FIFA World Cup 2022

This World Cup will be the third that the Teranga Lions have qualified for, and their first as reigning African champions. Previous World Cup appearances: 2002, 2018 Titles: 0 Best finish: Quarter-finals (2002) World Cup record: W3 L2 D3 World Cup goals: 11 Biggest win: 1-0 v France (2002) Player to watch: Sadio Mane Ranking: 18 Group stage fixtures: Netherlands (November 21), Qatar (November 25), Ecuador (November 29) Of Africa’s five representatives at the 2022 World Cup, Senegal are the least experienced. This World Cup will be the third that the Teranga Lions have qualified for, and their first as reigning African champions. In spite of this, the West African nation occupies a relatively unique position. Only three teams from the continent have reached the last-eight at a World Cup, but Senegal reached that milestone in their first-ever appearance. In 2002, they stunned reigning world and European champions France and scored in every game but one en route to a quarter-final finish....

The opening ceremony will take 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. It will be host for the Colombian singer Shakira, with the K-pop group BTS and the American group Black Eyed Peas.

  South Korean juggernaut group BTS’ youngest member Jungkook will reportedly perform at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony in Qatar. According to Korean tabloid Soompi, the singer will also be lending his voice to the soundtrack of the upcoming World Cup, which he would be performing at the opening ceremony later this month. “Proud to announce that Jungkook is part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Soundtrack & will perform at the World Cup opening ceremony. Stay tuned!” the group’s agency Big Hit Music shared on November 12. Jungkook is also an official promoter of The Goal of the Century - a global sustainability initiative by Hyundai Motors in partnership with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - along with his fellow BTS members. However, it is still uncertain whether the entire group will arrive for FIFA World Cup’s opening ceremony. Meanwhile, the FIFA World Cup 2022 opening ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, November 20 at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar, the same ...

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni revealed his selection of 26 players who will represent the Albiceleste at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. "The dream has already begun. This is the list of players who will defend the shirt of the Argentina National Team," he said on Twitter. "They are proud to be called up and wear this shirt. Let's hope that you as fans are too. All together." Goalkeepers : Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate) and Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal). Defenders : Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon) and Juan Foyth (Villarreal). Midfielders : Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis), Alejandro Papu Gomez (Sevilla), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Exequiel P...

This will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last chance to get his hands on the prestigious trophy Portugal have one of the strongest squads for the World Cup this year, with the team having incredible depth. This will be one of the finest opportunities for Ronaldo to lead his side to immortality. Portugal have always been regarded as a struggling team due to incompetence and a lack of top-tier performing players, but thanks to their emerging talents and many players asserting their merit on the pitch. The 2016 Euro Champions have been named golden generation this time, and manager Fernando Santos will be wishing his side lives up to par in this World Cup. Goalkeepers : Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose SA (Wolves), Rui Patarico (Roma).   Defenders : Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Pepe (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Danilo Pereira (PSG), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Nuno Mendes (psg), R. Guerrerio (Dortmund) Midfielders : Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bern...

Robert Page has named his 26-man squad for Wales' first World Cup in 64 years, with midfielder Joe Allen included despite being a major injury doubt. Gareth Bale captains a squad that has no surprising inclusions or omissions. Rhys Norrington-Davies is out with a hamstring injury so Tom Lockyer is recalled more than a year since he last played for Wales, while a calf injury rules out forward Tyler Roberts. Wales face the United States in their opening World Cup match on 21 November. They are joined in Group B by Iran and England, who name their squad on Thursday. Page had previously indicated he had already decided on the majority of the 26 players he would be taking to Qatar, and that was evident at Wednesday's announcement in his hometown of Tylorstown in the Rhondda valley as he stuck to a tried and trusted squad. His biggest injury concern is influential midfielder Allen, who is named in the squad despite not playing for Swansea City since injuring his hamstring in Septembe...

Croatia announced its squad for the FIFA World Cup, set to start in Qatar from November 20, 2022. Luka Modric, one of the most experienced players of the side, is expected to lead the team. Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković, Ivica Ivušić, Ivo Grbić Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren Borna Barišić, Josip Juranović Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić Martin Erlić, Josip Šutalo Midfielders: Luka Modrić Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić Lovro Majer, Kristijan Jakić, Luka Sučić Forwards: Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Mislav Oršić Ante Budimir, Marko Livaja Head Coach: Zlatko Dalic

Anyone hoping there was some way Brazil might put out a lacklustre team for the World Cup in Qatar this month will be sorely disappointed by the announcement of the squad on Monday. Head Coach Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, known as Tite, has named no fewer than nine forwards in his 26-man squad, highlighting not only his breadth of options up front, but also giving an indication as to the sort of high-pressing, attacking strategy we can expect to see from the World Cup’s most successful team at this year’s tournament in Qatar. “We’re one of the favourites,” Tite told reporters in Rio on Monday. Neymar, a veteran of the Brazil team despite being only 30, finds himself at the tip of Brazil’s attack, with the support of youngsters such as Vinicius Jr, Gabriel Martinelli and Rodrygo. Dani Alves, the 39-year-old former Barcelona right back, was also included in the list, which features eight defenders and six midfielders, despite not playing a competitive match in two months. Alves will be the ol...

All the alarm bells went off with Heung Min-Son a few days ago. The Tottenham and South Korea star is racing against time to be in Qatar after suffering an unusual injury to his left eye. He will be a doubt until the last minute. Meanwhile, the absence of Diogo Jota for Portugal is well confirmed. The Liverpool player was fighting for a starting jersey with Leao, but Fernando Santos has already been forced into a rethink. Ronald Araujo will also fight until the end to play in the World Cup. The Uruguayan is doing everything in his power to recover and make the trip. Portugal : Diogo Jota (Liverpool - OUT, calf injury), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton - OUT, ankle injury), Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City - OUT, Achilles tendon). Uruguay : Cavani (Valencia - Doubt, right ankle inflammation, (Ronald Araujo (Barcelona - Doubt, adductor injury), Mauro Arambarri (Getafe - OUT, ankle injury). Ghana : no known injuries. South Korea : Heung-Min Son (Tottenham - Doubtful, eye injury).

Brazil are breathing a little easier. It seems that the World Cup is not in danger for Richarlison (he had a terrible scare with Tottenham) nor for Paqueta. One player who is out is Diego Carlos, who has had a very unlucky start to his time in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Arthur, who is out through injury until January, would unlikely have been on the plane even if he was healthy. As for the rest of the squads, watch out for Sommer...the legendary Swiss goalkeeper raised the alarm bell for his team with an ankle problem. Brazil : Gleison Bremer (Juventus - Doubt, flexor injury), Richarlison (Tottenham - Doubt, calf injury), Diego Carlos (Aston Villa - OUT, Achilles tendon), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham - Doubt, shoulder injury), Arthur Melo (Liverpool - OUT, muscle problem). Serbia : Erhan Masovic (Bochum - Doubt, adductor injury), Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona - Doubt, muscle problems), Darko Lazovic (Hellas Verona - Doubt, muscle problems),Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK - Doubt, finger injury), Dusa...

Belgium is gearing up for its golden generation's final tournament and there are doubts surrounding several of Roberto Martinez's big names. The main one, a Lukaku who has hardly played this season with Inter due to physical problems. In fact, he is being treated on Belgian soil to see if he will make it to the World Cup. Hazard should be with the 'Red Devils'. Watch out for Ez Abde, who suffered a fiber rupture a few days ago with Osasuna. He is one of the brightest stars of this Morocco team. Belgium : Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund - Doubt, fractured cheekbone), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan - Doubt, inner knee ligament), Romelu Lukaku (Inter - Doubt, flexor injury). Canada : Doneil Henry (Toronto - Doubt, thigh injury), Scott Kennedy (Jahn Ragensburg - Doubt, shoulder injury) Croatia : Marcelo Brozovic (Inter - Doubt, thigh injury), Domagoj Vida (AEK - Doubt, overload) Morocco : Ez Abde (Osasuna - Doubt, ruptured fibers), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla - Doubt, Achilles...

Luis Enrique does not have 100% confirmed absentees but Oyarzabal (who is on the pre-list) seems like he could be the first one. The Real Sociedad player has not yet racked up any competitive rhythm after his serious knee injury. On the other hand, Germany has one official absentee: Timo Werner. Sane, Reus and Muller should be in the squad. Wirtz, injured in the spring of last season, is gritting his teeth to convince Flick. A last-minute doubt has arisen with Keylor Navas in Costa Rica. He is expected to be there but the inactivity at PSG is taking its toll on him and he is now suffering from back problems. Germany : Armell Bella-Kotchap (Bochum - Doubt, shoulder injury), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich - Doubt, fiber rupture), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich - Doubt, hip problems), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen - Doubt, cruciate ligament), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund - Doubt, ankle ligaments), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig - OUT, ankle ligaments). Spain : Eric Garcia (Barcelona - Doubt, thigh i...

World Cup alarm in France. With Karim Benzema and Tchouameni recovered, it is now other players that worry Deschamps. Knowing that Pogba and Kante are out through injury, the French coach hopes to recover Maignan (the alternative in goal to Lloris), Lucas Hernandez, or Kounde. Kamara, who suffered a serious injury shortly after signing for Aston Villa, is pushing to make it and is already training with the group. Barcelona's Christensen, should be in Qatar and be a starter in the Danish backline. France : Jules Kounde (Barcelona - Doubtful, muscle problems), Raphael Varane (Manchester United - Doubtful, leg injury), Paul Pogba (Juventus - OUT, right knee meniscus), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea - hamstring), Mike Maignan (Milan - Doubt, left calf), Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa - Doubt, knee injury), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa - Doubt, ankle injury), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich - Doubt, muscle tear). Denmark : Andreas Christensen (Barcelona - Doubt, sprained ankle) Australia : Nathanie...

Argentina are one of the big favorites for Qatar but the weeks leading up to the tournament are proving agonising for the Albiceleste. They have various layers with injuries who are doubtful for the start of the World Cup and the opening match against Saudi Arabia. Romero, Paredes, Di María, Lo Celso, Dybala? All players that Scaloni has in mind to use but who are not playing with their teams. Of course, none of them is 100% ruled out. The most delicate case is Lo Celso and Messi also has some discomfort a week ahead of the Argentina training camp. In the rest of the group, the absence of Corona (Sevilla) due to a serious injury suffered at the beginning of the season is already assumed. Raul Jimenez should make it but he has been out of action all season. Argentina : Cristian Romero (Tottenham - Doubt, thigh injury), Leandro Paredes (Juventus - Doubt, flexor injury), Angel Di Maria (Juventus - Doubt, flexor injury... but back this weekend), Gio Lo Celso (Villarreal - Doubt, awaiting m...

This is in many ways the most atypical World Cup in history. Placed in the middle of the European soccer season, there will be many players in peak form...but many others injured or in doubt until the last minute. Qatar 2022 will also be a novel event geographically, but while it is usual to see players miss the biggest soccer event on the planet, this year the list of absentees or 'doubtfuls' is tremendously long. In this article we review all the players, team by team, who will miss the World Cup with 100% certainty...or whose presence will be up in the air until the last minute. This list will be updated until the start of the World Cup and also takes into account the players who are currently injured but are expected to make it to Qatar. Group B England have many uncertainties. The main one is Reece James. The Chelsea player is essential for Southgate and it seems that he will not be 100% for the first game...but he will be ready for the group stage. Walker should be availa...

This is in many ways the most atypical World Cup in history. Placed in the middle of the European soccer season, there will be many players in peak form...but many others injured or in doubt until the last minute. Qatar 2022 will also be a novel event geographically, but while it is usual to see players miss the biggest soccer event on the planet, this year the list of absentees or 'doubtfuls' is tremendously long. In this article we review all the players, team by team, who will miss the World Cup with 100% certainty...or whose presence will be up in the air until the last minute. This list will be updated until the start of the World Cup and also takes into account the players who are currently injured but are expected to make it to Qatar. Group A The group that includes the host team, the group that will play the opening match. The big casualty is 'Gini' Wijnaldum, although that has been known for months. A fractured tibia will keep him out until 2023. The other inju...

 With only a month to go before the Qatar 2022 World Cup kicks off, few are still unaware of all the details about the biggest event in world soccer. The first tournament held at this time of the year has La'eeb as its mascot, who was presented to the world on April 1, 2022, at the time of the tournament's group stage draw. What does La'eeb look like, what is its history and what does it symbolize? La'eeb simulates the figure of a white, smiling, soccer-playing turban. Its meaning is 'skillful player' and is inspired by Qatari culture and customs. Interestingly, the ball with which La'eeb appears is not Al Rihla - the journey - which is FIFA's official ball for the tournament. "La'eeb comes from the metaverse of mascots, a parallel universe that cannot be described in words and everyone can imagine it as they wish. La'eeb encourages everyone to believe in themselves," FIFA said at its launch in April. Soccer's governing body's g...

Defenders Ronald Matarrita (FC Cincinnati), Bryan Oviedo (Real Salt Lake), and Daniel Chacón (Colorado Rapids 2) were included in Costa Rica's 26-man roster for the tournament, where they'll compete in Group E with Spain, Japan, and Germany. Thursday's announcement by head coach Luis Fernando Suárez came two days after Japan became the first country to reveal its final World Cup squad. Matarrita, 28, has the most league experience of the MLS-based Ticos, having just completed his seventh-straight season in the league (second with Cincy). However, the former NYCFC full back's 2022 campaign was significantly shortened due to an ankle injury suffered during World Cup qualifying in March. Injuries also prevented him from participating in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Costa Rica's 26-man World Cup Squad Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (PSG), Esteban Alvarado (Herediano), Patrick Sequeira (Club Deportivo Lugo) Defenders: Francisco Calvo (Konyaspor), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonari...

An ardent football fan, Najira is all set to watch Messi play on December 1 Along the busy Mumbai-Hampi highway, Najira Noushad parks her Mahindra Thar, and pulls out a cylinder from the back of the vehicle. She sets a saucepan of water to boil, makes a quick Sulaimani chai and pours it in paper cups. She is then joined by locals of the area who sit down and enjoy the beverage. It’s like a picnic by the roadside. But Najira is on a mission: to drive solo from Kannur (Kerala) to Doha (Qatar) for the FIFA World Cup in November. She started this journey on October 15 from her hometown Kannur — it was flagged off by Anthony Raju, Minister of Road Transport, Government of Kerala.  “I drove through Calicut, Kochi, Coimbatore, Salem, Bengaluru, Hampi, and Pune to Mumbai,” says Najira, over a call from Mumbai. “From Mumbai I will be flying to Oman while my vehicle (named Olu, meaning girl in Malayalam) will be shipped across. I will continue my drive from there through Dubai to Qatar,” she...

The Qatar 2022 World Cup opening ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 20. The ceremony is expected to start at 3pm GMT (4pm local time),  ahead of the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador, which kicks off at 4pm GMT. The ceremony had originally been scheduled to take place the next day, but was brought forward along with the opening match. The change means that the tradition of the first game featuring either the hosts or the defending champions continues. The ceremony will be held at the 60,000 seater Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, which is 35km north of Doha. The stadium was one of seven stadiums built for the tournament and opened in November 2021. It hosted the opening match of the 2021 Arab Cup between Qatar and Bahrain The Al Bayt Stadium will host six group games, a Round of 16 clash and a semi-final at the 2022 World Cup.

Japan has unveiled the list of its 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, becoming the first out of all 32 competing teams to reveal the names just 19 days ahead of the kick off date. According to Tokyo’s news agency, midfielder Daichi Kamada and attacker ​​Takefusa Kubo are headlining Japan’s Samurai Blue.  “I’ve made the best, comprehensive selection possible, placing importance on our activities thus far, the situations the players are facing [at their clubs] and with how we plan to play at the World Cup in mind,” said manager Hajime Moriyasu during the announcement. “There really are lots of players in all positions that could have been picked. It was extremely difficult,” said Moriyasu. Squad list Goalkeepers:  Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg),  Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse) Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden) Defenders:  Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo) Maya Yoshida (Schalke) Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds) Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale) Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Front...