With the 2022 World Cup nearing, football fans and punters alike are gearing up to cheer on the best teams and players from around the world. The draw was released at the start of April, and the event will begin on the 21st of November and conclude with the final on the 18th of December, when one nation etches its names into the history books as the winner of just the second World Cup to take place in Asia.
November 21 Senegal vs Netherlands 19:00, Al Thumama Group A Bet Now England vs Iran 22:00, Khalifa International Stadium Group B Bet Now November 22 Qatar vs Ecuador 1:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group A Bet Now USA vs Qualifier 4:00, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium Group B Bet Now Argentina vs Saudi Arabi 19:00, Lusail Stadium Group C Bet Now Denmark vs Tunisia 22:00, Education City Stadium Group D Bet Now November 23 Mexico vs Poland 1:00, Stadium 974 Group C Bet Now France vs Qualifier 4:00, Al Janoub Stadium Group D Bet Now Morocco vs Croatia 19:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group F Bet Now Germany vs Japan 22:00, Khalifa International Stadium Group E Bet Now November 24 Spain vs Qualifier 1:00, Al Thumama Stadium Group E Bet Now Belgium vs Canada 4:00, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium Bet Now Switzerland vs Cameroon 19:00, Al Janoub Stadium Group G Bet Now Uruguay vs South Korea 22:00, Education City Stadium Group H Bet Now November 25 Portugal vs Ghana 1:00, Stadium 974 Group H Bet Now Brazil vs Serbia 4:00, Lusail Stadium Group G Bet Now Qualifier vs Iran 19:00, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium Group B Bet Now Qatar vs Senegal 22:00, Al Thumama Stadium Group A Bet Now November 26 Netherlands vs Ecuador 1:00, Khalifa International Stadium Group A Bet Now England vs USA 4:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group B Bet Now Tunisia vs Qualifier 19:00, Al Janoub Stadium Group D Bet Now Poland vs Saudi Arabia 22:00, Education City Stadium Group C Bet Now November 27 France vs Denmark 1:00, Lusail Stadium Group C Bet Now Argentina vs Mexico 4:00, Stadium 974 Group D Bet Now Japan vs Qualifier 19:00, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Group E Bet Now Belgium vs Morocco 22:00, Al Thumama Stadium Group F Bet Now November 28 Croatia vs Canada 1:00, Khalifa International Stadium Group F Bet Now Spain vs Germany 4:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group E Bet Now Cameroon vs Serbia 19:00, Al Janoub Stadium Group G Bet Now South Korea vs Ghana 22:00, Education City Stadium Group G Bet Now November 29 Brazil vs Switzerland 3:00, Stadium 974 Group H Bet Now Portugal vs Uruguay 6:00, Lusail Stadium Group H Bet Now November 30 Netherlands vs Qatar 2:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group A Bet Now Ecuador vs Senegal 2:00, Khalifa International Stadium Group A Bet Now Qualifier vs England 6:00, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Group B Bet Now Iran vs USA 6:00, Al Thumama Stadium Group B Bet Now December 1 Qualifier vs Denmark 2:00, Al Janoub Stadium Group D Bet Now Tunisia vs France 2:00, Education City Stadium Group D Bet Now Poland vs Argentina 6:00, Stadium 974 Stadium Group C Bet Now Saudi Arabia vs Mexico 6:00, Lusail Stadium Group C Bet Now December 2 Croatia vs Belgium 2:00, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Group F Bet Now Canada vs Morocco 2:00, Al Thumama Stadium Group F Bet Now Qualifier vs Germany 6:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group E Bet Now Japan vs Spain 6:00, Al Bayt Stadium Group E Bet Now December 3 South Korea vs Portugal 2:00, Education City Stadium Group G Bet Now Ghana vs Uruguay 2:00, Al Janoub Stadium Group G Bet Now Serbia vs Switzerland 6:00, Stadium 974 Group H Bet Now Cameroon vs Brazil 6:00, Lusail Stadium Group H Bet Now
December 4 TBD vs TBD 2:00, Khalifa International Stadium Bet Now TBD vs TBD 6:00, Al Rayyan Stadium Bet Now December 5 TBD vs TBD 2:00, Al Thumama Stadium Bet Now TBD vs TBD 6:00, Al Bayt Stadium Bet Now December 6 TBD vs TBD 2:00, Al Janoub Stadium Bet Now TBD vs TBD 6:00, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium Bet Now December 7 TBD vs TBD 2:00, Education City Stadium Bet Now TBD vs TBD 6:00, Lusail Stadium Bet Now
December 10 TBD vs TBD 2:00, Education City Stadium Bet Now TBD vs TBD 6:00, Lusail Stadium Bet Now December 11 TBD vs TBD 2:00, Al Thumama Stadium Bet Now TBD vs TBD 6:00, Al Bayt Stadium Bet Now
December 14 TBD vs TBD 6:00, Lusail Stadium Bet Now December 15 TBD vs TBD 6:00, Al Bayt Stadium Bet Now
Unsurprisingly given its popularity both in Australia and around the world, the FIFA World Cup receives plenty of interest from punters. Every betting site which offers sports betting markets should have odds on FIFA World Cup games, from the smallest through to the most recognised names. But while they’ll all offer odds on the games, there will be plenty of variation in terms of how many different markets are available from bookmaker to bookmaker – while some will offer a huge range of markets on each and every game, others will only offer a handful of more basic ones. There will also be differences in terms of the quality of the odds that you’ll be able to get, and some of the bookies which tend to offer better odds will no doubt be leading the charge in that regard come the World Cup. With that in mind, below is the list of our recommended World Cup betting sites
Betting on the World Cup is a popular pastime for punters around the world, with a whole lot of excitement and anticipation surrounding each and every game throughout the course of the tournament. There are a number of different ways to bet on the event, both after its started and in the lead-up. How to bet on the World Cup before it starts? Even prior to the event beginning, there are already head-to-head markets individual matchups, and as the games get closer, there will be no shortage of other markets available for each game. With a while to go until the start of the tournament, however, there is not yet the quantity of markets available on individual games that there will be when the tournament is about to start. You can, however, still find odds on ‘future’ related bets. Predominantly this relates to the winner of the World Cup, with many teams who are staples of the event and others sitting among the favourites for the event; the likes of France, Germany, Brazil – even England, who despite having not won the event since 1966, are still vying for outright favouritism! After the draw was released on April 1st, a number of new markets became available. These include which teams will win each group, at what stage each team will be eliminated, as well as individual player markets like who will kick the most goals at the tournament. Popular World Cup markets There are a number of popular World Cup markets, and these are typically similar things to what are popular in most sports. Betting on the outright winner is garnering plenty of attention, while for individual matchups the most common markets like head-to-head winner, as well as individual props such as anytime goalscorer, are also popular. There is also some interest in individual future markets, such as top goalscorer throughout the course of the tournament (the Golden Boot) as well as the best player in the tournament (the Golden Ball). These are likely to be some of the most popular markets at the tournament, as well as what they mean: Head-to-head: Involves selecting the result of an individual game. Correct score: This requires you to tip the exact score of the game; for example, 2-1 in favour of the home side. Double chance: This is a common football market which lets you win on either of two outcomes; for example, the home side to win or a draw. Total goals: Involves selecting how many goals will be scored in a game. Anytime goalscorer: Requires the punter to select whether a player will score a goal in a given game. Multi bets: Multi bets allow you to combine individual outcomes from different games into one bet, thus amplifying the odds. Tournament winner: Relates to the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Golden Boot award: Involves picking which player will score the most goals throughout the entire World Cup. Golden Ball award: Involves picking which player will be voted the best player of the tournament. Strategize Your World Cup Betting There are a number of different things you should take into account when betting on the 2022 World Cup, all of which can make up part of your overall strategy. Below are some ideas about how to do this. Consider when a team last played Fatigue is something which can play a major factor in World Cups, particularly as we near the closing stages of what is a gruelling tournament. That is only exacerbated in Qatar, where the weather is likely to be hot and the tournament has been compressed to take place in a shorter time period than usual. This means that it’s likely worth taking into consideration when a team last played; for example, have they enjoyed a decent rest since their last game? It is also worth considering the nature of that last game; was it a blowout in which they could rest some of their best players, or a tightly contested affair? Take into account past performance at the event Past performance isn’t always an indicator of what will happen in the future, but very often there are consistent trends across different World Cups. It’s worth taking into consideration whether a particular team has overperformed or underperformed at big events, as well as considering their individual players: do they tend to rise to big occasions, or falter under the brightest lights? Consider past matchups between sides As in all sports, international football is full of examples of teams which tend to have the wood over another for whatever reason. These trends can often run for years and exist even when national sides field completely different outfits, demonstrating just how important the mental side of the game really is. When placing a bet on an individual game, take a look at the recent history between the two sides playing to determine whether one team might have an undetected advantage. These are a few examples of things to consider when trying to strategize your betting. It’s worth remembering that the bookmakers will often factor these types of things into their odds, but if you do too, and ideally combine a few different factors like these together, it can certainly be beneficial.
The same can be said for every edition of the World Cup, but the 2022 edition of the tournament is an event not to be missed. It is the first ever to be played in the Arab world, just the second in Asia, and is being played during the Australian spring and summer for the first time. It’s also likely to be the last World Cup for a couple of the greatest players of all time in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will head into the tournament at 35 and 37 years of age respectively. Of course, another major reason this event is so highly anticipated is the multitude of teams with legitimate claims to taking it out. There are up to ten teams and potentially even more who could consider themselves a genuine chance to leave Qatar with the World Cup in their back pocket, meaning that predicting the outcome is a particularly difficult task heading into the tournament. Brazil and France must be considered genuine contenders, something which their favouritism in with World Cup betting sites backs up. Likewise Spain and Germany, both of whom have enjoyed success in past World Cups but who will be eager to compensate for their last showing, Spain having been knocked out by Russia in the Round of 16 in 2018 and Germany finishing last in their group. The team that we’re backing has as much to prove as anyone, but they have the talent to do exactly that. English fans have been frustrated time after time by their national side’s failure to win a major trophy for such an extended period, and their loss in the 2020 Euro Final was just another in a long line of disappointments. Theirs is a team littered with ability all over the park, however, and perhaps their foray deep into the aforementioned Euro events will provide them with the steely resolve required to end their trophy-winning drought.
The World Cup involves various stages before a champion is crowned, from the qualifiers through to the event proper, and of course the finals. This is what you can expect from each stage of the tournament. Qualifiers The qualifiers are a long and relatively complex process to decide which 32 teams will be lucky enough to make an appearance in Qatar 2022. Different tournaments are organised throughout FIFA’s six confederations, with the following predetermined numbers of positions allocated to each part of the world: UEFA (Europe): 13 CAF (Africa): 5 CONMEBOL (South America): 4 or 5 AFC (Asia and Australia): 4 or 5 CONCACAF (North and Central America, and the Caribbean): 3 or 4 OFC (0 or 1) Qatar, as the host country, also received automatic qualification, and at the time of writing, they are one of 29 teams to have already booked their spot at the World Cup. Many of the rest include staples of the World Cup such as Germany, France, England, Spain, Brazil and Argentina, while Canada is also in the event for the first time in 36 years. Of the three spots still left to be filled, one will go to Wales, Scotland or Ukraine, another to Peru, the United Arab Emirates or Australia, and the last to Costa Rica or New Zealand. When will the final World Cup schedule be finalised? The pandemic resulted in numerous delays to the qualification process, and it’s for that reason that it took substantially longer than initially intended to determine which teams will make it to Qatar. The process will, at long last, wrap up in the middle stages of 2022, but the vast majority of spots were decided a couple of months prior to that, with just three spots left to be decided in June. The final draw – which gives the World Cup betting schedule and places all 32 teams into one of the eight four-team groups – took place on the 1st of April, meaning teams who subsequently qualified after that date were placed into a pre-existing group. The World Cup schedule The FIFA World Cup proper kicks off with the Group Stage, which involves eight groups of four teams, with each of those four teams playing each other once. The top two teams in each group advance through to the knockout stage, where all eight group winners play a Round of 16 clash against the runner-up of a different group. As the name suggests, from this point onwards the winners advances and the losers are eliminated from the tournament through the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. World Cup Qualified teams As mentioned, most teams playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup had already qualified by the time the draw was completed on April the 1st, or if not soon after. Qatar, of course, was the first team to confirm their spot at the event as the host country, before strong teams from UEFA started to filter in, as did South American nations. This is the situation as it currently stands in each of the six FIFA confederations: AFC: Qatar, as part of the AFC, were the first AFC to qualify. In total, 45 other teams started in the AFC qualification, and Iran, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia. There is still the potential for one more team to qualify, with the winner of a clash between the United Arab Emirates and Australia in June set to play Peru a few days later for a spot at the World Cup. CAF: A total of 54 teams started in the CAF, and the five teams which qualified were Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia. CONCACAF: There were 34 teams who started in the CONCACAF, and the three which ended up qualifying were Canada, Mexico and United States. Costa Rica still has a chance to qualify; they will play off against New Zealand in June for one of the final spots at the World Cup. CONMEBOL: Ten teams started in the CONMEBOL, and four of those have earned qualification; Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador. Peru still has a chance to qualify too, which they will get in June when they come up against either Australia or the United Arab Emirates. OFC: Nine teams started in the OFC, with New Zealand successful in earning a place in the inter-confederation play-off. They didn’t gain automatic qualification for the World Cup as a result of their success in the OFC though, and will have to defeat Costa Rica in June to earn a spot. UEFA: 55 teams started in the UEFA qualifications, and so far the following teams have shored up their spot in the World Cup: Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal. There are three teams still left to fight it out for the final spot at the World Cup; Scotland and Ukraine will play in June, with the winner advancing to a play-off against Wales to determine who gets that coveted spot. Important dates and times There are a number of key dates and times relating to the 2022 World Cup which fans want to jot down in their calendars. Some of the dates to remember in the lead-up to the event include: 13-14th of June, 2022: AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and OFC qualification concludes June, 2022: UEFA qualification concludes 21st of November, 2022: FIFA World Cup Group Stage begins 3rd of December, 2022: Round of 16 begins 9th of December, 2022: Quarter-finals begin 13th of December, 2022: Semi-finals begin 18th of December, 2022: World Cup Final World Cup Times Throughout the Group Stage, matches begin at 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm local time, which equates to 9pm, 12am, 3am and 6am AEDT. Once the knockout stage begins, however, there are just two times at which games start; 6pm and 10pm Qatar time, which is 2am and 6am on the east coast of Australia. The draw As mentioned above, the draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place on the 1st of April, 2022. The draw was held in Qatar, and involved a process similar to that of the lottery. Teams were selected into one of the eight groups, which essentially determined who will plays who throughout the course of the event. Now that the draw is done and the World Cup schedule is complete, you can set your own World Cup 2022 betting schedule. Other league schedules Given the enormous number of different association football leagues which take place around the world, it’s no surprise that many of their respective seasons will be interrupted by the four-week long FIFA World Cup. A number of these are to notable leagues. The Premier League, for example, the pre-eminent league in the world, typically runs through November and December, so they will be disrupted. The 2022/23 season will start a week earlier and finish a week later than the year prior to accommodate the World Cup. It’s a similar story for the rest of the major leagues in Europe; leagues like La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 all follow a similar timeline to the Premier League. The Primera División in Argentina also runs from August to May, while the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in Brazil typically wraps up in early December, so the conclusion to that season has been pushed forward to mid-November to ensure it concludes in time for the World Cup. Closer to home, the A-League is another which would normally run at the same time as the World Cup. Australia’s national league usually begins in October and concludes in May, so with the World Cup beginning early in that time frame they may face some disruptions. Interesting facts about the 2022 World Cup This is the last time that the World Cup is being played with just 32 teams, and as of 2026 the tournament will be expanded to include 48 different nations. This the first time that the FIFA World Cup is being held in the Arab world and just the second time in the tournament’s storied history that it is being played anywhere in Asia. The 2022 World Cup is being held in November/December, which is the first time ever that it has not taken place throughout May, June or July. This change in timeframe has resulted in great disruption to most major domestic leagues around the world, but is a result of the heat in Qatar throughout the middle months of the year. The event is also being held over just 28 days, which is shorter than what the event typically runs for. For More interesting World Cup Facts click here
