World Cup 2022 draw: England drawn against USA and Iran and will face either Wales, Scotland or Ukraine | Football News
England have been drawn against USA, Iran, and the winners of Wales, Scotland, and Ukraine’s play-off in Group B at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Gareth Southgate’s side know they will kick-off their World Cup campaign against Iran before facing the United States in their second game, but their third group-stage opponents are yet to be determined.
The Three Lions will face the winners of the outstanding European qualifying play-off, either Wales, Scotland or Ukraine.
World champions France begin the defence of their crown against the winners of Intercontinental play-off 1 (United Arab Emirates, Australia or Peru) in Group D, which also features Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark and Tunisia.
The tournament’s opening game will see hosts Qatar face Ecuador in Al Khor on November 21.
2022 World Cup draw
- Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
- Group B: England, Iran, USA, European play-off*
- Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
- Group D: France, Intercontinental play-off 1*, Denmark, Tunisia
- Group E: Spain, Intercontinental play-off 2*, Germany, Japan
- Group F: Belgium, Ghana, Morocco, Croatia
- Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
- Group H: Portugal, Canada, Uruguay, South Korea
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Intercontinental play-off 1*
United Arab Emirates, Australia, or Peru
Intercontinental play-off 2*
Costa Rica or New Zealand
European play-off*
Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine
More to follow…
When and where is the 2022 World Cup?
The 2022 World Cup is taking place in Qatar in the winter months rather than the usual summer ones, due to the heat.
The tournament kicks off on Monday, November 21 at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor with a match that will feature the host country.
The final will be played at the Lusail Stadium in Doha a week before Christmas on Sunday, December 18.
What is the World Cup format and schedule?
The 2022 World Cup will feature 32 teams in eight groups of four.
Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, which will run over a 12-day period and see winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16.
Matches will only be assigned to particular venues after the finals draw, so organisers can choose optimal kick-off times to suit television audiences in different countries, as well as supporters out in Qatar.
Unlike at Euro 2020, there will be a third-place play-off game on December 17.
Group stage: November 21 – December 2
Round of 16: December 3-6
Quarter-finals: December 9/10
Semi-finals: December 13/14
Final: December 18
When will the matches kick off?
FIFA has confirmed the first two rounds of matches will kick-off at 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm local time (10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm in the United Kingdom).
Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knockout-round matches will be at 6pm and 10pm local time (3pm and 7pm UK time).
The final is scheduled to kick off at 6pm local time (3pm UK time)
What are the venues?
The group games will take place across eight stadia: Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Education City Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium.
What will happen with the Premier League?
The Premier League has confirmed key dates for the 2022/23 campaign, with the season adjusted to accommodate a World Cup that takes place in the middle of the domestic calendar.
The season will start a week earlier than normal on August 6 2022, with 16 matchdays taking place up to the weekend of November 12/13, before the tournament kicks off on November 21.
The Premier League will resume on Boxing Day following the World Cup final, which takes place on December 18.
The final match round of the 2022/23 season will be played on May 28 2023.
