The FIFA World Cup 2022 is the 22nd edition of the World Cup, the biggest tournament in football and one of the most spectated sporting tournaments in the world. The 2022 iteration of the World Cup will be the first hosted in the middle-east and the first to take place during the winter, with lots of outright betting and live betting opportunities throughout. It will span a four-week period towards the end of 2022 and, as always, the entire world will be watching.
We still have a couple of years to go before this epic tournament kicks-off, but it’s getting closer with every passing month and to ramp-up the excitement we’ve created an extensive World Cup 2022 betting guide, covering key categories such as:
- What will World Cup live betting markets cover?
- Which teams will contest the tournament?
- Where will it be hosted?
- What will the schedule look like?
- Where can you find the best World Cup betting odds?
World Cup Betting Guide
Before we discuss the many online football betting markets available during the 2022 World Cup, we need to cover some of the basics. It’s still early days, which means there’s still a lot to be decided and a lot of things that we don’t yet know, but we know enough to get you excited for this upcoming tournament and will keep you updated on further information as it develops.
Hosts
The bidding process for each World Cup occurs many years before the tournament starts and 2022 was no exception.
The bidding process for this World Cup began way back in 2009, with Japan, Australia, South Korea, Qatar, the United States, and Australia all shortlisted to host the competition.
The US hosted the competition back in 1994, while Japan and South Korea shared the hosting duties in 2002. Despite this, the United States made it to the final round of voting alongside Qatar, with the middle-eastern country eventually getting the nod.
World Cup
There was a lot of controversy surrounding this choice at the time because Qatar is not exactly considered a prime football destination and the Qatar national team is not considered one of the best. But the country was keen to be the first middle-eastern nation to host the competition and it was believed they had the money and desire to put on a very good show.
The June and July months are incredibly hot in Qatar and there were many concerns concerning the health and wellbeing of the players. To counteract this, the tournament was moved to the end of the year, when the cooler temperatures would closely resemble a hot European spring or a mild summer and would, therefore, be more bearable.
Schedule
The final World Cup 2022 schedule will be drawn in March 2022, 8 months before the tournament is slated to begin. There will be very few World Cup football betting odds available until then, but you still have the entire qualifying period to look forward to.
The inaugural game is scheduled to take place on November 21, 2022, while the final will kick-off on December 18.
Stadiums
Many of the stadiums expected to host World Cup 2022 games are still under construction. FIFA has suggested that there will be 8 stadiums in total, several of which will utilize state-of-the-art technology. The Lusail Iconic Stadium currently being built in Lusail is a great example of this.
Projected to seat a capacity of 80,000 spectators, this stadium, which began construction in April 2017, was designed by a leading British firm. It features a reflective “moat” design that separates the crowd from the action, as well as a roof made to look like it is floating above the ground.
Right now, football isn’t very big in Qatar and there are no teams queuing up to use this stadium or many of the others being built. It won’t go to waste though, as there are plans to reduce the capacity to 40,000 and turn it into a community space, with shops, cafes, and a host of athletic and educational facilities.
One of the stadiums ready at the time of the World Cup bid was Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. However, it had a capacity of just over 21,000 spectators, so planners quickly began work on expanding it. By the time it finishes, the stadium is expected to double in size and will include additional media facilities.
Qatar doesn’t have the biggest stadiums in the world and when compared to other hosts, it’s probably the least prepared in that department. However, what it lacks in existing sporting infrastructure it more than makes up for in ambition and the Qatar World Cup in 2022 could be one of the most high-tech and affluent World Cups in history.
World Cup 2022 Qualifying
Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup began in March 2019 and will continue until March 2022, at which point the final schedule will be drawn, teams will learn which groups they’re in, and preparation can begin in earnest. 31 teams will qualify from 6 different federations, most of which (13) will come from UEFA (Europe).
There are several rounds of qualifying for each federation and teams all over the world get a chance to qualify. The difference between low and high ranked teams is that the former are required to go through many more stages of qualifying and often play several games before the bigger teams start their campaigns.
For example, many lower-ranked African teams began their qualifying games in June 2019, while major European teams won’t play their first qualifying games until March 2021.
World Football Betting with the Best Odds
World Cup live betting odds will be available throughout the 2022 World Cup Qualifying rounds, where you will be given a chance to bet on some of the biggest teams in the world. These World Cup live betting odds can be placed as the games unfold, with options for betting on everything from the next goal and goalscorer, to the number of corners, throw-ins, penalties, and more.
It’s a great way to prepare for the World Cup 2022 Finals, giving you an idea of what to expect during the Finals and allowing you to make predictions regarding the teams you think will win and the players you think will shine.
World Cup 2026 Teams
As we head into 2020, only one World Cup 2022 place has been filled and that place is occupied by the hosts, Qatar. The Qatar football team was mocked by many pundits when it was announced that the middle-eastern nation would be hosting the tournament. But a lot has happened since then and this team has climbed the FIFA World Rankings and become one of the fastest-improving teams in world football.
It seems that the country of Qatar has made good on its promise to create a respectable, strong football team. Qatar won the Asian Cup in 2019, beating World Cup regulars like Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia in the process.
At the end of 2019 the team had achieved its highest FIFA World Ranking ever, just one place behind Greece, winner of the 2004 European Championships, and several places ahead of teams like Ecuador, Slovenia, Ivory Coast, and South Africa, the latter of which also raised a few eyebrows when hosting the 2010 World Cup.
It’s hard to predict which teams will advance through to the World Cup Finals at this point, but if previous competitions are anything to go by then Qatar could be joined by many strong Asian teams, including Saudi Arabia and South Korea, as well as the likes of Brazil, England, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, France, Germany, Egypt, and more, bringing names like Kane, Salah, Mane, Neuer, and many more to the middle east.
It might be too late for Qatar football fans to see the likes of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi, as there’s a good chance they will have called time on their careers by that point, but there will be many other big names waiting to take their places.
World Cup Live Betting Odds
It is far too early to predict which teams will enter the 2022 World Cup as favorites. Two years is a long time in international football, especially when you consider everything that will happen in that time. Here are just a few things that could happen between 2020 and 2022 to drastically change potential World Cup live betting odds:
Major Tournaments
Most World Cup tournaments are a close-run thing between teams from Europe and teams from South America, and there will be a few big tournaments contested by these federations. One of these is the 2020 Copa America, hosted just a year after the previous iteration of this major tournament.
Brazil won in 2019, followed closely by surprise-package Peru. 2020 will give us an idea of whether teams like Peru are a flash-in-the-pan or actually have what it takes to beat their top-rated rivals. It will also give us a better idea of how Chile and Argentina fare against their continental rivals.
The 2020 Euros will do the same for Europe. Many eyes will be on Germany. The former World Champions struggled in the 2018 World Cup and pundits will be wondering if that was a minor blip or if the golden era of German football is over. England, France, and Croatia could also be reaching peak periods and this tournament will be a good indicator of what we can expect in 2022.
The End of an Era
Messi, Ronaldo, and Modric have dominated the Ballon D’or over the last decade or so and have never been too far from the spotlight, with some believing that they carry their respective international teams. But these players may not make it to the 2022 World Cup and if they do, they’ll be long past their peaks and maybe resigned to playing as substitutes.
Just look at how old this current crop of superstars will be by the time of the 2022 World Cup:
- Gareth Bale = 33
- Robert Lewandowski = 34
- Lionel Messi = 35
- Luis Suarez = 35
- Cristiano Ronaldo = 37
- Luka Modric = 37
Even Neymar, who many still consider a youngster, will be 30 during the 2022 World Cup, while Eden Hazard will be 31.
The Start of a New Era
We may be saying goodbye to one generation of superstar talents, but we’ll be embracing a new one and there are a lot of super talented up-and-comers, as well as a host of players who will be hitting their peaks. Kylian Mbappe will be 22 and will actually turn 23 just a few days after the final. That may seem very young, but not when you think about how much of an impact he had on the World Cup in 2018.
We’ll also see all the following big names and promising talents rise through the ranks and potentially make their names known on the biggest stage:
- Matthijs de Ligt
- Phil Foden
- Alphonso Davies
- Jadon Sancho
- Joao Felix
- Mason Mount
Whether we’ll see another pairing as good as Messi and Ronaldo is debatable, but there’s no doubt we’ll see a host of players ready to impress in their first World Cups, just like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Eusebio, Iniesta, and countless others before them.
World Cup Odds at Betzest
You can find the best World Cup 2022 betting odds at Betzest. From that irresistible World Cup live bet that you just can’t refuse, to a host of outright bets, and more, you’ll find everything you need right at this top online sportsbook. The 2022 World Cup may be a long way off, but just like the country of Qatar, the best sportsbooks are already preparing.
We’re expecting that this will be one of the biggest and most entertaining World Cups in recent history and we hope that you will join us as we watch it and enjoy every kick, every goal, every save, and every celebration.
Here’s to hoping that time passes quickly and that 2022 is here before we know it!
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