The 2022 World Cup in Qatar promises to be a feast of football, with several teams holding a genuine chance of lifting the prestigious trophy.
Brazil are strongly fancied to become World Cup champions for the sixth time, while France will be eager to retain the title they won four years ago.
Germany, Argentina, Spain and Belgium are amongst the other teams who should progress a long way at the upcoming tournament.
Read on as we take a closer look at Qatar 2022 and assess how the United States are likely to fare in their 11th appearance at the finals.
World Cup Dates
The 2022 World Cup starts on Sunday, November 20, as Qatar face Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium. The tournament culminates with the final on Sunday, December 18 at the Lusail Stadium.
World Cup Group Stage
The 32 teams have been drawn into eight groups of four for the opening stage. These are as follows:
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands.
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales.
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland.
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia.
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan.
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia.
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon.
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea.
The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16. All games from this point are played as a straight knockout, with extra-time and penalties used where necessary.
United States’ Fixtures
The US have been drawn in Group B alongside England, Iran and Wales. Their fixtures for the opening phase are as follows:
Monday, November 21 - US vs Wales - Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Friday, November 25 - England vs US - Al Bayt Stadium
Tuesday, November 29 - Iran vs US - Al Thumama Stadium
If the US win their group, they would meet the Group A runners-up in the last 16. Finishing second in the group would see the US play the Group A winners.
How to Watch the World Cup
Fox Sports has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast English-language content during the World Cup to audiences in the US.
Spanish-speaking fans can access matches via Telemundo, while Universo will also be screening selected games during the tournament.
If you are travelling abroad during the World Cup, here are the best soccer streaming sites for Qatar 2022 in some of the major jurisdictions.
Australia – SBS.
Canada – Bell Media.
Brazil - TV Globo.
China – CCTV, Migu.
France - TF1, beIN SPORTS.
Germany – ARD, ZDF, Deutsche Telekom.
India – Viacom.
Italy – RAI.
Japan - Dentsu, Abema.
Latin America - Vrio Corporation.
Mexico – Televisa.
New Zealand – Sky.
Pakistan - ARY Digital Network.
Russia - Channel One, Match TV, VGTRK.
South Korea – SBS, KBS, MBC.
Spain - Mediapro, RTVE.
United Kingdom – BBC, ITV.
World Cup Preview
The US secured their place at the World Cup as CONCACAF’s third qualifier behind Canada and Mexico.
Manager Gregg Berhalter has a talented squad to choose from, with several of his top players plying their trade in Europe’s biggest leagues.
They include Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Sergino Dest (AC Milan), all of whom will be expected to play a key role in Qatar.
However, the lack of a prolific striker could hinder the team’s hopes of making it much further than the round of 16.
They are undoubtedly capable of taking points off all three group opponents, and could nab a top two spot with a little bit of luck.
However, that may be as good as things get for Berhalter’s side, particularly if they were to meet Netherlands in the last 16.
With the US unlikely to bring the trophy home, the World Cup is likely to be claimed by one of the tournament’s previous winners.
Brazil are chasing their sixth World Cup title and could be tough to beat if they reproduce the form they showed during South American qualifying.
France, Germany and Spain should also be extremely competitive, but Argentina appeal as the value bet to win their third World Cup.
Qatar 2022 will be the last time Lionel Messi graces the World Cup stage and there would be no better way to go out than helping his team lift the trophy.
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