Where is the 2022 FIFA World Cup? When is the World Cup? All the key dates and how Premier League is affected

A look at the plans for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, including how the Premier League and Championship are dealing with the scheduling issues.
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The FIFA World Cup is getting closer, though it’s not quite as close as it would usually be.

Football is accustomed to having the World Cup in the summer thanks to more than 90 years of tradition.

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But as FIFA looks to continue to broaden its horizons, particularly from a financial standpoint, the World Cup is headed to Qatar this year.

Due to Qatar’s climate, the World Cup cannot be held in the summer, and so here we run you through what you need to know about this year’s event.

Where is the 2022 World Cup?

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar.

It will be held across five cities, which include Doha, Lusail, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, and Al Wakrah.

It’s worth noting that Doha has two stadiums, while Al Rayyan has three and the final will be held in Lusail’s 80-seater stadium.

When is the World Cup?

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The 2022 World Cup will run from 21 November to 18 December.

The first game will involve host nation Qatar, with the Lusail final taking place a week before Christmas.

The last group stage game is on 6 December, with the quarter-finals running from 9 December to 11 December and the semi-finals across 13 and 14 December.

The third-place playoff will take place on 17 December, a day before the final.

World Cup impact on the Premier League and Championship

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Europe’s top leagues will have to take a break to accommodate this year’s World Cup.

In the Premier League’s case, the season will begin on 6 August ahead of taking a break for the World Cup on 13 November.

The season will then resume on Boxing Day, 26 December, just over a week after the conclusion of the World Cup. The season will finish at the slightly later date of 28 May.

It’s also worth noting that the Championship will take a break, but a shorter one, given fewer of the league’s players are likely to reach the latter stages of the competition.

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The Championship will temporarily halt on 12 November, ahead of resuming on 10 December after the World Cup group stage has been completed.

This, of course, means some Championship clubs are at risk of being without some key players, depending on who progresses in Qatar.

The Championship will also finish a little later than usual, with the final weekend on 27-29 May.

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