Qatar World Cup 2022 Final Draw: Group of Death, games to watch out and more
FollowGroup E has been pegged by experts as the 'Group of Death', which features two former world champions from Europe and arguably Asia's strongest contender.
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The Qatar World Cup 2022 draw took place in Doha on Friday, as the 32 teams competing for one coveted trophy were drawn in different groups starting from A to H. Of the 32 teams involved, only 29 have been confirmed, as two intercontinental play-off matches will take place in June, while in Europe, one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine will book their place at the tournament, too.
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During the group stage, four matches will be played each day, with kick-off times being 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, and 22:00 for the first two rounds, and 18:00 and 22:00 for the simultaneous kick-offs of the last round and for knockout stage matches. The third-place match will be played on December 17, 2022 at the Khalifa International Stadium, and the final will be played on December 18 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, both at 18:00.
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Hosts Qatar will face Ecudaor in their opening match on November 21, while reinging Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal will take on Netherlands in their opener on the same day.
Meanwhile, Senegal will face hosts Qatar on November 25.
It is worth noting that Senegal beat Egypt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 following a controversy-laden match that saw Liverpool star Mohamed Salah miss a penalty kick.
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Group A has been termed as the Group of International Relations, as it features England, Iran, USA and one of Wales, Scotland and war-torn Ukraine.
Pegged as one of the favourites, England will face Iran in their opening clash on November 21, while USA will face UEFA Path A winners on the same day.
Meanwhile, England will face USA on November 25.
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Legendary strikers Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski have been drawn in the same group, sparking excitement among fans of Argentina and Poland. The two teams will face each other on November 30.
Meanwhile, Argentina take on Saudi Arabia in their opening clash on November 22, while Poland face Mexico on the same day.
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Defending champions France will face either UAE, Australia or Peru in their opening clash on November 22.
Denmark, a team pegged by veteran striker David Beckham as the one to watch out for, take on Tunisia in their opening clash on the same day.
The clash to watch out for in this group will be between France, which is in top form and have the exciting Kylian Mbappe on their side, and Denmark, who have their favourite player Christian Eriksen back among goals, on November 26.
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Group E has been pegged by experts as the 'Group of Death', which features two former world champions from Europe and arguably Asia's strongest contender.
Spain were world champions in 2010 while Germany were last winners in 2014, having taken the title on four occasions. Both teams must be wary of Japan, who eased through their qualifying pool with a seven point gap over Australia, while Costa Rica and New Zealand - who must face in a play-off to decide who goes to Qatar - both have recent history of World Cup upsets.
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2010 World Champions, Spain, will face either Costa Rica or New Zealand in their opening clash on November 23, while Germany will take on Japan on the same day.
The clash to watch out for in this group will be when Spain take on Germany on November 27, as both teams suffered recent group stage exits, in 2014 and 2018 respectively.
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Belgium will face Canada in their opening clash on November 23, while Morocco will take on Croatia on the same day.
Runners up of the 2018 World Cup, Croatia will look to redeem themselves this year and their clash against the dark horses Belgium on December 1 will be a game to watch out for in this group.
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Five-time World Cup winners Brazil will hope to make a strong start in this year's showpiece event when they face Serbia in their opening clash on November 24. On the same day, Switzerland will face Cameroon in a close battle.
Experts suggest the draw for Brazil is an easy one and should not be tough for Thiago Silva and Co to make it through to the knockout stage.
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Portugal will look to make an impact when they take on Ghana in their opening clash on November 24. Cristiano Ronaldo, who will feature in his 5th World Cup, will hope to carry on their form from the qualifiers and register emphatic wins over Uruguay on November 28 and South Korea on December 2.
Not just Ronaldo, but all eyes will also be on the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernado Silva and Diogo Jota, who have had a prolific run with their respective Premier League clubs this season.
