Sports fans welcome the return of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 but followers should expect some changes to the format. The latest installment of soccer’s most famous tournament will be played in Qatar and the game’s biggest names have already confirmed their attendance following a dramatic qualifying campaign. The likes of England, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and Spain will rub shoulders with other qualifiers including the host nation who will make history when playing in their first World Cup.
While coaches put the finishing touches to their game plans, players ensure they are in peak physical fitness, and officials prepare for four weeks of chaos, fans wait patiently. The World Cup is a competition that unites both avid and casual soccer supporters with followers of other sports, including American Football, tennis, horse racing, and basketball. We all have an interest in which team will prove themselves to be the best in the world, winning the trophy in Qatar and etching their name into the history books.
During the build-up, sports lovers will make their predictions on a list of eye-catching markets. They will predict the team they expect to win the World Cup 2022, the top goalscorer, the best player of the competition, and even the exact stage a nation will exit. The best online bookmakers, from the sportsbooks of London to the best betting sites in Canada offer odds and markets, allowing registered members an opportunity to gamble on their picks and predictions.
In this article, we provide all the information you need on a World Cup that will be different from anything we’ve seen in the past. By the end of this page, you will have a strong understanding of what to expect from Qatar 2022 and the countries expected to be fighting it out for the trophy come the latter stages.
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What’s new in Qatar
The main difference you’ll notice in Qatar is the time of year the tournament takes place. Under normal circumstances, the World Cup is a summer event with the games condensed into four weeks between mid-June and mid-July. That’s not the case in 2022 with the competition played in November and December. But why the change of heart? What’s the difference between Qatar and the previous host nations?
The simple answer to that question is the heat. Temperatures during summer in Qatar make playing outdoor professional sports – even watching professional sports for that matter – impossible. The games would have to be played late at night to have any chance of going ahead and that wouldn’t work for anyone involved. The easiest fix was to move the start date to winter and that’s what FIFA agreed to do.
When previous World Cups were played in the middle of summer it was perfect for club leagues and competitions, including the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and Italian Serie A. The World Cup would be played during the club off-season. But that isn’t an option for Qatar 2022. The club competitions mentioned will now start a little earlier in the year, beginning in August or September.
They will then take a winter break to make space for the World Cup, before picking up the slack in January. This is far from ideal if you are a follower of club football and had planned to see your favorite team compete in the Champions League or Europa League but the World Cup is such a major event it takes priority.
Samba Boys lead the way
Which nation will lift the World Cup aloft in December? That’s anyone’s guess at this stage but we can take some hints from the stance of major betting apps. Traders at the most popular bookies are all in agreement with the team they expect to win and that’s Brazil. The Samba Boys have a rich history of winning major international tournaments and the general feeling among betting apps is that they are back to their best.
If Brazil fails to live up to expectations, which team will finish with the winner’s medal? European side France is second-favorites with Spain making up the top three. We find four teams from Europe make up the top five with England being the other. Italy is the current champion of Europe but is ninth in the betting.
