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The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off Sunday, November 20. Here's a basic guide to all you need to know about how the tournament works.
How many teams are in the World Cup? How do they qualify?
FIFA is comprised of 211 affiliated associations. Over the past three years, they've been pitted against one another in qualifying matches to determine the 32-team field of the 2022 World Cup.
Why is the World Cup in November?
This is the first time that the FIFA World Cup won't be held in the months of May, June or July. Qatar earned the bid to host the event, but extreme heat during the summer presented safety concerns for the players. To help minimize risk of heat stroke, they decided to hold the tournament during the winter.
How does the group stage at the World Cup work?
The 32 participants are split up into eight separate groups.
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Korea Republic, Uruguay
Each team will play the other teams in their group and be awarded 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie. The two teams with the highest point total in each group advance to the knockout stage.
How does the knockout stage of the World Cup work?
The 16 teams that advance will face one another in a single elimination bracket. Unlike the group stage, there are no ties. Matches that are tied after 90 minutes will go to extra time (two 15-minute periods). If the score remains tied, the match is decided by penalty kicks, which are generally nauseating.
What does the winner of the World Cup get?
FIFA has allocated $440 million in prize money for the 2022 World Cup. Here's a look at the breakdown:
Winner: $42 million
Runner up: $30 million
3rd place: $27 million
4th place: $25 million
5th — 8th place: $17 million
9th — 16th place: $13 million
17th-32nd place: $9 million
Basically, the further a team advances in the tournament, the more winnings they'll receive. Players receive a portion of their team's winnings, too, at the team's discretion.
Where can you bet on the World Cup?
Place your bets on the 2022 FIFA World Cup over on FanDuel Sportsbook! You can read more about how to bet and what you can bet on ahead of soccer's most anticipated tournament. Or get straight to the good stuff and check out Tony Cavallo's top three bets to make on the World Cup here.
