Netherlands and Senegal made it through from Group A after securing their places on the final matchdays.
The Netherlands topped the group after going unbeaten, winning against Senegal before a 1-1 draw with Ecuador and a comfortable 2-0 win over the hosts, Qatar.
Senegal followed them through in second place, having done just enough to edge out Ecuador with a 70-th minute winner in their meeting with La Tri.
Netherlands now face USA on December 3, while Senegal will meet England just over 24 hours later.
WORLD CUP GROUP BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
World Cup Group A fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match |
| Sun, Nov. 20 | Qatar 0 Ecuador 2 |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | Senegal 0 Netherlands 2 |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Qatar 1 Senegal 3 |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Netherlands 1 Ecuador 1 |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Netherlands 2 Qatar 0 |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Ecuador 1 Senegal 2 |
The four teams selected are playing a round-robin format with each nation facing the other three. Group standings are based on points from those three group-stage matches — three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss.
The top two teams from each group based on total points advance to the single-game knockouts. If teams are tied on points, goal difference is the first tiebreaker followed by goals scored. If teams are also tied in those categories another set of tiebreakers is applied.
World Cup Group A teams
Qatar
As the 2022 World Cup host, Qatar is determined to put on a show for football fans around the globe, and that includes on the field.
The small Gulf nation with a population under three million has invested significantly in its national team program over the last decade since it won the right to host the tournament back in Dec. 2010. Since then, the cash outlay on player development, coaching and infrastructure has paid off with a top-50 FIFA World Ranking, up from 112th. It also resulted in a first Asian Cup triumph in 2019.
With ex-Barcelona youth coach Felix Sanchez leading the way since 2017, Qatar has developed an attack-minded, entertaining playing style which is sure to win over fans no matter how far they advance on their first World Cup appearance.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 50 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 5th (Asia)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): —
- How qualified: Tournament host
- Coach: Felix Sanchez (Spain) since July 2017
- Key players: Akram Afif (Al-Sadd / Qatar), Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail / Qatar), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd / Qatar)
Netherlands
Louis van Gaal — in his third spell in the Netherlands hot seat — will be hoping to use all of his experience to guide the Dutch to the latter stages of the World Cup in a first appearance at the finals in eight years.
Third-place finishers back in 2014, they did not make it to Russia last time out but their fortunes have improved since then, led by a new generation of talent that includes the likes of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Bayern's Matthijs de Ligt.
Led from the back by Liverpool powerhouse Virgil van Dijk — who will be looking to cement his place as the best defender in the world — the Dutch won a qualification group that also included Turkey and Norway.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 8 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 6th (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 10 (Brazil 2014)
- How qualified: UEFA Group G winners: 7W-1L-2D
- Coach: Louis van Gaal (Netherlands) since August 2021
- Key players: Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich / Germany), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool / England), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona / Spain)
Senegal
Senegal did things the hard way to book their place at Qatar 2022 via a penalty shootout, but will look to continue a recent excellent vein of form that has already seen the country crowned as the kings of Africa.
Having beaten Egypt once to claim a first AFCON title in February, Aliou Cisse’s side repeated that feat in the final round of African World Cup qualifying to ensure a spot in Qatar — albeit that match was controversial, as fans in the stadium aimed laser pointers at Egypt’s players during the penalty shootout to put them off.
Senegal have already been dealt a huge blow with Sadio Mane ruled out through injury but they also have some other world-class players to call on, including Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Senegal, interestingly, has the highest World Cup win percentage of any African nation in the field.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 18 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 1st (CAF)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 2 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified: Africa 3rd Round winners (penalty shootout vs. Egypt after 1-1 aggregate)
- Coach: Aliou Cisse (Senegal) since March 2015
- Key players: Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea / England), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea / England)
Ecuador
Ecuador went out in the quarterfinals of their last major tournament, the Copa America, as they were beaten 3-0 by eventual winners Argentina, and Gustavo Alfaro’s team will have to be much more resilient if they are to avoid an early exit from the World Cup.
Experienced forward Enner Valencia, who is his country’s all-time leading scorer, will have a significant part to play as Ecuador return to the world's biggest stage after missing out on the 2018 tournament.
Brighton defender Pervis Estupinan is another talented player, but the squad overall isn’t the strongest and may struggle to match some of their more illustrious group rivals.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 44 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 7th (CONMEBOL)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 3 (Brazil 2014)
- How qualified: CONMEBOL fourth place: 7W-6L-5D
- Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentina) since August 2020
- Key players: Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce / Turkey), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton / England), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg / Germany)
World Cup Group A odds and predictions
Here are the odds for each team to win and qualify from the group with odds provided by Sports Interaction (correct as of Nov. 2022).
Minus odds is what must be wagered to win $100 on that specific bet, while plus odds represent the winnings from a successful $100 wager.
The first-place and second-place finishers in Group A will move on to the Round of 16 and will face off against the two teams to advance from Group B on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4.
| Team | Group Winner | To Qualify |
| Netherlands | -238 | -769 |
| Senegal | +460 | -109 |
| Ecuador | +479 | -122 |
| Qatar | +1500 | +277 |
MORE WORLD CUP 2022:
Full Qatar 2022 schedule | Latest news
The official FIFA 2022 World Cup match schedule outlines the following knockout pairings for the Round of 16 through to the final:
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 |
