By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp
ANKARA (AA) - The 2022 FIFA World Cup thrill will kick off with a Qatar-Ecuador Group A match in the host nation Qatar on Sunday.
Thirty-two teams will compete in the top-tier international football organization of national teams, concluding with an epic finale on Dec. 18.
In this year’s World Cup, held for the first time in an Arab country, the group stage of 48 matches will be held between Nov. 20 and Dec. 2.
The teams in the first two spots of groups – A-B, C-D, E-F, and G-H – will face off against each other, according to the crossmatch method in the Round of 16 matches, which will be held on Dec. 3-6.
The quarterfinals will be played on Dec. 9-10, semifinals on Dec. 13-14, and third-place match on Dec. 17.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup championship game will end with the final on Dec. 18.
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, US, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea