Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in 1904 to oversee international football globally. The first World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930, with a tournament held every 4 years.

Qatar 2022 will be the first time the World Cup is staged in the winter due to the Middle East’s blistering summer temperatures.

The FIFA World Cup is one of the world’s most widely watched sporting events. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, over 3.5 billion people tuned in to the action, that’s over half of the global population.

The tournament kicks off with the hosts Qatar playing Ecuador on November 20th. The final is 28 days and 63 matches later, on December 18th. 32 national teams from five confederations will enter the group stage on November 20th, with two teams from each group progressing to the knockouts. The last 16 will start on December 3rd, and the winning team of each game will progress to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and eventually the final.

The list of broadcasters stretches far and wide across the globe but let’s have a quick look at the main players.

​Viewers in Australia

SBS will be showing all 64 matches from Qatar on free-to-air television as well as the SBS On Demand Web Player. SBS On Demand is available as a mobile and tablet app to stream on the go.

The Socceroos will get their tournament underway against France in the early hours of Wednesday, November 23rd, coverage is due to start at 5 am (AEDT) with kick-off at 6 am (AEDT).

Viewers in the UK

The BBC and ITV will share the rights for Qatar 2022, both channels are free-to-air, and fans of England and Wales will be able to stream the matches live on BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.

Both England and Wales are in group B and start their tournament on the second matchday, Monday, November 21. England will get their tournament started against Iran at 1 pm GMT on BBC. Wales will play the USA at 7 pm GMT on ITV.

Viewers in the USA

The FIFA World Cup will be broadcast live on FOX Sports in English and on Telemundo in Spanish. Unfortunately, neither of these services is free to air.

For those football fans wanting to catch the action for free, Peacock will be streaming the first 12 group stage matches for free. The following 52 games will be available to those who subscribe to Peacock Premium.

The USA will be playing Wales in group B on Monday, November 21, at 2 pm EST live on FOX Sports.

There’s nothing more nostalgic than watching the World Cup with your favorite broadcaster. Here is a short list of available free streams.

With so many options, you’d think streaming the action live from Qatar would be a piece of cake, but not so fast.

Broadcasters are country specific. If you are a Brit living in Japan, you won’t be able to access the stream from the BBC or ITV. Or if you are an Ozzie living in Brazil – no dice getting the SBS stream.

This is how copyright works these days. FIFA sells the rights to each broadcaster provided they only air the tournament domestically.

Your foreign IP address signals to the broadcaster that you’re not a domestic viewer, and you can wave goodbye to watching that Peacock stream with your favorite commentators.

Unless you use a VPN.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a cybersecurity tool that lets you pretend you are in a different country by pinging you an IP address within it.

Let’s say you want to access the BBC and Gary Linekar’s coverage of England vs. Iran. All you have to do is select a VPN server based in the UK. Then you can browse the web using a UK IP address, opening up all the British coverage for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

  • Speed – There is nothing worse than a skipping stream, especially if your team gets a last-minute penalty. That rules out pretty much all free VPNs, as they can’t provide the speeds you need to stream in HD.
  • Secure – Your VPN shouldn’t leak your real IP, location, or identity. Make sure to pick a secure VPN that can offer a) military-grade encryption, b) zero logs privacy policy, and d) no data sharing with third parties.
  • User-friendly – Using a VPN should be as easy as ABC. Most VPNs on the market are plug-and-play. You shouldn’t need to be a tech wiz to set one up.
  • Effective – Many streaming sites are cottoning on to the use of VPNs. Look for a VPN that can offer multiple IP addresses across multiple countries. Being able to test a VPN before subscribing is always a good option.
  • Compatibility – Search for a VPN that can also be installed on all your devices, perfect if you want to watch two games at once.
  1. Choose a VPN provider that meets your needs (check out the suggestions above).
  2. Subscribe to the service and install its VPN on your devices.
  3. Log in and pick a server located in the country with the stream you want. For BBC or ITV, pick the UK, or for SBS, pick Australia.
  4. Launch the streaming app or open it in a clean browser with the cache deleted from your previous session.
  5. You should be able to stream the FIFA World Cup from the network of your choice.

ExpressVPN

Our top pick!
  • Always evades internet control in the PRC
  • Keeps ahead of the Netflix VPN detection algorithm
  • Benchmark tests show excellent speed

ExpressVPN is a fantastic option for streaming the World Cup. Servers in 94 countries mean whatever country you are supporting in Qatar, their coverage is within reach!

ExpressVPN ticks a lot of boxes; fast, easy to install, and compatible across multiple devices. ExpressVPN has a 24-hour support team, so any help needed setting up sports-specific streaming couldn’t be easier.

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and at the moment, if you subscribe to 12 months, they throw in an extra 3 months for free!

Surfshark

  • Smart DNS service, understands the technology
  • Comprehensive security add-on package.
  • No data throughput limits and has a no-logs policy

Surfshark is the (somewhat) new kid on the block. With over 3200 servers in 100 countries, the coverage of Qatar 2022 has never been so accessible. It offers a multi-hop feature that changes your IP twice before reaching your desired server, adding an extra layer of security. If you pay for two years upfront, Surfshark works out as, by far, the best value for money.

NordVPN

  • More US city locations than its rivals
  • Includes malware protection
  • No-logs policy

NordVPN is worth trying if you are a football fan looking to use a VPN on multiple devices simultaneously, perfect for when those final group stage games have the same kick-off time. NordVPN runs 5500+ servers across 59 countries.

Nord VPN offers three different tiers, the Plus tier provides a cross-platform password manager and a data breach scanner, and the Complete tier gives you 1TB of encrypted cloud storage as well. Each subscription gives you a 30-day money-back guarantee and 3 months free if you pay for a year or two in advance.

MatchDateTeamsLocationTime (Qatar)
1November 21Qatar vs EcuadorAl Bayt Stadium3.30 pm
3November 21Senegal vs NetherlandsKhalifa International Stadium9:30 pm
2November 21England vs IranAl Thumama Stadium6:30 pm
4November 22USA vs WalesAl Rayyan Stadium00:30 am
8November 23Argentina vs Saudi ArabiaLusail Stadium00:30 am
7November 22Mexico vs PolandRas Abu Aboud Stadium9:30 pm
6November 22France vs AustraliaEducation City Stadium6:30 pm
5November 22Denmark vs TunisiaAl Janoub Stadium3:30 pm
12November 23Spain vs Costa RicaAl Bayt Stadium3.30 pm
11November 23Germany vs JapanKhalifa International Stadium9:30 pm
10November 23Belgium vs CanadaAl Thumama Stadium6:30 pm
9November 24Morocco vs CroatiaAl Rayyan Stadium00:30 am
16November 25Brazil vs SerbiaLusail Stadium00:30 am
15November 24Switzerland vs CameroonRas Abu Aboud Stadium9:30 pm
14November 24Portugal vs GhanaEducation City Stadium6:30 pm
13November 24Uruguay vs South KoreaAl Janoub Stadium3.30 pm
20November 25England vs USAAl Bayt Stadium3.30 pm
19November 25Wales vs IranKhalifa International Stadium9:30 pm
18November 25Qatar vs SenegalAl Thumama Stadium6:30 pm
17November 26Netherlands vs EcuadorAl Rayyan Stadium00:30 am
24November 27France vs DenmarkLusail Stadium00:30 am
23November 26Tunisia vs AustraliaRas Abu Aboud Stadium9:30 pm
22November 26Argentina vs MexicoEducation City Stadium6:30 pm
21November 26Poland vs Saudi ArabiaAl Janoub Stadium3.30 pm
28November 27Belgium vs MoroccoAl Bayt Stadium3.30 pm
27November 27Croatia vs CanadaKhalifa International Stadium9:30 pm
26November 27Spain vs GermanyAl Thumama Stadium6:30 pm
25November 28Japan vs Costa RicaAl Rayyan Stadium00:30 am
32November 29Portugal vs UruguayLusail Stadium00:30 am
31November 28South Korea vs GhanaRas Abu Aboud Stadium9:30 pm
30November 28Brazil vs SwitzerlandEducation City Stadium6:30 pm
29November 28Cameroon vs SerbiaAl Janoub Stadium3.30 pm
36November 29Netherlands vs QatarAl Bayt Stadium3.30 pm
35November 29Ecuador vs SenegalKhalifa International Stadium9:30 pm
34November 29Wales vs EnglandAl Thumama Stadium6:30 pm
33November 30Iran vs USAAl Rayyan Stadium00:30 am
40December 1Poland vs ArgentinaLusail Stadium00:30 am
39November 30Saudi Arabia vs MexicoRas Abu Aboud Stadium9:30 pm
38November 30Tunisia vs FranceEducation City Stadium6:30 pm
37November 30Australia vs DenmarkAl Janoub Stadium3.30 pm
44December 1Japan vs SpainAl Bayt Stadium3.30 pm
43December 1Costa Rica vs GermanyKhalifa International Stadium9:30 pm
42December 1Croatia vs BelgiumAl Thumama Stadium6:30 pm
41December 2Canada vs MoroccoAl Rayyan Stadium00:30 am
48December 3Cameroon vs BrazilLusail Stadium00:30 am
47December 2Serbia vs SwitzerlandRas Abu Aboud Stadium9:30 pm
46December 2South Korea vs PortugalEducation City Stadium6:30 pm
45December 2Ghana vs UruguayAl Janoub Stadium3.30 pm

ROUND-OF 16

MatchDateMatch DetailsTimeVenue
49December 31A vs 2B8:30 pmKhalifa International Stadium
50December 41C vs 2D00:30 amAl Rayyan Stadium
51December 51B vs 2A00:30 amAl Bayt Stadium
52December 41D vs 2C8:30 pmAl Thumama Stadium
54December 61G vs 2H00:30 amRas Abu Aboud Stadium
53December 51E vs 2F8:30 pmAl Janoub Stadium
56December 71H vs 2G00:30 amLusail Stadium
55December 61F vs 2E8:30 pmEducation City Stadium
QUARTERFINALS
57December 10W49 vs W5000:30 amLusail Stadium
58December 9W53 vs W548:30 pmEducation City Stadium
59December 11W51 vs W5200:30 amAl Bayt Stadium
60December 10W55 vs W568:30 pmAl Thumama Stadium
SEMIFINALS
61December 14W57 vs W5800:30 amLusail Stadium
62December 15W59 vs W6000:30 amAl Bayt Stadium
THIRD-PLACE MATCH
63December 17L61 vs L628:30 pmKhalifa International Stadium
FINAL
64December 18W61 vs W628:30 pmLusail Stadium

Where will the FIFA World Cup 2022 start?

The World Cup is held in Qatar across 8 stadiums, with most stadiums in and around the Doha area.

When is the FIFA World Cup 2022?

The tournament’s first matchday is on November 20th, with Qatar vs. Ecuador playing in group A. The World Cup Final is 28 days later, on December 18th.

What is the format of the FIFA World Cup 2022?

There are 32 qualifying national teams across 8 groups. The top two teams of each group will progress into the knockout rounds starting the round of 16. In these games, the winner progresses to the next round, and the loser goes home.

Who is predicted to win World Cup 2022?

The bookmakers have Brazil down as the favorite for this year’s competition. Argentina, France, and Germany are historically strong nations that will be expected to go far.

Which country has won the FIFA World Cup the most?

Brazil is the most successful national team, with five titles. Germany and Italy won it, four teams each. France, Argentina, and Uruguay have all been crowned champions twice. Much fancied England and youthful Spain have won the competition once.

How many teams are there in the FIFA World Cup 2022?

There are 32 qualifying national teams from 5 confederations.

How many days does the FIFA World Cup 2022 last?

The FIFA World Cup will last 28 days.