There are mere months before another men's World Cup. The 2022 Qatar edition will be the first tournament hosted in the Middle East and the first to be held at the end of the calendar year in November and December.
Eight stadiums will host the event across five cities in Qatar: Lusall, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, and Doha.
The 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar will feature 32 teams before the field expands to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup. The men's World Cup has featured 32 teams for the last six editions since France 1998.
Thirty-one nations will earn the right to play alongside host Qatar through regional qualifying matches. It has been predetermined how many nations will qualify from each region.
Football World Cup 2022 is just over a year away, and teams are starting to earn qualifications, though many spots still remain. Qualifying windows in September and October paved the way for some tense clashes in November, which led to a number of European teams punching their ticket for Qatar, as well as a South American giant. In Europe, the group stage is over meaning nine group winners have booked their spots, while three additional places remain up for grabs through the playoffs. While it will likely take quite a bit for things to be sorted out in North America's Concacaf region and elsewhere, there has been some movement in South American clubs beginning to clinch as well, with Argentina joining Brazil in locking up a spot. The Brazilians, five-time World Cup champs, are the only team to qualify for every single World Cup.
