The 2022 world cup is coming

Face painting, chanting, jersey-switching—the World Cup is steeped in traditions dating back to its debut in 1930, and although many of those will be present in the highly anticipated event of 2022, a lot of “firsts” can be expected as well.

As we close in on the last year until the match that will captivate 3.5 billion people in six continents around the world, the anticipation is brewing, and many folks are starting to make some predictions and projections for what will arguably be the most unique World Cup yet.

For starters, it’ll be hosted in an Arab country for the first time ever: Qatar. As a small peninsular country bordering Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it may appear to be an unsuspecting contender to serve as a stage for the World Cup, but there’s more to Qatar than meets the eye.

The Rimet' s cup

With stretches of beaches, intricate architecture, and a close proximity between stadiums, fans and players can expect to add Qatar to one of their new favorite destinations to explore. Planning on going? Make sure you’re en route in style with the The Rimet Passport Book. There’s nothing wrong with keeping full-grain, tan Italian leather close to your vest—and documents organized throughout your travels.

Football fanatics won’t be heading to Qatar just for the views, and they may just have to adjust their expectations for the timing of the 2022 World Cup along the way. Although the event is typically held in the summer months, Qatar’s heat index simply won’t do. With its temperatures spiking upwards of 123 degrees F, the matches are slated to be held for the first time from November 21 thru December 18—and we’ll take a winter time match over a heat stroke any day.

The timing and location of the setting are going to be a shift in comparison to the 2018 World Cup event in Russia, where France overtook Croatia 4-2 in an epic win thanks to the likes of Kylian Mbappe and his stunning strikes throughout each match. 

Read More: Top 10 Reasons We Love the World Cup

Who will qualify to the 2022 World Cup?

Not only have the dynamics of society changed in the last four years with the pandemic and travel restrictions, the leading countries and players to watch out for have too. Some of which have yet to be determined after the highly anticipated matches that could either ensure or eliminate either Italy or Portugal’s places in the 2022 World Cup.

That’s right, there’s a possibility that one of the world’s greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, might not set foot on the pitch in Qatar this upcoming year. The legendary Ronaldo’s team will need to sustain two wins to make it to what could quite possibly be the last World Cup of his prolific career. The first high stakes match against Turkey is coming up on either March 24 or 25, and Portugal will face off with the team who takes the win in the match between Italy and North Macedonia about a week later. 

Ronaldo and Portugal fans aren’t sweating it, though, especially when they can rely on history to predict the fate of these upcoming matches. Out of all five showdowns in the past, Portugal has triumphed over Turkey consistently. 

While we wait to see the results of the spring qualifiers, these household teams have already cemented their spots on the 2022 World Cup pitch:

• Germany
• Denmark
• Brazil
• France
• Belgium
• Croatia
• Spain
• Serbia
• England
• Switzerland
• Netherlands
• Argentina
• Qatar

World cup 2022's favorite

The favorite so far? Brazil. As the reigning champions for most World Cup titles with 5, they’re rising to the top of everyone’s list to make that 6 World Cup titles in 2022, according to Sports Interaction. France and England are trailing closely behind Brazil as far as betting goes, but the numbers remain to be seen as the other qualifying games play out.

There may still be a year ahead of us before we get these answers, but it’s the suspense of the matches in the meantime that amplify our love for football, and especially the World Cup. Although it may look slightly different this year, there’s no way the thrills, skills, or traditions won’t be spilling out of the stadiums in Qatar again in 2022. 

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