The World Cup begins on Sunday, Nov. 20 — a date that was changed only months before the tournament — with the first group stage match, between Qatar, the host nation, and Ecuador. The group stage runs through Dec. 2, with up to four games each day.
The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four, designated by the letters A-H, and each team plays all the other teams in its group once. The top two finishers in each group advance to the round of 16, which begins on Saturday, Dec. 3. After that, the World Cup is a straight knockout tournament, through the final on Sunday, Dec. 18.
In the United States, English-language broadcasts will air on Fox or its cable channel FS1 (many subscription streaming services include those channels, such as SlingTV, Fubo and Vidgo). Spanish-language telecasts will air on Telemundo or Universo and will stream on Peacock (the first 12 games will not require a paid subscription).
Group stage schedule
Sunday, Nov. 20
Group A: Qatar vs. Ecuador. 11 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Monday, Nov. 21
Group B: England vs. Iran. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group A: Senegal vs. Netherlands. 11 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group B: United States vs. Wales. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Group C: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group D: Denmark vs. Tunisia. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group C: Mexico vs. Poland. 11 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group D: France vs. Australia. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Group F: Morocco vs. Croatia. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group E: Germany vs. Japan. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
A Brief Guide to the 2022 World Cup
What is the World Cup? The quadrennial event pits the best national soccer teams against each other for the title of world champion. Here’s a primer to the 2022 men’s tournament:
Where is it being held? This year’s host is Qatar, which in 2010 beat the United States and Japan to win the right to hold the tournament. Whether that was an honest competition remains in dispute.
When is it? The tournament will open on Nov. 20, when Qatar plays Ecuador. Over the two weeks that follow, four games will be played on most days. The tournament ends with the final on Dec. 18. Here’s the full match schedule.
How many teams are competing? Thirty-two. Qatar qualified automatically as the host, and after years of matches, the other 31 teams earned the right to come and play. Meet the teams here.
How does the tournament work? The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four. In the opening stage, each team plays all the other teams in its group once. The top two finishers in each group advance to the round of 16. After that, the World Cup is a straight knockout tournament.
How can I watch the World Cup in the U.S.? The tournament will be broadcast on Fox and FS1 in English, and on Telemundo in Spanish. You can livestream it on Peacock, or on streaming services that carry Fox and FS1.
When will the games take place? Qatar is five hours ahead of London, eight hours ahead of New York and 11 hours ahead of Los Angeles. That means there will be predawn kickoffs on the East Coast of the United States for some games, and midafternoon starts for 10 p.m. games in Qatar.
Got more questions? We’ve got more answers here.
Group E: Spain vs. Costa Rica. 11 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Group F: Belgium vs. Canada. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock (free).
Thursday, Nov. 24
Group G: Switzerland vs. Cameroon. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group H: Uruguay vs. South Korea. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group H: Portugal vs. Ghana. 11 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group G: Brazil vs. Serbia. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Friday, Nov. 25
Group B: Wales vs. Iran. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group A: Qatar vs. Senegal. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group A: Netherlands vs. Ecuador. 11 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group B: England vs. United States. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Saturday, Nov. 26
Group D: Tunisia vs. Australia. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group C: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group D: France vs. Denmark. 11 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group C: Argentina vs. Mexico. 2 p.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Sunday, Nov. 27
Group E: Japan vs. Costa Rica. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group F: Belgium vs. Morocco. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group F: Croatia vs. Canada. 11 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group E: Spain vs. Germany. 2 p.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Monday, Nov. 28
Group G: Cameroon vs. Serbia. 5 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group H: South Korea vs. Ghana. 8 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group G: Brazil vs. Switzerland. 11 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group H: Portugal vs. Uruguay. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Group A: Netherlands vs. Qatar. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Universo, Peacock.
Group A: Ecuador vs. Senegal. 10 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group B: Iran vs. United States. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group B: Wales vs. England. 2 p.m. Eastern. FS1, Universo, Peacock.
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Group D: Tunisia vs. France. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group D: Australia vs. Denmark. 10 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Universo, Peacock.
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico. 2 p.m. Eastern. FS1, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group C: Poland vs. Argentina. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Universo, Peacock.
Thursday, Dec. 1
Group F: Canada vs. Morocco. 10 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Universo, Peacock.
Group F: Croatia vs. Belgium. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group E: Costa Rica vs. Germany. 2 p.m. Eastern. FS1, Universo, Peacock.
Group E: Japan vs. Spain. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Friday, Dec. 2
Group H: South Korea vs. Portugal. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group H: Ghana vs. Uruguay. 10 a.m. Eastern. FS1, Universo, Peacock.
Group G: Cameroon vs. Brazil. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group G: Serbia vs. Switzerland. 2 p.m. Eastern. FS1, Universo, Peacock.
Round of 16 schedule
Saturday, Dec. 3
Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Sunday, Dec. 4
Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Monday, Dec. 5
Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Tuesday, Dec. 6
Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Quarterfinals schedule
Friday, Dec. 9
Quarterfinal. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Quarterfinal. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Saturday, Dec. 10
Quarterfinal. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Quarterfinal. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Semifinals schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Semifinal. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Wednesday, Dec. 14
Semifinal. 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Third-place match
Saturday, Dec. 17
Third place. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Peacock.
Final
Sunday, Dec. 18
Final. 10 a.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock.
