Photo: Alexander Hassenstein - FIFA/FIFA via Getty
The2022 World Cupis about to kick off (pun intended) — but not without some controversy.
Marking the 22nd edition of theFIFA World Cup competition, the soccer championship will bring together32 teams from all over the world, including England, France, USA, Spain and more.
Set in Qatar, this also will mark the first World Cup ever to be held in the Middle East.
Though there is much anticipation surrounding the event, the actual location has been met with controversy amid criticism regarding human rights in the territory.
Many celebrities have even used their platforms to speak against FIFA, including Rod Stewart who saidhe “turned down” $1 million to performat the event, and Dua Lipa, who denied rumors that she would perform.
From the controversy surrounding the location to details about the actual event, here’s everything to know about the 2022 World Cup.
When is the 2022 World Cup?
Due to Qatar’s intense heat in the summer, the 2022 World Cup will be held in the winter, making it the first not to be held in May, June, or July. Additionally, it will also be played in a reduced timeframe of 29 days (whereas it typically runs just over a month).
The opening match will be on Nov. 21, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. CET and the final match will be held on Dec. 18, 2022, which is Qatar National Day.
Where is the 2022 World Cup being held?
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Qatar will be the host country for the World Cup, with the first game being held at El Bayt Stadium.
Qatar has faced controversy as of late forits systemic discrimination against women and the LGBTQ+ communityas well as the reported deaths of 37 migrant workers helping to construct the stadiums where the World Cup will be held, perThe Guardian. (Many thousands more have died working on other construction projects in the country, which has been building up at a rapid pace ahead of the World Cup’s arrival.)
Who is performing at the 2022 World Cup?
Amid the controversy with Qatar, several artists reportedly declined to appear. “I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1 million, to play there 15 months ago,” Rod Stewart toldThe Sunday Times. “I turned it down. It’s not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms.”
It was also reported thatDua Lipawould perform at this year’s World Cup, but she later shut down those rumors on Instagram, writing, “I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiations to perform. I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.”
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Who is playing at the 2022 World Cup?
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Teams for the 2022 World Cupwill be broken into eight groups including Group A: Ecuador, Netherlands, Qatar and Senegal; Group B: England, Iran, United States and Wales; Group C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland, and Saudi Arabia; Group D: Australia, Denmark, France and Tunisia; Group E: Costa Rica, Germany, Japan and Spain; Group F: Belgium, Canada, Croatia and Morocco; Group G: Brazil, Cameroon, Serbia and Switzerland; Group H: Ghana, South Korea, Portugal and Uruguay.
How to watch the 2022 World Cup?
The World Cup will be broadcast live across Fox Sports in English as well as on Telemundo in Spanish.
source: people.com
