FIFA World Cup 2022: Full schedule, Match Timings, Where To Watch

Ecuador will start its World Cup campaign against an Asian team (Qatar) for the first time, starting the FIFA World Cup on November 20.

This will be Ecuador’s fourth FIFA World Cup appearance in its history, with its last appearance coming in 2014. Gustavo Alvaro’s team qualified for the tournament after finishing fourth in the CONMEBOL qualifying tournament.

It is a tricky group for Ecuador in the FIFA World Cup 2022 because it has not faced any of the teams in its group in its World Cup history. The nation enjoyed its best run in the 2006 edition when it reached the Round of 16 and finished as the runner-up of the group behind Germany.

Ecuador will start its World Cup campaign against an Asian team (Qatar) for the first time after beginning its previous three World Cup with matches against European teams [2002 vs Italy (L 2-0), 2006 vs Poland (W 2-0) and 2014 vs Switzerland (L 2-1)].

Group A — Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

The first match of the 2022 World Cup will be played by this group with host Qatar taking on Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium.

The group has three-time World Cup finalist, Netherlands, and the winner of the African Cup of Nations 2021, Senegal, in which Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Virgil Van Dijk will go up against each other.

Group B — England, IR Iran, USA, Wales

The runner-up of EURO 2020, England, is drawn against the United States of America, Iran and will face Wales in the group stage.

Harry Kane, the joint second-highest goalscorer for England ever (49 goals), will look to surpass Wayne Rooney (53 goals) and win a major international trophy with the Three Lions in Qatar.

Group C — Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

Argentina and Poland will have the battle of the forwards when they lock horns in the group stage with Lewandowski and Messi, both in action. The two sides have met twice in the World Cup before and the latest meeting happened in 1978 — the year Argentina won its maiden title.

Group D — France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

The 2018 World Cup Champion, France, has been drawn in a relatively easy group, with Denmark, Tunisia, Australia and meets the Danes in their group for the second successive edition.

Group E — Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

A group that has five World Cup titles between them, Spain and Germany, will be pitted against each other in a replay of the 2010 World Cup semifinal in the group stage itself.

Costa Rica join the group alongside Japan — a country that pushed Belgium to the brink of knockout in Russia four years ago.

Group F — Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

FIFA World Cup’s Group F has two European heavyweights Belgium and Croatia, while Canada remains a dark horse in this group.

Luka Modric will be in action against his club teammate Thibaut Courtois, while Canada will look to go beyond the group stage to better its history in the tournament.

Group G — Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

Three of the four countries in this group, Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia, were together in the previous edition of the tournament as well.

Brazil lost the Copa America last year to Argentina and will look to win an international trophy sooner than later with Neymar leading the attack.

Group H — Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez will all be in action with Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana and Republic of Korea drawn together in the same group.

Multiple rivalries will be repeated here. Uruguay, which eliminated Portugal in Russia 2018 and Ghana in South Africa 2010, will face both early on in the tournament. See More….