What Is the World Cup Group Stage?

The group stages are the initial stages of the tournament and kick off on November 20th. Teams play 3 fixtures, and the top 2 in each group progress into the next round. This time around there is no “group of death”, but there will be some classic fixtures. One being the Group E match between Spain and Germany on November 27th at 20:00 CET. To access live streaming on our recommended sites, simply register, determine your World Cup draw predictions, and place a bet to view the matches.

World Cup 2022 Group Stage: Location and Format

Qatar will be hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, the first ever Middle Eastern nation to ever host the tournament. It’s also the first ever WC not played in the summertime and will be played in the winter instead, because of Qatar’s boiling hot weather.

There are 8 groups in the WC, with 4 teams in each one. The top 2 teams progress into the round of 16, with the bottom 2 being eliminated. The first game kicks off on November 20th, with the group stages drawing to a close on December 2nd. With 3 fixtures a day, it provides you plenty of World Cup group stage betting opportunities with attractive World Cup odds.

Who Are the World Cup Favorites 2022?

The World Cup favorites 2022 are rolling out, with Brazil as one of the top teams to watch. Ranked number 1 in the world and having some of the best players like Neymar and Ederson, Brazil has got in-depth quality in all its positions and great World Cup winner odds.

But other FIFA World Cup 2022 teams may have something to say. The current title holder is France, which is also looking strong and has recently welcomed star striker Benzema back onto the side. The 4-time champions, Germany, are always in with a chance too. After some major setbacks in previous years, the Germans look to be at the top of their game with Hans Flick at the helm.

What Date is the World Cup 2022?

All the action starts on November 20th, with the opening ceremony, after which the first match will be played at 17:00 CET when the hosts Qatar play Ecuador. To give you an insight, here at Arabian Betting, we have created a full World Cup schedule, so you can keep track of the action.

The knockout stages start on December 3rd with the round of 16. From there, the quarters and semis are played between December 9th – December 14th. It all leads up to the final, which is played on December 18th at the Lusail Iconic Stadium at 16:00 CET in front of 60,000 fans. So get your World Cup 2022 predictions ready to take advantage of seasonal promotions and place wagers at top bookies.

Group A – Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, the Netherlands

Qatar will be playing in their first ever World Cup Finals, and everyone is anticipating how they will perform. By far the lowest ever ranked team to appear at the tournament, the host nation will be raring to go. The easy favorites to win the group is the Netherlands. They have a strong team, especially in defense with Virgil Van Dijk, De Ligt, and Dumfries. After missing out on qualification for the 2018 World Cup, it’s fair to say the Netherlands have a point to prove, with their World Cup winner odds looking favorable.

Ecuador and Senegal will be battling it out for second place, so the fixture between the two will be crucial. Senegal is still riding high after defeating Egypt in the AFCON, and with star players Mane, Koulibaly and Mendy, the West African nation have the chance to progress far in the tournament. In the case of Ecuador, they surprised everyone by finishing 4th spot in the CONMEBOL qualification stage, eclipsing some big teams like Colombia and Chile. They’re a well-organized team that could beat anyone on their day. Nevertheless, do not count on their World Cup odds to take home the cup.

Group B – England, Iran, USA, Wales

England will be looking to move forward from their EURO 2020 final defeat, to go all the way this time. With excellent creative and attacking abilities, and a wealth of talent to choose from, the manager Southgate, has a difficult job to choose his best eleven. Our experts nonetheless still rate England as one of the 2022 World Cup favorites. Anything less than semifinals would be a disappointment.

There will be two tasty fixtures in Group B. Firstly England VS Wales, a big rivalry which will see two nations of the UK go head-to-head. Secondly, USA VS Iran could get heated, especially with the history between the two countries. We expect England to comfortably finish top, but second place is up for grabs. And if Bale can bring his form to the table, Wales stand a great chance of progressing through.

World Cup group stage betting can provide massive opportunities, and if the USA or Iran qualify into the next round, then you stand to make a decent profit.

Group C – Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

Most likely legend Lionel Messi’s final World Cup 2022 group stage, he will want to win the most coveted prize of them all, the World Cup. Argentina’s World Cup odds to win are worth a punt, especially with the talent besides Messi. Dybala, Di Maria and Martinez form a formidable front line, which is a menace to any defense. However, in our World Cup predictions 2022, we would be surprised if Argentina won the trophy.

Saudi Arabia have now qualified for consecutive tournaments, performing well in the qualification stage, and will wish to do much better than in 2018. Poland has star man Lewandowski, so the team will always have a goal in them, and Mexico are often a surprise team in the World Cup. All three will be vying to qualify, so Group C should be very competitive. Our 2022 World Cup predictions for Group C see Argentina and Poland progressing into the next round.

Group D – France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

The current title holders are France; they’re one of the World Cup favorites 2022 and with an in-form Benzema and Mbappe, they have the chance to go all the way. The North African team, Tunisia, is a well-organized team, but Denmark might just pip them to that 2nd spot. The Danish have many top players, ranging from Schmeichel to Eriksen, and performed honorably at EURO 2020. The Danes could be an outside chance so it’s worth looking at their World Cup winner odds.

The Aussies are at their 5th consecutive World Cup but have struggled to progress past the group stage. Perhaps this time will be different, as many of their players are in Europe, and used to playing at such high intensity. Our experts’ World Cup predictions 2022 are that France and Denmark will progress.

Group E – Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

The World Cup odds 2022 to win the trophy for Spain are good, as the team is packed with young talent. Barcelona leads the way with Gavi, Pedri and Fati all in the Spanish squad and being under 21 years old. A crunch match between Spain and Germany is a fixture suitable for a semi (or even a final), so keep an eye out.

Never write off the Germans, and with Hans Flick as manager, the architect of Bayern Munichs 2020 at the helm, the team looks in great shape. Japan and Costa Rica could provide surprises, but it would be a major upset if Spain and Germany do not progress through Group E. Both teams also have attractive World Cup winner odds and are more than capable of going all the way.

Group F – Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

As part of the 2022 World Cup predictions for group F, our experts expect Belgium to comfortably win the group. With the best goalkeeper in the world in Courtois and the best playmaker in De Bruyne, the Red Devils are one of the 2022 World Cup favorites.

Canada is a surprise package at this year’s tournament, being the team’s first qualification since 1986. And with their star player, Alphonso Davis, Canada will give the other teams a run for their money. The North African team, Morocco, have Ziyech, so they cannot be written off and Croatia is still very strong with Modric and Kovacic in the middle of the park. The 2018 runner up odds to win are very tasty, but we do not believe they can go one step further this time.

Group G – Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

The top seed in the group, Brazil, is among the World Cup favorites 2022. Nonetheless, the Samba nation has been in this position before. Most recently, in 2014, things ended with the infamous 7-1 annihilation by the eventual winners – Germany. This time, it might be different though; in addition to their star man, Neymar, Brazil have Real Madrid wonderkid Vinicius JR, as well as 2 of the best goalkeepers in the world. Our expert World Cup predictions 2022 forecasts that they should comfortably win the group.

Second place is up for grabs though, with all teams fancying their chances. Serbia qualified strongly for the World Cup, and Switzerland are a decent tournament team, having knocked out France in Euro 2020. When it comes to Cameroon, the most rational World Cup predictions will be that they finish bottom of the group. But with legendary Rigobert Song as Head Coach, and Bayern Munich striker Choupo Moting, they might just produce some upsets.

Group H – Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Portugal has excellent World Cup odds to win the tournament, and with Ronaldo in the team, anything is possible. Plus, Joao Felix, Jota and Benrando Silva, provide the Portuguese with a lethal front line. Group H is a competitive group, with all 4 teams vying to qualify for the knockout stages. Our experts predict that Uruguay will join Portugal in the knockout stages, especially if star striker Darwin Nunez is on form.

Ghana and South Korea do stand a chance however, and you will get good World Cup odds 2022 for them to progress. South Korea has Premier League top scorer Son, so anything is possible. Ghana also has many good players, in particular Thomas Partey and the Ayew brothers.