The 2022 World Cup officially begins on Sunday, November 20, and runs through Sunday, December 18 in Qatar featuring 64 matches contested by 32 nations in 8 stadiums over the course of 29 days.
This year marks the very first time that the World Cup is taking place in the Middle East. Qatar, which is the smallest nation to ever host the event, has average high temperatures in June and July of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why FIFA made the decision to host the 22nd edition of the World Cup in the Fall. As always, this year’s World Cup marks four years until the next edition of the tournament, which will make history with three different nations hosting matches. See below for location information for both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
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2022 World Cup Venues:
The 2022 World Cup will take place in the following venues:
- Al Bayt Stadium – 22 miles from central Doha
- Lusail Stadium – 12 miles from central Doha
- Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium – 12 miles from central Doha
- Al Janoub Stadium – 14 miles from central Doha
- Al Thumama Stadium – 8 miles from central Doha
- Education City Stadium – 8 miles from central Doha
- Khalifa International Stadium – 3 miles from central Doha
- Stadium 974 – 6 miles from central Doha
Where will the 2026 World Cup take place?
The 2026 World Cup will take place in three North American countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This will be the first time that the tournament is hosted by three different nations and it will be the very first time that the event will be contested in Canada. There will be a total of 16 venues used as host cities for the 2026 World Cup. The U.S. will have 11, Canada will have 2, and Mexico will have 3.
Additionally, the 2026 World Cup will debut an expanded format featuring 48 teams–as opposed to 32–split into 16 groups of 3.
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2026 World Cup host cities
USA (11)
Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Boston – Gillette Stadium
Dallas – AT&T Stadium
Houston – NRG Stadium
Kansas City – Arrowhead Stadium
Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium
Miami – Hard Rock Stadium
New York/New Jersey – MetLife Stadium
Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field
San Francisco – Levi’s Stadium
Seattle – Lumen Field
Canada (2)
Toronto – BMO Field
Vancouver – BC Place
Mexico (3)
Guadalajara – Estadio Akron
Mexico City – Estadio Azteca
Monterrey – Estadio BBVA
When is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 8 through July 3.
2022 World Cup U.S. Group Stage Schedule:
- U.S. vs. Wales – Monday, November 21 at 2 PM ET
- U.S. vs. England – Friday, November 25 at 2 PM ET
- U.S. vs Iran – Tuesday, November 29 at 2 PM ET
2022 World Cup Mexico Group Stage Schedule:
- Mexico vs. Poland – Tuesday, November 22 at 11 AM ET
- Mexico vs Argentina – Saturday, November 26 at 2 PM ET
- Mexico vs Saudi Arabia – Wednesday, November 30 at 2 PM ET
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How to watch the 2022 World Cup:
*All times are listed as ET
- When: November 20, 2022 – December 18, 2022
- Group stage game kick-off times: 5 am, 8 am, 11 am, and 2 pm
- Location: Qatar
- TV channel in English: Fox
- TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup!
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