Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is finally here. The time for talk - and there has been plenty of it in recent months - is over. It's time for football to take centre stage. The tournament will officially get underway on November 20th when unfancied hosts Qatar face Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium. The 60,000-capacity stadium is located 50km north of the capital Doha and will host eight more matches after the curtain raiser, including a quarterfinal and semifinal.
With a front line consisting of Vinicius Jr., Neymar and Gabriel Jesus, it's clear to see why OddsChecker, which will be offering World Cup free bets, has made Brazil the favourites for glory this winter. Should they live up to their billing, they would lift the famous gold trophy for the sixth time in their history, exactly 20 years on from their last success when Ronaldo's double sank Germany in Yokohama.
There are a number of contenders in the chasing pack, with Argentina - who beat the Selecao in the Maracana to lift the Copa America last summer - as well as France and England all eyeing success.
Whichever team makes it all the way will find themselves in the brand-spanking new Lusail Stadium on December 17th. The 80,000 all-seater stadium - and the entire city of Lusail - were specifically constructed for that one match. Two teams will battle it out there for the biggest prize in all of sport.
But what of the last couple of World Cup finals? Where were they held? Don't worry, we've got you covered...
The most recent World Cup was up there with the very best of them. The tournament had the right mix of jaw-dropping shocks and blistering football. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a spellbinding hat trick on just the second day of the tournament.
Reigning champions Germany continued the champion's curse and fell in the group stages following defeats at the hands of Mexico and South Korea. Hosts Russia - ranked the lowest of the 32 nations that qualified for the tournament - surprised everyone by reaching the last eight.
England had waited a generation for an impressive performance on the world stage, and finally proved themselves in the international arena by reaching the semifinals. They reached the final four of a World Cup for the first time since Italia '90, even managing to win a penalty shootout for the first time ever along the way.
As is the English way, however, their tournament ended in heartbreak. Croatia vanquished The Three Lions in extra time to reach the final, where they met tournament favourites France. And it was Les Bleus who went on to lift the famous gold trophy, winning 4-2 in front of a capacity crowd of 78,000 inside Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
The 2014 World Cup final was meant to be a showdown between two of the planet's biggest rivals inside South America's grandest stadium. Germany clearly didn't get the memo, however, and thumped the tournament hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals, gaining redemption for their loss to the Selecao in the 2002 showpiece.
The second team in that would-be final, Argentina, held up their end of the bargain. They defeated the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland en route to their first appearance in a World Cup final in 24 years. Led by the majestic Lionel Messi - who was awarded the Player of the Tournament - it seemed for all the world that the stars had aligned for the Albicelestes to lift the trophy for the third time, and in the spiritual home of their greatest rivals, too.
Die Mannschaft once again clearly weren't informed of the script. Mario Gotze's winner deep into extra time ripped the trophy away from their opponents at the Maracana, with 75,000 fans watching on.
The last two World Cups have offered us unforgettable moments of talent and drama. What will the World Cup 2022 bring?
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