Take a look below for the updated standings from each of the eight groups at the 2022 World Cup.
2022 World Cup Groups
No sporting event in the world draws more eyes than the FIFA World Cup. Viewed as the pinnacle of soccer, the World Cup takes place every four years and features the top 32 international teams that have made their way through the qualifying process.
Take a look below to see each of the eight groups that have been drawn for the tournament and the updated standings. You can also find the World Cup fixtures and World Cup top scorers here.
World Cup 2022 Groups
World Cup 2022 Format
The 2022 World Cup will be the final time that 32 teams enter at this stage. From 2026, the World Cup will feature 48 teams following an expansion to the tournament from FIFA to include 16 additional nations annually. As things heading into Qatar, there are eight groups made up of four teams. Prior to the draw, each team is placed into a pot based on their FIFA World Ranking, with the top seven qualified teams joining the host nation in Pot 1. If the host nation is already ranked as one of the top eight teams, there is an extra place available in Pot 1 for the next best ranked team. One team is picked from Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4 to make up each group. Two teams from the same confederation can’t meet during the group stage aside from teams in Europe, where a maximum of two teams can be drawn in the same group.
Once the groups have been decided the action can commence. Each teams faces each other once, playing a total of three games during the group stage. The two teams from each group that accumulate the greatest total of points from those three fixtures will progress to the knockout stage of the World Cup. Points are awarded for the following results; three for a win, one for a draw and zero for a defeat.
In the case of two teams being level on the same points the qualifying position will be given to the team with the greater goal difference. If the goal difference record of both teams is equal then it will go down to goals scored, then head-to-head results. Drawing lots has been used in the tournament’s history to decide which team makes it through to the knockout round of the tournament.
The World Cup knockout stage features 16 teams comprised of the top two qualifiers from each group. Each team’s potential path to the final has already been pre-determined through the bracket which can lead to jockeying for position in some cases to ensure an ‘easier’ path through the knockout rounds. As is the case with knockout soccer, the loser of each game is eliminated from the competition and the winner progresses into the next round. Games will be played over 90 minutes but extra time and penalties will come into play if the match finishes as a draw. This format continues all the way to and including the World Cup Final. The two losers of the semi-finals will play out the Third Place Play-Off the day before the Final. Winners of the semi-finals will face each other for the right to be World Champions for the next four years.
