The Qatar 2022 World Cup is the marquee competition on the football calendar. Due to it taking place every four years, the excitement that embodies it captures fans’ attention worldwide. However, this year, the World Cup is not taking place in the summer as it traditionally has. The reason for this is because of where the competition is being held. Due to the extreme heat and humidity in Qatar, matches are impossible to occur in the summer, with temperatures regularly hitting the mid-40-degree mark.
The World Cup is no stranger to being held in different places over the years. The World Cup in 2018 in Russia was a resounding success and one of the century’s most exciting World Cup competitions. France ended up as the overall winner with a 4-2 victory in the final against Croatia.
Depending on where you are in the world, you could watch World Cup games early in the morning or late at night. It will be interesting to see how the competition pans out given that it is in the middle of the club football season. Many of Europe’s biggest leagues, including the English Premier League, have had to condense their seasons to accommodate the tournament. Players will be prepping for the competition differently from fans, and it is not expected that we will see the same attendance that we witnessed for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea and the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.
Many players will be looking to acclimate to the atmosphere given the vastly different humidity expected in Qatar. Players from the English Premier League will be in for quite the shock as they go from cold and wet English conditions to the Middle East. It will be intriguing to see who can get used to this quickly as it will put them in a better position.
The current favorite to lift the Jules Rimet trophy is Brazil. They have won the competition more than any other country, a staggering five times, and it is considered the home of football. Some of the World Cup-winning teams they have produced over the years have been astonishing, and the team they are taking this year is packed with talent. After lifting the trophy in 2006, the Brazilians went into a drought and a transition period. Some of their greatest talents, such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos, retired. The young players who replaced them in the following World Cups didn’t have the same ability, experience or attitude.
Now, we move into the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and they have a stacked team; they have one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Ederson, who plays for Manchester City. They have some of the best attacking players in the world, such as Vinicius Jr, who scored the winning goal in last year’s Champions League final and Neymar, who is one of the most exciting and direct attacking talents playing in the European leagues today. It’s easy to see why they’re most bookmakers’ favorites for this year’s competition.
If you’re looking to get prepped for this year’s competition, watching the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League is a good place to start. Other top European leagues feature significant talent, but these are the two main competitions to watch out for.
There are issues that the English team needs to address before they start their campaign in Qatar. However, you will see some of the players who will make a huge impact in this year’s competition.
It will likely be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup, so he will want to try to go out on a high. He is one of the greatest players of all time and is considered his generation’s best. However, question marks still linger about his greatness compared to fellow legendary Argentine Diego Maradona, who single-handedly led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986.
Another way to prep yourself is to familiarize yourself with the teams in the competition. Look to see who has been drawn into each group and what players have been selected by each country. Once the competition begins, you’ll be well equipped to see who the favorites are and what players to look out for.
You may also want to take a look and see what games you’d like to see and note the date and time they’re on so you’re prepared to enjoy the high-quality games and make the most of this year’s World Cup.