World Cup 2022 in Qatar
Date: 20th November - 18th December 2022
Number of teams: 32
Champion 2022: Argentina
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament for national teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022.
It was the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and only the second to be held entirely in Asia, after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. Additionally, this was the last tournament to feature 32 teams, with the number increasing to 48 for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Due to Qatar's intense summer heat, this World Cup was held from late November to mid-December, making it the first tournament not to be held in May, June, or July and to take place in the northern autumn; it was played in a reduced timeframe of around 29 days.
The first match played at the tournament was contested between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor. The final was held on 18 December 2022, which was also Qatar National Day. The reigning World Cup champions were France.