by area was Switzerland, host of the 1954 World Cup, which was more than three times as large as Qatar and only needed to host 16 teams instead of 32. Qatar also became only the second country (not including Uruguay and Italy, hosts of the first two World Cups) to be awarded a FIFA World Cup despite having never qualified for a previous edition: Japan was awarded co-hosting rights of the 2002 World Cup in 1996 without ever having qualified for the finals, although they qualified for the 1998 edition. Of the eight stadiums used in the tournament, six were located in the Doha metropolitan area, making it the first World Cup since 1930 in which most of the stadiums were in one city. While this decreased the distance that fans and players needed to commute, Qatar itself struggled to accommodate the numbers of arriving fans with its diminutive amount of space.[318]

Due to Qatar's laws on alcohol consumption, World Cup organisers announced the creation of designated "sobering up" zones as an alternative to wide-scale arrests of intoxicated fans during the World Cup.[319] Qatar's World Cup chief executive of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Nasser Al Khater, stated that the purpose of the designated sobering-up areas was to ensure the fans' safety.[320] If a fan was sent to the "sobering up" zone, they were permitted to leave when they could display clearheaded behaviour.[321] Multiple news agencies described the controversy as a "cultural clash" between social conservatism and Islamic morality against the "norms" of secular Western liberal democracies.[11][322]

A number of groups and media outlets expressed concern over the suitability of Qatar to host the event.[323][324] Issues regarding from human rights,[8][298] worker conditions, the rights of LGBT fans,[298] and the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar.[325][326][327] In December 2020, Qatar said rainbow flags would be allowed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[328] Qatari officials initially stated that they would not prohibit the display of pride flags at tournament venues, although the country still advised LGBT attendees to comply with the country's modesty and avoid public displays of affection.[329][330] Hassan Abdulla al-Thawadi, chief executive of the country's World Cup bid, said that Qatar would permit alcohol consumption during the event,[331][332] even though drinking in public was not permitted.[333] There were plans to allow the sale of alcohol inside stadiums and at fan villages.[334] Normally, the sale of alcohol is restricted to non-Muslim guests at selected luxury hotels only.[335] However, in the months preceding the tournament, the display of LGBT material and the sale of alcohol were banned.[336][337][338][334][339]

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 November and December.[5] In May 2014, Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA president at the time of the selection, remarked that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake" because of the extreme heat.[5][340][341] 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".[342] The attendance figures at the matches also came under scrutiny as the reported crowd attendance was more than the stadium capacities despite games having visible empty seats.[343]

Prior to the tournament, a reporter for Denmark's TV 2 was threatened by security during a live report from the Katara Cultural Village; the organising committee apologised, stating that they were "mistakenly interrupted".[344] Tony O'Donoghue of Ireland's RTÉ also accused Qatari police of interrupting him while filming.[345]

On 5 November 2022, The Sunday Times and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism published an investigation reporting that a group from an Indian hacking company had compromised the email accounts of various politicians, reporters, and other prominent individuals that had been critical of Qatar's hosting of the World Cup. It was also reported that the group had been hired by Jonas Rey, private investigators based in Switzerland, which were in turn hired by Qatari officials.[346]

Migrant workers

There were criticisms the state of human rights in Qatar and of the conditions of migrant workers brought in to build the required infrastructure, including indentured servitude and working conditions leading to deaths.[350] On October 23, 2022, an article published by The Guardian included statements from migrants working on the event infrastructure. Surveying 1,000 workers, 86% of participants said that the labour changes had improved their lives and that better working conditions are negotiable.[351] Legislation has also been proposed on the minimum wage, summertime worker safety, and the election of migrant worker representatives in businesses. Labour mobility is a result of changes to the Kafala system.[352]

According to Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, prior to the tournament, "the new Kafala system tranche of law will put an end to Kafala and establish a contemporary industrial relations system."[353]

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended Qatar's decision to host the tournament.[354] Others have asserted that Qatar has a better human rights record than Russia and China, which were subjected to less harsh criticism for the same problems when hosting important athletic events in the years before the tournament.[355]

Move to November and December

Owing to the climate in Qatar, concerns were expressed over holding the World Cup in its traditional time frame of June and July.[5] In October 2013, a task force was commissioned to consider alternative dates and report after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[356] On 24 February 2015, the FIFA Task Force proposed that the tournament be played from late November to late December 2022,[357] to avoid the summer heat and also avoid clashing with the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, the 2022 Winter Paralympics in March and Ramadan in April.[358][359]

The notion of staging the tournament in November was controversial because it would interfere with the regular season schedules of some domestic leagues around the world. Commentators noted the clash with the Christian Christmas season was likely to cause disruption, whilst there was concern about how short the tournament was intended to be.[360] FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger said that awarding the event to Qatar was a "blatant mistake".[361]

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.[362] 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.[363] In 2015, FIFA confirmed that the final would be played in December.[364] Critics condemned the Euro-centrism of these allegations, and questioned why global sporting events must be held within the traditional European summer season.[365]

Bidding corruption allegations, 2014

Some allegations were made over the role of former football official Mohammed bin Hammam played in securing the bid.[366] A former employee of the Qatar bid team alleged that several African officials were paid $1.5 million by Qatar.[367] She retracted her claims, but later said that she was coerced to do so by Qatari bid officials.[368][369] In March 2014, it was discovered that former CONCACAF president Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million from a firm linked to Qatar's successful campaign.[370]

The Sunday Times published bribery allegations based on a leak of millions of secret documents.[371] Five of FIFA's six primary sponsors, Sony, Adidas, Visa, Hyundai, and Coca-Cola, called upon FIFA to investigate the claims.[372][373] Jim Boyce, vice-president of FIFA, stated he would support a re-vote to find a new host if the corruption allegations are proven.[374][375] FIFA completed a lengthy investigation into these allegations and a report cleared Qatar of any wrongdoing. Despite the claims, the Qataris insisted that the corruption allegations were being driven by envy and mistrust while Blatter said it was fueled by racism in the British media.[376][377]

In the 2015 FIFA corruption case, Swiss officials, operating under information from the United States Department of Justice, arrested many senior FIFA officials in Zürich and 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 corruption and bribery scandal.[378] From those arrested, $40 million was forfeited under guilty pleas.[379] In 2022, the president of the El Salvador soccer association, Reynaldo Vasquez, was sentenced to 16 months in prison in connection to over $350,000 in bribes.[380]

Following the corruption case, Phaedra Almajid, the former media officer for the Qatar bid team, claimed that the allegations would result in Qatar not hosting the World Cup.[381] 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."[382][383]

In 2014, FIFA appointed Michael Garcia as its independent ethics investigator to look into bribery allegations against Russia and Qatar. Garcia investigated all nine bids and eleven countries involved in the 2018 and 2022 bids.[384] At the end of the investigation, Garcia submitted a 430-page report. The FIFA governing body then appointed a German judge, Hans Joachim Eckert, who reviewed and presented a 42-page summary of the report two months later. The report cleared Qatar and Russia of bribery allegations, stating that Qatar "pulled Aspire into the orbit of the bid in significant ways" but did not "compromise the integrity" of the overall bid process.[385] Michael Garcia reacted almost immediately, stating that the report is "materially incomplete" and contains "erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions".[385]

In 2017, a German journalist Peter Rossberg claimed to have obtained the report and wrote that it "does not provide proof that the 2018 or 2022 World Cup was bought" and stated that he would publish the full report. This forced FIFA to release the original report. The full report did not provide any evidence of corruption against the host of the 2022 World Cup but stated that bidders tested the rules of conduct to the limit.[386]

Russian participation

On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) handed Russia a four-year ban from all major sporting events, after RUSADA was found non-compliant for handing over manipulated lab data to investigators.[387] The Russian national team were still permitted to enter qualification, as the ban only applied to the final tournament to decide the world champions. A team representing Russia, which used the Russian flag and anthem, could not participate under the WADA decision whilst the ban was active.[388] The decision was appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[389] 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, the day before the third place play-off.[390]

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's participation was further thrown into doubt. On 24 February 2022, the three teams in Russia's qualifying path Czech Republic, Poland, and Sweden announced their unwillingness to play any matches in Russian territory.[391] Poland and Sweden extended the boycott on 26 February to any qualifying games, and the Czech Republic made the same decision one day later.[392][393][394]

On 27 February 2022, FIFA announced a number of sanctions impacting Russia's participation in international football. Russia was prohibited from hosting international competitions, and the national team was ordered to play all home matches behind closed doors in neutral countries. Under these sanctions, Russia would not be allowed to compete under the country's name, flag, or national anthem; similarly to the Russian athletes' participation in events such as the Olympics,[395] the team would compete under the abbreviation of their national federation, the Russian Football Union ("RFU"), rather than "Russia".[396] The next day, FIFA decided to suspend Russia from international competitions "until further notice", including its participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[397]

LGBT and women's rights

There are no LGBT rights in Qatar, with homosexuality as well as campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights criminalized. As such, when Qatar was selected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the choice to do so in a restrictive nation saw much criticism, with the security of fans,[398] as well as the homophobic football chants of certain nations, were points of discussion.[399] The main controversy came from a last-minute FIFA decision to hand out player punishments to European captains who had months earlier announced their intention to continue wearing rainbow-colored armbands (which began in 2020) in support of anti-discrimination. Typically, kit violations incur a fine, which the teams had said they would pay; on the day of the first match involving one of the teams, FIFA reportedly told the teams that they would receive a yellow card at a minimum for wearing the armbands.[400] Qatari officials stated that all people are welcome as long as they follow the public display of affection laws which apply to everyone.[401][402]

Security officials at stadiums also confiscated items of rainbow clothing and flags featuring rainbows.[403][404][405] American journalist Grant Wahl was briefly detained for wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow on it.[406] Wahl reportedly received death threats for wearing the shirt, later dying at the stadium.[407][408] Other journalists with Wahl at the time of his death have reported that he began fitting or experiencing a seizure, and called for help himself. They criticized the Qatar Supreme Committee for not providing defibrillators in the stadium, as they had looked for one to try to help Wahl.[409] In response, FIFA said that according to the ambulance service, a defibrillator was made available when paramedics later arrived on scene.[410] An autopsy done on Wahl in New York City later revealed that Wahl died from an aortic aneurysm rupture.[411]

Discrimination against women in Qatar was also criticized.[412][413] Women in Qatar have few freedoms,[412][414] as they must obtain permission from their male guardians to marry, study abroad on government scholarships, work in many government jobs, travel abroad, receive certain forms of reproductive health care, and act as the primary guardian of children, even if they are divorced.[415]

Qatar attracted particular criticism for an incident where a Mexican employee of the World Cup Organizing Committee was accused of allegedly having sex outside of marriage. The woman had previously reported rape, while the male claimed to have been in a relationship with her, after which the woman was investigated for extramarital sex. Women in Qatar face the possible penalty of flagellation and a seven-year prison sentence if convicted for having sex outside of marriage. The criminal case was eventually dropped months after she was allowed to leave Qatar.[416]

Influence of Iran

An Iranian fan showing a banner with "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogan

In November 2022, there were reports suggesting that the government of Iran were working with Qatari officials to suppress anti-government protests at the 2022 FIFA World Cup,[417] in light of the Mahsa Amini protests. Leaked documents and audio clips suggested that Iranian government officials were in correspondence with Qatari authorities in order to handle possible protesters.[418]

In November 2022, the Qatari government revoked the visas of journalists from a London-based Iranian news channel, Iran International, known for being critical of the regime, who were seeking to cover the World Cup.[419] On 21 November 2022, during the first group stage match from Group B, between Iran and England, attempts were reportedly made by the stadium's security forces to block Iranian fans who wore clothing or carried items bearing slogans that were deemed unsympathetic to the Islamic government of Iran.[420] These included t-shirts and signs with "Woman, Life, Freedom" embedded onto them, Iran's previous flags, or any slogans containing the name of Mahsa Amini.[421] This crackdown continued throughout all of Iran's matches at the World Cup.[417] In addition to removing fans from stadiums, reports showed that officials tried to suppress any filming or photography of possible protests. In one case, Qatari police detained Danish TV presenter, Rasmus Tantholdt, for filming fans with "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogans, some of whom who had been earlier abused by a group of pro-government supporters.[422]

Treatment of Jewish and Israeli visitors

Qatar had previously promised to provide Jewish tourists with cooked kosher food and public Jewish prayer services at the tournament. However, shortly before the World Cup began, both were banned by Qatar, who claimed it could not secure the safety of Jews.[423][424] Qatar alleged that they could not "secure" the safety of publicly praying Jewish tourists, whilst many foreign Jews complained that they subsequently had no food available to eat. It was estimated that 10,000 religious Jews from Israel and around the world arrived to watch the World Cup in Qatar.[425]

Whilst Jewish organisations complained of being unable to find cooked kosher food,[425] the Israeli government said it was happy with the efforts made by Qatar to meet its requests, including kosher food, direct flights from Israel to Qatar, and temporary diplomatic representation in the country. A kosher kitchen under the supervision of Rabbi Mendy Chitrik was open in time for the first match. Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, said he had never asked the Qatari government for cooked food, and he had been the only person in communication with the Qataris regarding making the World Cup experience inclusive for Jews.[426]

Multiple Israeli reporters at the tournament reported fans from Arab nations waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israeli slogans while harassing them.[298][427][428] Some Israelis reported that they had been escorted out of restaurants when their nationality was revealed.[429] The Israeli government warned its citizens traveling to the tournament to hide their Israeli identity out of safety concerns.[430]

Accommodation

The Rawdat Al Jahhaniya fan village was criticised for its overpriced "night cabins" (£185 per night) made out of shipping containers. Tourists complained that the air conditioners in the cabins did not function well, facilities were falling apart, and the sleeping experience did not match their expectations.[431] The BBC reported that the tent accommodation at the Qetaifan Island fan village got criticism for having brown-colored tap water and no air conditioning other than a standing fan.[432][433] The tent village in Al Khor was criticized for having inconvenient transportation, a lack of alcohol, long waits to check in, and no locks on the tents.[434][435] The lack of suitable and affordable accommodation raised demand for daily shuttle flights from neighboring areas, such as Dubai, that had adequate numbers of hotel rooms.[436]

See also

Notes

  1. The 2018 competition in Russia featured two partially Asian venues, according to various definitions of the geographical boundary between Asia and EuropeYekaterinburg (sits on the foothills of the Ural mountains and acts a barrier between Europe and Asia) and Sochi (The majority of Sochi is situated on the European side of Russia, while a small portion extends to the Asian side.)
  2. Qatar has very high temperatures and is quite humid during summers.[2]
  3. The tournament is the first not to be held in the traditional months of May, June, or July and take place in the northern autumn and winter.[2][3]
  4. Citations:[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
  5. The average attendance at this stadium was 66,794.
  6. The average attendance at this stadium was 87,416.
  7. The average attendance at this stadium was 42,788.
  8. The average attendance at this stadium was 43,639.
  9. The average attendance at this stadium was 44,445.
  10. The average attendance at this stadium was 42,211.
  11. The average attendance at this stadium was 42,552.
  12. The average attendance at this stadium was 41,253.
  13. UEFA Path A winners, team not determined at time of draw.[115]
  14. CONCACAF v OFC winners, team not determined at time of draw.[115]
  15. AFC v CONMEBOL winners, team not determined at time of draw.[115]
  16. Citations:[5][299][300][301]

    References

    1. "Now is all – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™". FIFA. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
    2. Sullivan, Becky (18 November 2022). "Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup". NPR. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    3. Borden, Sam (19 March 2015). "FIFA Confirms Winter World Cup for 2022". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
    4. Smith, Rory (18 December 2022). "World Cup Coronation Complete! Lionel Messi Claims His Crown as Argentina Rejoices". The New York Times.
    5. McTague, Tom (19 November 2022). "The Qatar World Cup Exposes Soccer's Shame". The Atlantic. Washington, D.C. ISSN 2151-9463. OCLC 936540106. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    6. Boehm, Eric (21 November 2022). "The Qatar World Cup Is a Celebration of Authoritarianism". Reason. OCLC 818916200. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    7. "FIFA World Cup 2022: Why Qatar is a controversial location for the tournament". The Times of India. Reuters. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    8. Begum, Rothna (25 November 2022). "Qatar Can't Hide Its Abuses by Calling Criticism Racist". Foreign Policy. Washington, D.C.: Graham Holdings Company. ISSN 0015-7228. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
    9. Miller, Nick (26 November 2022). "What does the World Cup mean to the Middle East and Arab world?". The Athletic. Retrieved 28 November 2022. between the Western World/media and those from the Middle East
    10. "2022 World Cup: Criticism of Qatar finds unequal resonance around the world". Le Monde. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    11. Baxter, Kevin (20 November 2022). "Qatar walks tightrope between Arab values and Western norms with World Cup gamble". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    12. Griffin, Thomas Ross (2017). "Football in the Hands of the Other: Qatar's World Cup in the British Broadsheet Press". Arab World Geographer. 20 (2): 170–182.
    13. "The history of World Cup in football". footballhistory.org. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    14. "2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar – The Markhor Times". The Markhor Times. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    15. "FIFA Men's World Cup History – Past World Cup Winners, Hosts, Most Goals and more". Fox Sports. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    16. "World Cup 2022: Dates, draw, schedule, kick-off times, final for Qatar tournament". Sky Sports. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    17. Taylor, Daniel (15 July 2018). "France seal second World Cup triumph with 4–2 win over brave Croatia". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
    18. McNulty, Phil (15 July 2018). "France beat Croatia in World Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    19. "FIFA Executive Committee confirms November/December event period for Qatar 2022". FIFA. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
    20. "FIFA World Cup 2022 live streaming: Where to watch, schedule & groups". The Economic Times. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    21. Sanderson, Katharine (18 November 2022). "How will World Cup footballers cope with Qatar heat?". Nature. 612 (7938): 19. Bibcode:2022Natur.612...19S. doi:10.1038/d41586-022-03771-9. PMID 36400953. S2CID 253671490.
    22. "When does winter start?". Met Office.
    23. "Amir: 2022 World Cup Qatar a tournament for all Arabs". Gulf Times. 15 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
    24. "Qatar: FIFA World Cup fans will not need Covid tests". BBC News. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    25. Naishadham, Suman (26 November 2022). "Energy-rich Qatar faces fast-rising climate risks at home". AP News. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
    26. Sullivan, Becky (18 November 2022). "Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup". NPR. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    27. Hall, Andy (25 August 2022). "How will the 2022 World Cup affect the Champions League schedule?". as. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
    28. "FIFA World Cup match schedule confirmed: hosts Qatar to kick off 2022 tournament at Al Bayt Stadium". FIFA. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
    29. "Qatar v. Ecuador to kick off FIFA World Cup 2022 on 20 November". FIFA. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
    30. Morgan, Tom (23 August 2022). "World Cup 2022: When does it start, which teams have qualified and what are the groups for Qatar?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
    31. Stone, Simon (10 August 2022). "World Cup 2022: Tournament set to start one day early with Qatar v Ecuador". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
    32. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Match Schedule" (PDF). FIFA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
    33. "Final match schedule for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 now available". FIFA. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
    34. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Match Schedule" (PDF). FIFA. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
    35. "FIFA President welcomes participants to Team Seminar". FIFA. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
    36. Short, Joe (20 November 2022). "How many substitutes are allowed at World Cup 2022?". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
    37. Cons, Roddy (15 December 2022). "How many substitutions can teams make at the Qatar 2022 World Cup?". as. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
    38. Thomas, Joshua (17 December 2022). "How many substitutes in World Cup 2022? Explaining new rules for Qatar tournament". The Sporting News. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
    39. "FIFA outlines player health and well-being strategy at World Cup workshop". FIFA. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
    40. Evans, Ethan (21 November 2022). "FIFA World Cup 2022: Concussion rules for Qatar tournament – after Alireza Beiranvand substitution vs England". LondonWorld. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    41. Goff, Steve (16 January 2009). "Future World Cups". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
    42. "2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids begin in January 2009". Archived from the original on 11 December 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
    43. "World Cup 2018". 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014.
    44. "Indonesia's bid to host the 2022 World Cup bid ends". BBC Sport. 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 20 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
    45. "World Cup Bidding Process Explained: How The 2018 & 2022 World Cup Hosts Are Chosen". Goal. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
    46. "Combined bidding confirmed". FIFA. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
    47. Wilson, Steve (18 November 2010). "World Cup 2018: meet Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii, the Fifa pair suspended over corruption". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
    48. "World Cup 2022: Blow to Qatar's 2022 bid as FIFA brands it 'high risk'". Arabian Business. 18 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
    49. James, Stuart (2 December 2010). "World Cup 2022: 'Political craziness' favours Qatar's winning bid". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
    50. Withnall, Adam (7 June 2015). "Qatar world cup part of FIFA corruption scandal". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
    51. Doyle, Paul; Busfield, Steve (2 December 2010). "World Cup 2018 and 2022 decision day – live!". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
    52. Craig, Matt (19 November 2022). "The Money Behind The Most Expensive World Cup in History: Qatar 2022 By The Numbers". Forbes. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    53. "No, Qatar has not spent $220 billion on World Cup stadiums". newarab.com. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    54. "Stadiums". Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
    55. "Bidding Nation Qatar 2022 – Stadiums". Qatar2022bid.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
    56. Hayajneh, Abdelnaser; Elbarrawy, Hassan; El Shazly, Yassin; Rashid, Tarek (December 2017). "Football and Sustainability in the Desert, Qatar 2022 Green World Cup's Stadiums: Legal Perspective". European Journal of Social Sciences: 475–493. SSRN 3096185.
    57. "2022 FIFA World Cup Bid Evaluation Report: Qatar" (PDF). FIFA. 5 December 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
    58. "Al Bayt Stadium Design". qatar2022.qa.
    59. "Qatar 2022: Nine stadiums instead of twelve? –". Stadiumdb.com. 25 April 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
    60. Fattah, Zainab (22 April 2013). "Qatar Is in Talks to Reduce World Cup Stadiums, BofA Says". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
    61. "Official: Qatar has cut its 2022 World Cup budget almost in half". Doha News. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
    62. "Stadiums". Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. 6 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
    63. McKinnon, Kyle (25 November 2021). "Qatar touts dismountable stadium for 'sustainable' 2022 World Cup". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
    64. Baxter, Kevin (15 November 2022). "A guide to the eight stadiums hosting games at the 2022 World Cup". Los Angeles Times.
    65. "Al Bayt Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    66. "Al Bayt Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    67. "Lusail Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    68. "Lusail Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    69. "Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    70. "Ahmad bin Ali Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    71. "Education City Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    72. "Education City Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    73. "Khalifa International Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    74. "Khalifa International Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    75. "Al Thumama Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    76. "Al Thumama Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    77. "Stadium 974". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    78. "Stadium 974". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    79. "Al Janoub Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    80. "Al Janoub Stadium". FIFA. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
    81. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Base camps and training centres ready for 32 teams". 21 October 2022.
    82. "Base Camps for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Teams: All Set and Ready". Marhaba. 27 July 2022.
    83. "Team Base Camp line-up reflects uniquely compact nature of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA.
    84. "England, Germany, Argentina and more – Where will all the 32 teams be based in Qatar during 2022 World Cup?". 26 July 2022.
    85. Farag, Mona (17 October 2022). "World Cup 2022: Qatar draws in multi-nation security force for tournament". The National. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
    86. Ghaedi, Monir (16 November 2022). "Qatar banks on Pakistani troops for World Cup 2022 security". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
    87. Palmer, Dan (31 July 2017). "Hosts Qatar to compete in qualifying for 2022 World Cup". insidethegames.biz. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
    88. "Groups finalised for Qatar 2022 & China 2023 race". The-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 17 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
    89. Gonzalez, Roger (15 July 2018). "2022 World Cup odds: France favorite to repeat in Qatar; USA behind Mexico with 16th-best odds". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
    90. Church, Michael (29 November 2021). Rutherford, Peter (ed.). "Oceania mini-tournament to decide World Cup playoff qualifier". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
    91. "Tonga withdraw from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ OFC preliminary competition". FIFA. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
    92. "Vanuatu withdraw from football World Cup qualifiers". RNZ. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
    93. "Cook Islands withdraw from FIFA World Cup qualifiers". RNZ. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
    94. "Qatar World Cup 2022". The Telegraph. 7 September 2022. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
    95. "Canada 4–0 Jamaica: Canadians qualify for first World Cup since 1986". BBC Sport. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
    96. Shuttleworth, Peter; Pigott, Paul (5 June 2022). "World Cup 2022: Wales qualifies for final after 64-year wait". BBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
    97. Mann, Mantej (24 March 2022). "Italy 0–1 North Macedonia: European champions stunned in World Cup play-offs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
    98. "World Cup play-off semi-finals: Wins for North Macedonia, Portugal, Sweden, Wales". UEFA. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
    99. "FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions" (Press release). FIFA. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
    100. Lee, Michael (15 June 2022). "The 8 2018 World Cup countries that have failed to qualify for Qatar". Planet Football. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
    101. "From zeroes to heroes – How the lowest ranked team in the World Cup stand a chance". SBS. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
    102. "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
    103. Gleeson, Mark (19 October 2022). Ferris, Ken (ed.). "World Cup preliminary squads to be decided by Friday". Reuters. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022.
    104. Booth, Chuck (23 June 2022). "FIFA approves 26-man squads for 2022 World Cup as teams will have three extra players in Qatar". CBS Sports.
    105. "Bureau of FIFA Council approves increase of FIFA World Cup™ squads to 26 players". FIFA.
    106. "معرفی ۲۵ بازیکن تیم ملی برای حضور در جام جهانی" [Introduction of 25 national team players to participate in the World Cup] (in Persian). Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
    107. Orsini, Vincent (9 November 2022). "La liste des vingt-cinq pour le Mondial" [The list of twenty-five for the World Cup] (in French). French Football Federation. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
    108. "FIFA Council endorses global summit to discuss the future of football". FIFA. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
    109. "2022 European football calendar: Match and draw dates for all UEFA competitions". UEFA. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
    110. "Procedures for the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 released". FIFA. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
    111. "Qatar 2022 Final Draw: All you need to know". FIFA. 31 March 2022.
    112. "Statistical Kit for the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022" (PDF). FIFA. 31 March 2022.
    113. "Men's Ranking: 31 Mar 2022". FIFA. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
    114. "Draw procedures: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022" (PDF). FIFA. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
    115. "Qatar 2022 Final Draw: All you need to know". FIFA. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
    116. "World Cup 2022: Dates, draw, schedule, kick-off times, final for Qatar tournament".
    117. "36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials appointed for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
    118. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – List of appointed FIFA Match Officials" (PDF). FIFA. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
    119. Ouzia, Malik (17 November 2022). "Female World Cup refs long overdue but to come in Qatar brings a degree of hypocrisy". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    120. "Qatar World Cup: Women referees to feature for first time in men's competition". ESPN. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
    121. "Frappart: Final role a huge source of pride". FIFA.
    122. "Stéphanie Frappart – Matches as referee". WorldFootball.net.
    123. "Bakary Gassama – Matches as referee". WorldFootball.net.
    124. "Juan Pablo Belatti – Matches as assistant referee". WorldFootball.net.
    125. "France – Croatia 4:2 (World Cup 2018 Russia, Final)". WorldFootball.net. 15 April 2019.
    126. "César Ramos – Matches as referee". WorldFootball.net.
    127. "Janny Sikazwe – Matches as referee". WorldFootball.net.
    128. "Alireza Faghani – Matches as referee". WorldFootball.net.
    129. FIFA Media [@fifamedia] (15 December 2022). "t.co/1FTEXXvTal" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 December 2022 via Twitter.
    130. "Qatar v. Ecuador to kick off FIFA World Cup 2022 on 20 November". FIFA. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
    131. Mills, Andrew (20 November 2022). "Soccer Qatar's Bedouin roots star in World Cup opening ceremony". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    132. "BTS' Jungkook to perform at FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar". The Indian Express. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
    133. Khan, Nilofer (21 November 2022). "FIFA World Cup begins with the first-ever Quran recitation, but why did Morgan Freeman wear a glove?". Mashable ME. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    134. "FIFA World Cup Schedule". FIFA.
    135. "Regulations – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022" (PDF). FIFA. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
    136. Smyth, Rob (20 November 2022). "Qatar v Ecuador: World Cup 2022 kicks off with opening ceremony – live". The Guardian.
    137. Hafez, Shamoon (20 November 2022). "Hosts Qatar beaten by Ecuador in World Cup opener". BBC Sport.
    138. Lane, Barnaby (21 November 2022). "Qatar became the first host nation of a World Cup to ever lose its opening match as it was beaten by Ecuador". Insider. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
    139. "Qatar's first-ever World Cup match ends in defeat". NPR. Associated Press. 20 November 2022. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    140. Begley, Emlyn (20 November 2022). "World Cup: Ecuador cruise past Qatar in opener – reaction". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    141. Hafez, Shamoon (20 November 2022). "'Terrible start' turns Qatar dream into nightmare". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
    142. Marcotti, Gabriele (20 November 2022). "Billions of dollars bought Qatar a World Cup, but not loyal fans in opener vs. Ecuador". ESPN.
    143. Sanders, Emma (21 November 2022). "World Cup 2022 Senegal 0–2 Netherlands: Late goals give Dutch crucial victory". BBC News.
    144. Hafez, Shamoon (25 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Qatar 1–3 Senegal – hosts close to elimination". BBC.
    145. Gholam, Simeon (26 November 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Netherlands 1–1 Ecuador: Enner Valencia earns point for South Americans in Group A clash". Sky Sports.
    146. Hafez, Shamoon (29 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Netherlands 2–0 Qatar: Gakpo and De Jong score to ensure top spot". BBC. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    147. Beardmore, Michael (29 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Ecuador 1–2 Senegal: Ismaila Sarr & Kalidou Koulibaly put Africans into last 16". BBC. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    148. McNulty, Phil (21 November 2022). "England 6–2 Iran: Three Lions win World Cup opener emphatically". BBC Sport.
    149. "USA vs Wales 1–1 Live: World Cup 2022 Match Ends in Draw After Gareth Bale Penalty". The Wall Street Journal.
    150. Pritchard, Dafydd (25 November 2022). "Iran loss leaves Wales in danger of World Cup exit". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
    151. Hay, Phil; Peck, Brooks (26 November 2022). "How the USMNT came close to upsetting England". The Athletic.
    152. "Wales v England LIVE: Watch 2022 World Cup plus score, commentary & updates – Live". BBC Sport. 28 November 2022.
    153. "U.S. Advances to Knockout Round With 1–0 Victory Over Iran in Tense Matchup". The New York Times. 29 November 2022.
    154. Dawkes, Phil (22 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Superb Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2–1 in Group C opener". BBC.
    155. "Full list of the top-10 World Cup shocks in history". The Independent. 22 November 2022.
    156. y Araujo, Marcela Mora (23 November 2022). "Shock, disbelief, sadness – Argentina fans sombre after Saudi Arabia shock". The Guardian.
    157. Palmer, Bryn (21 November 2022). "Mexico vs Poland final score, result: Memo Ochoa extends Robert Lewandowski's World Cup frustration". The Sporting News.
    158. Taylor, Louise (26 November 2022). "Robert Lewandowski gets first World Cup goal as Poland beat Saudi Arabia". The Guardian.
    159. Jones, Andy (26 November 2022). "World Cup result: How Poland beat Saudi Arabia 20 to move to the top of Group C". The Athletic.
    160. "Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez keep Argentina's World Cup hopes alive with win over Mexico". ESPN.
    161. Stepansky, Joseph; Geiger, Dorian; Sharma, Rohan; Brownsell, James (26 November 2022). "Argentina 2 Mexico 0: As it happened". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    162. Wright, Nick (1 December 2022). "Poland 0–2 Argentina – Match Report & Highlights". Sky Sports.
    163. Tanswell, Jacob (1 December 2022). "Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2–1 but are eliminated from World Cup 2022". The Athletic.
    164. "Denmark 0–0 Tunisia: Danes held to stalemate as Christian Eriksen makes major tournament return". Sky Sports.
    165. Howcroft, Jonathan (22 November 2022). "France 4–1 Australia: World Cup 2022 – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
    166. Das, Andrew (26 November 2022). "Mbappé and France Leave No Doubt; Poland and Argentina Set Up Showdown". The New York Times.
    167. FitzGibbon, Liam (27 November 2022). "EPL clubs watching as $35m beast delivers 'one of greatest ever Socceroos performances'". Fox Sports.
    168. Straus, Brian (26 November 2022). "World Cup Champions Curse Is No Match for Mbappe, France". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
    169. "Australia upset Denmark 1–0 to earn World Cup last 16 spot". Al Jazeera. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
    170. "World Cup 2022 highlights: Tunisia defeats France, 1–0". Fox Sports. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
    171. Murray, Scott (23 November 2022). "Germany 1–2 Japan: World Cup 2022 – as it happened". The Guardian.
    172. "Spain vs. Costa Rica – Football Match Summary – November 23, 2022". ESPN.
    173. Creek, Stephen (23 November 2022). "Spain vs. Costa Rica final score, result: La Roja hit seven as Gavi becomes their youngest World Cup scorer". The Sporting News. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
    174. Wright, Nick (24 November 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Spain 7–0 Costa Rica: Ferran Torres scores twice as Luis Enrique's side make rampant start". Sky Sports. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
    175. Gault, Matt (27 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Japan 0–1 Costa Rica – Keysher Fuller earns shock win". BBC.
    176. "Spain 1–1 Germany – Highlights". beIN Sports.
    177. Smith, Rory (27 November 2022). "Spain vs. Germany: Heavyweight Thriller Ends in a Tie". The New York Times.
    178. "Germany super sub Niclas Füllkrug secures point against Spain". bundesliga.com – the official Bundesliga website.
    179. Wright, Nick (2 December 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Japan 2–1 Spain: Ao Tanaka's controversial goal stuns Luis Enrique's side but both sides advance". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
    180. Ronay, Barney (December 2022). "Germany dumped out of World Cup despite wild 4–2 win against Costa Rica". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
    181. Stafford-Bloor, Sebastian (2 December 2022). "Costa Rica vs Germany live". The Athletic. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
    182. Harris, Daniel (23 November 2022). "Morocco 0–0 Croatia: World Cup 2022 – as it happened". The Guardian.
    183. "Michy Batshuayi Belgium's Long-Ball Goal to Defeat a Determined Canada". The New York Times. 23 November 2022.
    184. Gholam, Simeon (20 July 2023). "World Cup 2022 – Belgium 1–0 Canada: Michy Batshuayi fires Red Devils to opening win". Sky Sports.
    185. "Riots in Brussels after Morocco beat Belgium in World Cup match". Al Jazeera. 27 November 2022.
    186. Culpepper, Chuck (27 November 2022). "Morocco seizes its World Cup moment with a loud upset of Belgium". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022.
    187. Gayet, Anne-Sophie (28 November 2022). "Twelve detained after Belgium-Morocco World Cup riots in Brussels". Euractiv. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
    188. Rueter, Jeff (27 November 2022). "Croatia vs Canada live updates". The Athletic. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
    189. Shread, Joe (1 December 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Canada 1–2 Morocco: North Africans top Group F to reach last 16 for first time in 36 years". Sky Sports.
    190. Smith, Peter (2 December 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Croatia 0–0 Belgium: Romelu Lukaku misses big chances as Roberto Martinez's 'golden generation' knocked out and Croatia reach last 16". Sky Sports.
    191. Braidwood, Jamie (24 November 2022). "Switzerland vs Cameroon LIVE World Cup 2022: Latest score and updates". The Independent.
    192. "Brazil vs. Serbia – Football Match Summary – November 24, 2022". ESPN.
    193. "World Cup: Cameroon and Serbia share thrilling 3–3 draw – reaction". BBC Sport. 27 November 2022.
    194. Brennan, Joe (28 November 2022). "Brazil – Switzerland summary: Casemiro goal, score and highlights". AS USA.
    195. Jackson, Jamie (2 December 2022). "Aboubakar stuns Brazil with Cameroon winner but is sent off for celebration". The Guardian.
    196. "World Cup 2022 – Serbia 2–3 Switzerland: Remo Freuler scores winner to send Swiss through after epic four-goal first-half". Sky Sports.
    197. Palmer, Bryn (23 November 2022). "Uruguay vs. South Korea final score, result: La Celeste hit post twice in 2022 World Cup Group H opener". The Sporting News.
    198. Wright, Nick (24 November 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Portugal 3–2 Ghana: Cristiano Ronaldo creates yet another piece of history in five-goal thriller". Sky Sports.
    199. Glendenning, Barry (28 November 2022). "South Korea 2–3 Ghana: World Cup 2022 – as it happened". The Guardian.
    200. Spiers, Tim (28 November 2022). "Portugal advances to knockout stage with 2–0 win over Uruguay". The Athletic.
    201. Johnson, Dale (28 November 2022). "Why Portugal's VAR handball penalty vs Uruguay was the wrong decision". ESPN.
    202. "Portugal vs Uruguay, World Cup 2022 result: Fernandes double books last-16 spot". The Telegraph. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    203. Spiers, Tim (3 December 2022). "South Korea vs Portugal live updates". The Athletic.
    204. Dean, Sam; Prenn, Tamara (2 December 2022). "Luis Suarez in tears as Uruguay crash out despite beating Ghana". The Telegraph.
    205. Wilson, Jonathan (2 December 2022). "Uruguay beat Ghana but crash out of World Cup on goals scored in late twist". The Guardian.
    206. Wilson, Jonathan (2 December 2022). "Diego Alonso blames Portugal penalty as Uruguay make ugly World Cup exit". The Guardian.
    207. Liew, Jonathan (2 December 2022). "Uruguay leave the World Cup the same way they played in it: gracelessly". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
    208. Allen, Patrick (2 December 2022). "Shocking scenes at full time as Uruguay players surround officials following late penalty claim against Ghana". Goal. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
    209. Bozio, Alexandre (3 December 2022). "Coupe du monde 2022 : tous les continents représentés en huitièmes, une première dans l'histoire du mondial" [2022 World Cup: all continents represented in 8th, a first in history]. RTL (in French). Retrieved 24 July 2023.
    210. "World Cup 2022 - Netherlands 3-1 USA: Goals from Memphis Depay, Daley Blind and Denzel Dumfries prove too much for Americans in last-16 clash". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
    211. Bate, Adam (4 December 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Argentina 2–1 Australia: Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez goals put Argentina into quarter-final against Netherlands". Sky Sports.
    212. Wagner, James (4 December 2022). "France vs. Poland: Mbappé Scores Twice to Send Poland on Its Way". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
    213. Panja, Tariq (4 December 2022). "How England Cruised Past Senegal to Set Up a Showdown With France". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
    214. Smith, Rory (5 December 2022). "Croatia Beats Japan on Penalty Kicks and Advances to Quarterfinals". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
    215. Dominski, Michael; Hurrey, Adam (5 December 2022). "Brazil dominates South Korea 4–1 to advance to World Cup quarter-final against Croatia: Result and reaction". The Athletic. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
    216. Johnson, Jonathan (6 December 2022). "World Cup score: Spain eliminated as Morocco advance to quarterfinal thanks to Yassin Bounou's penalty heroics". CBS Sports. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
    217. "Portugal 6-1 Switzerland (Dec 6, 2022) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
    218. Hafez, Shamoon (9 December 2022). "World Cup 2022: Croatia 1–1 Brazil (4–2 pens): Tite's men knocked out". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
    219. Hunter, Laura (10 December 2022). "World Cup 2022 – Croatia 1–1 Brazil AET (4–2 on pens): Croatia stun five-time world champions in dramatic penalty shootout win". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
    220. "Match Report – Netherlands vs Argentina". fifa.com. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
    221. Hafez, Shamoon (10 December 2022). "Morocco beat Portugal to make World Cup history". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
    222. Kay, Oliver (10 December 2022). "England played well against France. Ultimately, that doesn't matter". The Athletic. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
    223. Summerscales, Robert (11 December 2022). "Referee Wilton Sampaio Criticized By Harry Maguire And Gary Neville After England's Loss To France". FanNation. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
    224. "Lionel Messi fires Argentina to World Cup final after 3–0 win against Croatia". ITV News. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
    225. Farrell, Dom (14 December 2022). "France vs Morocco World Cup score, highlights, result as Hernandez and Kolo Muani fire Les Bleus to final". The Sporting News. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
    226. Farrell, Dom (17 December 2022). "Croatia vs. Morocco final score, result: Orsic wonderstrike gives Modric World Cup farewell bronze". The Sporting News. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
    227. Henao, Luis Andres (17 December 2022). "Morocco's miraculous run at the World Cup ends in defeat". AP News. Retrieved 24 July 2023. After making history by becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, Morocco lost to Croatia 2-1 on Saturday in the match for third place at Khalifa International Stadium.
    228. Murray, Scott (18 December 2022). "2022 World Cup final: Argentina 3–3 France (aet, 4–2 on pens) – as it happened". The Guardian.
    229. Madani, Doha; Li, David K.; Burman, Max (18 December 2022). "Argentina wins World Cup on penalty kicks over France". NBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
    230. Bhattacharjee, Neeladri (22 December 2022). "How many goals were scored in FIFA World Cup 2022 and more goal FAQs". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
    231. "Messi makes Golden Ball history". FIFA. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
    232. "Mbappe pips Messi to Golden Boot". FIFA. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
    233. "Emiliano Martinez | Golden Glove Award | FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
    234. "FIFA World Cup 2022 Best Young Player: Enzo Fernandez". FIFA. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
    235. Summerscales, Robert (19 December 2022). "England Win FIFA Fair Play Trophy While Argentina Top World Cup's Yellow Card Table". FanNation. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    236. [231][232][233][234][235]
    237. "Richarlison gem wins Hyundai Goal of the Tournament". FIFA. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
    238. "Official brand of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Unlocked!". UNLKBRANDS. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
    239. Rehmat, Rizwan (4 September 2019). "Qatar 2022 emblem revealed". The Peninsula. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
    240. "Qatar 2022: Football World Cup logo unveiled". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
    241. "Qatar 2022 World Cup logo unveiled, reflects move to winter tournament". The Week. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
    242. Jewell, Catherine (November 2022). "Sports diplomacy, nation branding and IP go hand in hand in Qatar". WIPO. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
    243. Makuch, Eddie (1 November 2022). "FIFA 23's Free World Cup DLC Launches Next Week, But Switch Players Are Left Out". GameSpot. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
    244. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Sticker Collection + Online-Exclusive Packets – COMING SOON!!". Panini. 2 August 2022.
    245. "FIFA launches FIFA+ to bring free football entertainment to fans everywhere". FIFA. 12 April 2022.
    246. "Qatar 2022 to be watched by 5bn people, says Gianni Infantino". SportsPro. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
    247. Rushden, Max (7 April 2022). "Qatar 2022 raises more questions of how to navigate modern football's moral maze". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
    248. Tannenwald, Jonathan (20 November 2022). "Fox's World Cup coverage plans to stay away from Qatar's many controversies". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
    249. Campione, Katie (27 November 2022). "World Cup Ratings: USA Vs. England Posts 20M Viewers Across Fox & Telemundo". Deadline. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
    250. Baxter, Kevin (27 November 2022). "World Cup notes: Fox, U.S. score big numbers with TV audience". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
    251. "FIFA and adidas extend partnership until 2030". FIFA. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
    252. Matthews, Sam (22 November 2005). "Coca-Cola renews Fifa football sponsorship until 2022". Campaign. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
    253. "Hyundai-Kia drives on as FIFA Partner until 2022". FIFA. 24 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
    254. "Qatar Airways announced as Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA until 2022". FIFA. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
    255. "QatarEnergy announced as official FIFA Partner for the FIFA World Cup 2022". FIFA. 27 March 2022.
    256. Mickle, Tripp (1 April 2013). "Visa extending World Cup deal for eight years". Sports Business Daily. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
    257. Wilson, Bill (18 March 2016). "Fifa signs China's Wanda as partner". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
    258. "FIFA and Anheuser-Busch InBev announce FIFA World Cup sponsorship for 2018 / 2022". FIFA. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
    259. "Byju's named official sponsor of Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022". The Times of India. 24 March 2022.
    260. Morgan, Liam (22 March 2022). "Crypto.com unveiled as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Sponsor". FIFA.
    261. Morgan, Liam (28 April 2021). "Hisense extends FIFA deal after signing on as 2022 World Cup sponsor". insidethegames.biz. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
    262. Long, Michael (28 October 2014). "Report: McDonald's extends Fifa deal to Qatar 2022". Sportspro Media. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
    263. "Mengniu becomes Official Sponsor of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 25 October 2021.
    264. Carp, Sam (31 May 2017). "Fifa agrees massive World Cup deal with Vivo". SportsPro. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
    265. "Fine Hygienic Holding Wins License To Market FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Fine Facial Tissues". Menafn. 8 September 2022.
    266. "GWC announced as Regional Supporter and Official Logistics Provider for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 21 September 2020.
    267. "Ooredoo signs up as Regional Supporter of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021". FIFA. 8 November 2021.
    268. "QNB Group announced as Official Middle East and Africa Supporter and Official Qatari Bank of FIFA World Cup 2022". FIFA. 3 February 2021.
    269. "BOSS Zhipin signs on as Official Regional Supporter of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    270. PRNewswire (19 November 2022). "Yadea Becomes an Asia-Pacific FIFA World Cup ™ Regional Supporter Once Again". Australian Associated Press. watermark feed.
    271. "Betano partners with FIFA for Qatar World Cup". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    272. "FIFA taps Globant to enhance FIFA+ streaming service". Fierce Video. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    273. "FIFA sells out all sponsorship packages for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    274. "FIFA announces partnership with blockchain innovator Algorand". FIFA. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
    275. "Frito-Lay North America in as Regional Supporter of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
    276. "The Look Company becomes Regional Supporter of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
    277. "Visit Las Vegas Sponsoring FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". Sports Travel Magazine. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    278. "Claro signs up as Regional Supporter of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 8 November 2021.
    279. "Inter Rapidísimo celebrates 35 years of operation by signing up as a Regional Supporter of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 27 October 2022.
    280. "Nubank signs on as Official Regional Supporter of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 17 November 2021.
    281. "UPL Ltd announced as Regional Supporter for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022". FIFA. 27 October 2021.
    282. "La'eeb is revealed as Qatar's FIFA World Cup mascot". FIFA. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
    283. "Al Rihla by adidas revealed as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Match Ball". FIFA. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
    284. "'Al Rihla' Footballs Are the Most High-tech Ever Used in the World Cup as They Need To Be Charged Before the Games". The Science Times. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
    285. "From Orbit To Kick-off | Starlink x FIFA". worldcup.starlink.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
    286. "adidas reveals the FIFA World Cup™ official Finals match ball". FIFA. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
    287. "Adidas Al Hilm". Archived from the original on 11 December 2022.
    288. "Al Rihla by adidas revealed as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Match Ball". www.fifa.com. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    289. "Official Soundtrack". qatar2022.qa.
    290. "FIFA World Cup Official Soundtrack kicks off with Hayya Hayya (Better Together)". FIFA. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
    291. "'Arhbo' de Gims, chanson officielle du Mondial 2022 au Qatar" [“Arhbo” by Gims, official song of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar]. Le HuffPost (in French). 20 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
    292. "Official Soundtrack release: The World Is Yours to Take with Lil Baby and Budweiser". Retrieved 23 September 2022.
    293. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Soundtrack release: all-female line-up inspires the globe to Light The Sky". Retrieved 7 October 2022.
    294. "Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares release Tukoh Taka, the first-ever official FIFA Fan Festival™ anthem". Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    295. "BTS Jung Kook's hit single Dreamers unveiled to celebrate the start of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™". Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    296. "Dreamers's release: BTS singer Jung Kook explores Qatar in FIFA World Cup's soundtrack". Retrieved 24 November 2022.
    297. Begum, Rothna (25 November 2022). "Qatar Can't Hide Its Abuses by Calling Criticism Racist". Foreign Policy. Washington, D.C.: Graham Holdings Company. ISSN 0015-7228. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
    298. Frantzman, Seth J. (6 December 2022). "Is Qatar using anti-Israel sentiment to deflect from critique? – analysis". The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. ISSN 0792-822X. OCLC 15700704. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
    299. Majumdar, Shubhajit (18 November 2022). "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Amid controversy of human rights Condition to Corruption FIFA World Cup 2022 going to start from today in Qatar". Ananda Bazar (in Bengali). Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    300. Alam, Niaz (18 November 2022). "Corruption beats boycotts". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    301. Benedetti, Eliezer (20 November 2022). ""15.000 muertos por 5.760 minutos de fútbol": ¿Qué es #BoycottQatar2022 y por qué es tendencia todos los días?" ["15,000 deaths for 5,760 minutes of football": What is #BoycottQatar2022 and why is it a trend every day?]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    302. McTague, Tom (19 November 2022). "The Qatar World Cup Exposes Soccer's Shame". The Atlantic. Washington, D.C. ISSN 2151-9463. OCLC 936540106. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    303. "Sepp Blatter: Former FIFA president admits decision to award the World Cup to Qatar was a 'mistake'". Sky Sports. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    304. "Sepp Blatter: awarding 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a mistake". The Guardian. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    305. "FIFA World Cup delivering record-breaking TV audience numbers". 1 December 2022.
    306. "Mondial de foot au Qatar : les recettes publicitaires des chaînes de télé en hausse". 19 June 2023.
    307. Deaths and slave labor: The disgrace of FIFA in Qatar. CNN. 29 May 2015. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022 via YouTube.
    308. "Fifa report 'erroneous', says lawyer who investigated corruption claims". BBC Sport. 13 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
    309. "Criminal investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup awards opened". ESPN FC. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
    310. "The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland seizes documents at FIFA". The Federal Council. The Swiss Government. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
    311. "Sepp Blatter says Qatar cheated to host World Cup". The Times. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
    312. Suderman, Alan (23 November 2021). "World Cup host Qatar used ex-CIA officer to spy on FIFA". Associated Press News.
    313. "Al-Ghufran to FIFA: Qatar built World Cup facilities on land forcibly taken away". Al Arabiya English. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    314. "Amnesty says workers at Qatar World Cup stadium suffer abuse". Eurosport. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
    315. "Qatar: Security guards subjected to forced labour". Amnesty International. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
    316. Pattison, Pete; Acharya, Pramod; Bhuyan, Muhammad Owasim Uddin (31 March 2022). "Revealed: migrant workers in Qatar forced to pay billions in recruitment fees". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
    317. "Fußball-WM in Katar: Menschenrechtler sehen Rückschritte bei der Lage in Katar" [Human rights activists see setbacks in the situation in Qatar]. Die Zeit (in German). 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
    318. Panja, Tariq (14 November 2019). "Qatar Faces a Tight Squeeze for Its Compact World Cup". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
    319. Martin, Chantz (13 October 2022). "World Cup organizers create designated 'sobering-up' areas to curve fan drunkenness". Fox News. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    320. Harris, Rob (13 October 2022). "Drunk fans will be sent to special zones to sober up, says Qatar World Cup boss". Sky News. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    321. "Qatar plans sobering up areas for drunken fans". ESPN. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    322. Campbell, Charlie (20 November 2022). "The World Cup Kicks Off With a 2–0 Loss for Host Qatar". Time. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    323. Kaufman, Michelle. "Tiny Qatar beats out America for World Cup – Total Soccer | Fútbol Total". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
    324. James, Stuart (2 December 2010). "World Cup 2022: 'Political craziness' favours Qatar's winning bid". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
    325. Geen, Jessica (3 December 2010). "Gay groups' anger at 'homophobic' World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar". Pink News. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
    326. "Qatar's World Cup won't be gay-friendly". news.com.au. 3 December 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
    327. "Still Slaving Away" (Print). The Economist. 6 June 2015. pp. 38–39. Archived (Print) from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
    328. "Qatar: Rainbow flags allowed at 2022 World Cup matches in line with FIFA tolerance & inclusion policy; activists call for changes to protect LGBTQI+ Qataris in law". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
    329. "2022 World Cup: Qatar to allow LGBTQ displays, rainbow flags in stadiums". ESPN. Associated Press. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
    330. "Qatar 2022 World Cup head Hassan al-Thawadi defends gay laws". BBC Sport. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
    331. "Beer on Tap for 2022 World Cup". Aroundtherings.com. 14 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
    332. "World Cup 2022 | Alcohol Qatar". SportsGrid. 15 December 2010. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
    333. "Alcohol and Liquor Licenses in Qatar – Qatar". Angloinfo. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
    334. Khalil, Shaimaa (18 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Alcohol sales banned at World Cup Stadiums in Qatar". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    335. Delmar-Morgan, Alex (7 January 2012). "Qatar, Unveiling Tensions, Suspends Sale of Alcohol". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
    336. "'Not acceptable' for Qatar officials to confiscate rainbow flags at World Cup". The Independent. 1 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
    337. Ziegler, Martyn. "Rainbow flags may be confiscated at World Cup, says Qatar security chief". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
    338. Noble, Josh (18 November 2022). "Qatar bans beer from World Cup stadiums". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    339. Mills, Andrew (18 November 2022). "No alcohol sales permitted at Qatar's World Cup stadium sites". Reuters. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    340. Gibson, Owen (16 May 2014). "Sepp Blatter: awarding 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a mistake | Football". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
    341. "Sepp Blatter admits summer World Cup in Qatar mistake". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
    342. Collett, Mike (14 June 2014). "Qatar World Cup 2022: Sepp Blatter claims critics are 'racist'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
    343. "World Cup announce questionable attendance figures with capacities exceeded at stadiums". The Guardian. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    344. "Qatar authorities apologise for threatening Danish film crew at World Cup". Reuters. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    345. Pattle, Alex (18 November 2022). "Irish journalist hassled by Qatar police while filming for World Cup". The Independent. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    346. Wild, Franz (5 November 2022). "How Qatar hacked the World Cup". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
    347. McTague, Tom (19 November 2022). "The Qatar World Cup Exposes Soccer's Shame". The Atlantic. Washington, D.C.: Emerson Collective. ISSN 2151-9463. OCLC 936540106. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
    348. Boehm, Eric (21 November 2022). "The Qatar World Cup Is a Celebration of Authoritarianism". Reason. Reason Foundation. OCLC 818916200. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    349. Frantzman, Seth J. (6 December 2022). "Is Qatar using anti-Israel sentiment to deflect from critique? – analysis". The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. ISSN 0792-822X. OCLC 15700704. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
    350. [347][348][297][349][301]
    351. Pattisson, Pete (23 October 2022). "Has the World Cup really improved workers' rights in Qatar? Five experts give their verdict". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
    352. "ILO Director-General concludes visit to Qatar". www.ilo.org. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
    353. "New labour laws in Qatar benefiting migrant workers a 'momentous step forward': ILO | UN News". news.un.org. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
    354. Panja, Tariq (19 November 2022). "On Eve of World Cup, FIFA Chief Says, 'Don't Criticize Qatar; Criticize Me.'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
    355. "In defence of Qatar's hosting of the World Cup". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
    356. "World Cup 2022: Fifa task force to seek new dates for tournament". BBC Sport. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
    357. "Late-November/late-December proposed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup". FIFA. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
    358. "2022 World Cup: Qatar event set for November and December". BBC Sport. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
    359. Wahl, Grant (18 February 2015). "Insider notes: Qatar set for winter World Cup, MLS CBA update, more". Planet Football. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015. Multiple sources say it's a done deal that World Cup 2022 will take place in November and December of 2022 in Qatar. A FIFA task force will...make that recommendation, and the FIFA Executive Committee is set to make the decision final...next month.
    360. Jenkins, Simon (24 February 2015). "Whether in June or November, Qatar's World Cup is about death and money". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
    361. "Qatar World Cup decision 'a blatant mistake' – RTÉ Sport". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 24 July 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
    362. Lutz, Tom (17 September 2013). "World Cup 2022: Australia wants Fifa compensation for failed bid". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
    363. Peck, Tom (24 February 2014). "Premier League chief Richard Scudamore threatens to sue over November/December proposal". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
    364. "World Cup final 2022 one week before Christmas". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
    365. "Qatar World Cup: Western hypocrisy knows no bounds". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    366. "Fresh corruption claims over Qatar World Cup bid". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 June 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
    367. "Sorry Soccer". Sports Illustrated. 23 May 2011. p. 16. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
    368. "FIFA tight-lipped over whistleblower". Al Jazeera. 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
    369. "Qatar World Cup whistleblower retracts her claims of Fifa bribes". The Guardian. 10 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
    370. Watt, Holly (18 March 2014). "World Cup 2022 investigation: demands to strip Qatar of World Cup". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
    371. "Plot to buy the World Cup". The Sunday Times. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
    372. "Qatar 2022: Fifa sponsor demands 'appropriate investigation'". BBC Sport. 8 June 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
    373. Blitz, Roger (8 June 2014). "Big sponsors pile pressure on Fifa over Qatar World Cup". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
    374. Conway, Richard (5 June 2014). "BBC Sport – World Cup 2022: Qatari officials consider legal action". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
    375. "2022 World Cup bribery accusations denied by Qatar organizers – World – CBC News". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
    376. "BBC Sport – Qatar 2022: Sepp Blatter says corruption claims are racist". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
    377. Gibson, Owen (9 June 2014). "Sepp Blatter launches broadside against the 'racist' British media". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
    378. "FIFA Officials Arrested Over Alleged 'Rampant, Systematic' $150M Bribery Scheme". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
    379. "The 16 New Defendants". US Department of Justice. 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    380. "Eastern District of New York | Former FIFA Official Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Accepting Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Bribes | United States Department of Justice". 29 September 2022.
    381. Withnall, Adam (7 June 2014). "Fifa corruption whistleblower says Qatar will be stripped of 2022 World Cup". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
    382. "'Russia & Qatar may lose World Cups' – Fifa official". BBC News. 7 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
    383. Gibson, Owen (7 June 2015). "Russia and Qatar may lose World Cups if evidence of bribery is found". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
    384. "Qatar cleared but England criticised". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
    385. "Fifa corruption report - what now?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
    386. "FIFA releases report detailing alleged corruption in World Cup bids of Russia and Qatar". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
    387. "Russia banned for four years to include 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup". BBC Sport. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
    388. "Can Russia play at the World Cup 2022 and Euro 2020?". BBC Sport. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
    389. "WADA files official request with Court of Arbitration for Sport to resolve RUSADA dispute". World Anti-Doping Agency. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
    390. "CAS arbitration WADA v. RUSADA: Decision". TAS / CAS. 17 December 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
    391. "Statement". Polish Football Association. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
    392. "Poland does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia". Polish Football Association. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
    393. "SvFF: herrlandslaget kommer inte att spela mot Ryssland" [SvFF: the men's national team will not play against Russia] (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
    394. "Komuniké z mimořádného zasedání VV FAČR ze dne 27. 2. 2022" [Communiqué from the extraordinary meeting of the FAČR SC of 27 February 2022] (in Czech). Czech Football Association. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
    395. "Olympics: Russia to compete under ROC acronym in Tokyo as part of doping sanctions". Reuters. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
    396. "Bureau of the FIFA Council takes initial measures with regard to war in Ukraine". FIFA. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
    397. Roan, Dan; Stone, Simon (28 February 2022). "Fifa and Uefa suspend all Russian teams". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
    398. MacInnes, Paul (8 November 2022). "Qatar World Cup ambassador criticised for 'harmful' homosexuality comments". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    399. "FIFA abre nueva investigación a México por grito homofóbico" [FIFA opens a new investigation to Mexico over homophobic chant]. Vanguardia de Veracruz (in Spanish). 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    400. Buckingham, Philip; Whitehead, Jacob (23 November 2022). "Denmark ready to lead European withdrawal from FIFA over armband row". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
    401. Qatar Emir comments on the presence of LGTBQ community during World Cup, retrieved 21 December 2022
    402. World Cup: Gay fans 'will feel safe', retrieved 21 December 2022
    403. Delaney, Miguel (24 November 2022). "Fifa says rainbow colours are now allowed in Qatar after flags confiscated". Independent. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    404. Church, Ben (28 November 2022). "Exclusive: World Cup soccer fans stopped by security officials for wearing rainbow-coloured items". CNN. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    405. King, Jasper (30 November 2022). "England fan 'strip-searched' after wearing rainbow-coloured top and hat". Metro.
    406. "Rainbow-coloured clothing and items are causing a stir at the Qatar World Cup. Here's why". ABC News. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    407. Allen, Quinn (10 December 2022). "Brother Of US Soccer Journalist Grant Wahl Drops Chilling Video Claiming Murder Over Rainbow Shirt At World Cup". ClutchPoints. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    408. Lewis, Russell (9 December 2022). "Longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl has died covering the World Cup in Qatar". NPR.
    409. Daly, Michael (11 December 2022). "Fifa denies reports defibrillator wasn't used on US writer Grant Wahl when he collapsed at World Cup". Stuff. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    410. reporters, Stuff sports (12 December 2022). "Second journalist dies suddenly covering World Cup". Stuff. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    411. "U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl died of an aortic aneurysm while covering World Cup in Qatar, his wife says". NBC News. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    412. "FIFA World Cup: Why Qatar Is a Controversial Host". GreekReporter.com. 17 November 2022.
    413. "FIFA rebuked over plea to World Cup teams to 'focus on football' in Qatar". France 24. 4 November 2022.
    414. "FIFA rebuked over plea to World Cup teams to 'focus on football' in Qatar". France 24. 4 November 2022.
    415. "Qatar: Male Guardianship Severely Curtails Women's Rights". Human Rights Watch. 29 March 2021.
    416. "La mexicana acusada de adulterio en Qatar se libra de la prisión y los 100 latigazos" [The Mexican accused of adultery in Qatar is released from prison and 100 lashes]. El Pais (in Spanish). 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
    417. "'A major breach': How Iran is trying to use the World Cup to stifle protests". Independent. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    418. "IRGC Man Says Qatar Helping Iran Silence Dissidents in World Cup". Iran International. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    419. "Journalists have Qatar World Cup visas 'revoked' after Iranian 'terrorist' designation". PressGazette. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    420. "Qatar 2022: World Cup staff confront Iran fan over Mahsa Amini shirt as Fifa begins cracking down on protests". PressGazette. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    421. "Mahsa Amini: Woman dies after arrest by Iran's morality police". Al Jazeera. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    422. "Danish TV presenter 'detained by Qatari Police for filming Iranians under attack from pro-government mob'". Independent. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    423. Qatar forcing Islamic laws on non-Muslims? Jews say prayers, Kosher food prohibited – report. Hindustan Times. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022 via YouTube.
    424. "Qatar World Cup: Jewish organisation says kosher food and public prayer banned". Middle East Eye. 21 November 2022.
    425. Klein, Zvika. "Qatar won't allow any cooked Kosher food and public Jewish prayer". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    426. Klein, Zvika (24 November 2022). "'All Israeli demands were met [by Qatar], including Kosher food' – sources". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
    427. 'There is no Israel': Arabs humiliate Israelis in Qatar; Heckling videos go viral | FIFA World Cup. Hindustan Times. 29 November 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022 via YouTube.
    428. Gold, Hadas (2 December 2022). "Israeli journalists experience chilly reception at Qatar World Cup". CNN. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
    429. "Israelis shunned at Qatar World Cup: 'You are not welcome'". The Jerusalem Post. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
    430. Miller, Andrew Mark (16 November 2022). "Israel urges citizens to 'downplay' their Israeli identity at Qatar World Cup for their own 'security'". Fox News.
    431. McKern, James (19 November 2022). "New photos reveal World Cup fan village unfinished just days out". Fox Sports. News.com.au. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
    432. Inside Qatar's fan village | World Cup 2022. BBC Sport. 20 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022 via YouTube.
    433. "Murky tap water, roasting heat, no loo roll: Inside Qatar's £175-a-night fan tents". The Independent. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
    434. Mixed reaction to Qatar 2022 accommodation. Associated Press. 24 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022 via YouTube.
    435. Debre, Isabel (23 November 2022). "Remote desert camps house World Cup fans on a budget". Associated Press. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
    436. Debre, Isabel (24 November 2022). "World Cup fans put off by prices, beer limits commute by air". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.