World Cup groups 2022: Updated draw results, teams, pairings, match schedule and fixtures

Simon Borg

World Cup groups 2022: Updated draw results, teams, pairings, match schedule and fixtures image

The group stage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is set after the April 1 draw in Qatar. It's rich with storylines, starting with Spain meeting Germany, Robert Lewandowski vs. Lionel Messi in Group C, and the USA facing England in Group B.

The 32 finalists now know what their pathway is through the group stage. And with seven months left to project and predict, many will be looking ahead at the potential knockout round pairings. 

Only the top two teams in each group will advance to the Round of 16. Host nation Qatar will have its work cut out for it to be one of those two given the likes of Senegal and the Netherlands in Group A. Messi faces head-to-head battles against No. 9-ranked Mexico in addition to Ballon d'Or rival Lewandowski and Poland in Group C, and No. 1 Brazil faces stiff European competition in Group G. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, who like Messi has yet to win a World Cup, could be playing in his final tournament, but Portugal will have it all to do to survive Group H which features teams that are battle-tested on the international stage: Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea.

Three spots in the group stage are reserved for the winners of playoff matches scheduled for June. Group B, Group D and Group E are each waiting to learn the fourth team that will make up their respective foursome. There are eight nations still in the running for those final berths. 

The complete schedule through to the final — with matchups, kickoff times and stadiums — follows below. And here's a handy guide for kickoff times in timezones around the world.  

World Cup 2022 kickoff times

Stage(s) Local
(Qatar)
USA & Canada
(ET)
UK
(GMT)
Australia
(AEDT)
India
(IST)
Group stage only 1 p.m. 5 a.m. 10 a.m. 9 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
Group stage only 4 p.m. 8 a.m. 1 p.m. 12 a.m. 6:30 p.m.
Knockouts only 6 p.m. 10 a.m. 3 p.m. 2 a.m. 8:30 p.m.
Group stage only 7 p.m. 11 a.m. 4 p.m. 3 a.m. 9:30 p.m.
Group + Knockouts 10 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 6 a.m. 12:30 a.m.

WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

Complete World Cup 2022 match schedule

World Cup Group A table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
A1: Qatar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A2: Ecuador 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A3: Senegal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A4: Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group A match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 Senegal vs. Netherlands 5 a.m. Al Thumama Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 Qatar vs. Ecuador 11 a.m. Al Bayt Stadium
Fri, Nov. 25 Qatar vs. Senegal 8 a.m. Al Thumama Stadium
Fri, Nov. 25 Netherlands vs. Ecuador 11 a.m. Khalifa Int'l Stadium
Tues, Nov. 29 Netherlands vs. Qatar 10 a.m. Al Bayt Stadium
Tues, Nov. 29 Ecuador vs. Senegal 10 a.m. Khalifa Int'l Stadium

World Cup Group B table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
B1: England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B2: Iran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B3: USA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B4: WAL/UKR/SCO* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* = Winner of European playoff (Wales vs. Ukraine/Scotland)

Group B match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 England vs. Iran 8 a.m. Khalifa Int'l Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 USA vs. WAL/UKR/SCO 2 p.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Fri, Nov. 25 WAL/UKR/SCO vs. Iran 5 a.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Fri, Nov. 25 England vs. USA 2 p.m. Al Bayt Stadium
Tues, Nov. 29 WAL/UKR/SCO vs. England 2 p.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Tues, Nov. 29 Iran vs. USA 2 p.m. Al Thumama Stadium

World Cup Group C table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
C1: Argentina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C2: Saudi Arabia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C3: Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C4: Poland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group C match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Tues, Nov. 22 Argentina vs. S. Arabia 5 a.m. Lusail Stadium
Tues, Nov. 22 Mexico vs. Poland 11 a.m. Stadium 974
Sat, Nov. 26 Poland vs. S. Arabia 8 a.m. Education City Stadium
Sat, Nov. 26 Argentina vs. Mexico 2 p.m. Lusail Stadium
Wed, Nov. 30 Poland vs. Argentina 2 p.m. Stadium 974
Wed, Nov. 30 S. Arabia vs. Mexico 2 p.m. Lusail Stadium

World Cup Group D table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
D1: France 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D2: AUS/UAE/PER* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D3: Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D4: Tunisia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* = Winner of Intercontinental Playoff (Peru vs. Australia/United Arab Emirates)

Group D match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Tue, Nov. 22 Denmark vs. Tunisia 8 a.m. Education City Stadium
Tue, Nov. 22 France vs. AUS/UAE/PER 2 p.m. Al Janoub Stadium
Sat, Nov. 26 Tunisia vs. AUS/UAE/PER 5 a.m. Al Janoub Stadium
Sat, Nov. 26 France vs. Denmark 11 a.m. Stadium 974
Wed, Nov. 30 Tunisia vs. France 10 a.m. Education City Stadium
Wed, Nov. 30 AUS/UAE/PER vs. Denmark 10 a.m. Al Janoub Stadium

World Cup Group E table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
E1: Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E2: CRC/NZ* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E3: Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E4: Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* = Winner of Intercontinental Playoff (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand)

Group E match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Wed, Nov. 23 Germany vs. Japan 8 a.m. Khalifa Int'l
Wed, Nov. 23 Spain vs. CRC/NZ 11 a.m. Al Thumama Stadium
Sun, Nov. 27 Japan vs. CRC/NZ 5 a.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Sun, Nov. 27 Spain vs. Germany 2 p.m. Al Bayt Stadium
Thurs, Dec. 1 Japan vs. Spain 2 p.m. Khalifa Int'l Stadium
Thurs, Dec. 1 CRC/NZ vs. Germany 2 p.m. Al Bayt Stadium

World Cup Group F table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
F1: Belgium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F2: Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F3: Morocco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F4: Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group F match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Wed, Nov. 23 Morocco vs. Croatia 5 a.m. Al Bayt Stadium
Wed, Nov. 23 Belgium vs. Canada 2 p.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Sun, Nov. 27 Belgium vs. Morocco 8 a.m. Al Thumama Stadium
Sun, Nov. 27 Croatia vs. Canada 11 a.m. Khalifa Int'l Stadium
Thurs, Dec. 1 Croatia vs. Belgium 10 a.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Thurs, Dec. 1 Canada vs. Morocco 10 a.m. Al Thumama Stadium

World Cup Group G table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
G1: Brazil 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G2: Serbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G3: Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G4: Cameroon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group G match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Thurs, Nov. 24 Switzerland vs. Cameroon 5 a.m. Al Janoub Stadium
Thurs, Nov. 24 Brazil vs. Serbia 2 p.m. Lusail Stadium
Mon, Nov. 28 Cameroon vs. Serbia 5 a.m. Al Janoub Stadium
Mon, Nov. 28 Brazil vs. Switzerland 11 a.m. Stadium 974
Fri, Dec. 2 Cameroon vs. Brazil 2 p.m. Lusail Stadium
Fri, Dec. 2 Serbia vs. Switzerland 2 p.m. Stadium 974

World Cup Group H table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
H1: Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H2: Ghana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H3: Uruguay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H4: South Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group H match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Thurs, Nov. 24 Uruguay vs. South Korea 8 a.m. Education City Stadium
Thurs, Nov. 24 Portugal vs. Ghana 11 a.m. Stadium 974
Mon, Nov. 28 South Korea vs. Ghana 8 a.m. Education City Stadium
Mon, Nov. 28 Portugal vs. Uruguay 2 p.m. Lusail Stadium
Fri, Dec. 2 South Korea vs. Portugal 10 a.m. Education City Stadium
Fri, Dec. 2 Ghana vs. Uruguay 10 a.m. Al Janoub Stadium

World Cup Round of 16

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Sat, Dec. 3 1A vs. 2B 10 a.m. Khalifa Int'l
Sat, Dec. 3 1C vs. 2D 2 p.m. Ahmad Bin Ali
Sun, Dec. 4 1D vs. 2C 10 a.m. Al Thumama
Sun, Dec. 4 1B vs. 2A 2 p.m. Al Bayt
Mon, Dec. 5 1E vs. 2F 10 a.m. Al Janoub
Mon, Dec. 5 1G vs. 2H 2 p.m. Stadium 974
Tues, Dec. 6 1F vs. 2E 10 a.m. Education City
Tues, Dec. 6 1H vs. 2G 2 p.m. Lusail

World Cup Quarterfinals

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Fri, Dec. 9 QF1: 1E/2F vs. 1G/2H 10 a.m. Education City
Fri, Dec. 9 QF2: 1A/2B vs. 1C/2D 2 p.m. Lusail
Sat, Dec. 10 QF3: 1F/2E vs. 1H/2G 10 a.m. Al Thumama
Sat, Dec. 10 QF4: 1B/2A vs. 1D/2C 2 p.m. Al Bayt

World Cup Semifinals

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Tues, Dec. 13 QF2 vs. QF1 2 p.m. Lusail
Wed, Dec. 14 QF4 vs. QF3 2 p.m. Al Bayt

World Cup 3rd Place

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Sat, Dec. 17 Semifinal losers 10 a.m. Khalifa Int'l

World Cup Final

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Sun, Dec. 18 Semifinal winners 10 a.m. Lusail

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.