A Beginner's Guide to the 2022 World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has already started, so you’re already kinda behind if you’re just hearing about it now. However, there’s no need to worry, as this guide should give you the basics on what you need to know for the World Cup, whether you’re looking to impress your friends with football knowledge or simply looking to be caught up on the tournament. Here’s a mix of interesting tidbits for friendly conversation along with some advice on how to follow the World Cup.

“I thought the World Cup was in the summer?!”

The World Cup has notably started in mid-November and will end around the time of the winter solstice. This is because the tournament is being played in Qatar, where temperatures can soar to around 50 degrees Celsius in the summertime. In the winter, the temperatures hang around 25 degrees Celsius. This has led to an unfortunate conflict for some people who are usually able to watch the tournament from the comfort of their own homes during the summertime. Now, World Cup fans have to hide their screens from their teachers and bosses as they watch the matches during the day.

A look into the workplace during World Cup season.

“Why Qatar?”

I wonder the same thing as a fan of the game. Qatar was chosen over a bid from France all the way back in 2010 by president Gianni Infantino. At the time, Qatar was massively underdeveloped, lacking in infrastructure to even host the tournament at all. However, Qatar’s bid came with a multi-billion dollar promise to completely revamp the country with stadiums, roads, and hotel rooms. Why Infantino chose to accept Qatar’s bid over the more well-equipped France still remains unanswered to this day, and it has led to accusations of corruption within FIFA.

In the months leading up to the tournament, there have been concerns about the safety of traveling LGBT+ fans given homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. English football LGBT+ support group, “Three Lions Pride”, have expressed reservations about attending the tournament in concerns of their safety. Qatar also poses discriminatory policies against women, a reflection of their backwardness on women’s rights.

In response to these concerns, the Qatari people have gone two ways, both of which seem to contradict each other. You have one side of the Qatari crowd preaching the statement “everyone is welcome” at the matches, while the other side asks the Western world to respect their beliefs and ideals. When Qatari beliefs and ideals fully clash with the statement “everyone is welcome”, it’s impossible to get behind the message.

Qatar’s World Cup opening ceremony before the inaugural match, a 2-0 loss to Ecuador.

Amidst accusations of corruption in FIFA, former president Sepp Blatter has money thrown at him during a press conference, leading to this hilarious image.

“IT’S COMING HOME!!”

England is football’s home, where the game was created in the 19th century. The fans have adopted the phrase “it’s coming home” to let the world know that the coveted World Cup trophy is finally coming back home to England. English fans have been waiting for the World Cup to come back home since 1966, and they believe they have a real chance this time around. Having lost in the semi-final in Russia’s 2018 World Cup, the team has improved and grown since then, leaving England fans to believe that it’s actually coming home this time. If you ever end up in a conversation with a UCL student or a random Brit on the street, all you have to do is say those three famous words to put a smile on their face.

Is this the year it comes home? England fans like their chances.

English football fans meet in pubs to watch the matches together and celebrate by throwing their beer around. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but they seem to be having quite a time.

The USMNT

The US men’s national team are playing in the World Cup for the first time in 8 years, after facing heartbreak in the qualifiers for Russia’s 2018 tournament. They stand as the second youngest team in the tournament with a median age of 24. I see the next World Cup in 2026 as a better opportunity for the States to make some noise, as the team is young, inexperienced, and very new to the USMNT system. Not to mention, the next World Cup is hosted by the US for the first time since 1994, which is very exciting to say the least. Look at this year’s World Cup as valuable experience for a younger USMNT which looks to carry that experience onto the big one in 2026. With all that being said, we’re still winning the trophy this year. Because we’re the best.

USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter on the phone with President Biden ahead of the World Cup. The President wished the team good luck and told them to shock the world.

The Revolutionary War Game

England play the US on Friday, November 25 at 2 PM local time, and if you’re not traveling for Thanksgiving break, you’re going to want to watch this one. Being able to represent your country while abroad is a feeling like no other. And with a sporting event such as this match, you can do so shamelessly in areas where people are predominantly British. I hope to see the streets of London filled with American flags on that Friday as we go back to war with the country that taxed our tea and used our land. England are the heavy favorites, but the US team is not half bad. England may dominate possession, but look for USMNT attackers Timothy Weah and Christian Pulisic to seize every attacking opportunity they get.

Kickoff at the World Cup between team USA and England, Qatar, 2022 (colorized).

Storylines To Look Out For

This is Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup. Two of the greatest footballers to ever grace the pitch have yet to win the ultimate trophy, and both are in great positions to do so this year. Messi’s Argentina are the betting favorites to win the trophy, while Ronaldo’s Portugal are not far behind.
The Brazil national team look in prime position to add to their five World Cup trophies, with starlet attacker Vinicius Jr. joining Neymar Jr. up front to create a deadly attacking force that’s bound to score plenty of goals.
France won the World Cup in 2018, but injuries to several key players have left the team somewhat undermanned for the 2022 World Cup. Their title defense will prove difficult and will lay on the shoulders of 23-year-old superstar Kylian Mbappé. Is Mbappé great enough to do it all by himself, or will a better-formed team prevail?
We will have to see how much Qatar conform to Western values in their approach to hosting the World Cup. Will they allow beer in the stadiums? How receptive will they be to openly LBGTQ+ fans? Is everyone truly welcome?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo posing for a Louis Vuitton ad that released a day before the World Cup.

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The World Cup is always a festive time, and we shouldn't let the unusual circumstances surrounding the tournament get in the way of what makes it great. The World Cup is a time when people from different countries get together to celebrate excellence and teamwork. Sport is a form of expression where there will always be a human element at its core. The human touch of the sport combined with the opportunity to represent your country makes the World Cup a unique ground for celebrations of “The Beautiful Game”. Hopefully, after this article, you have a better idea of what’s going on with the tournament and you can start taking in the joy of the greatest sporting tournament in the world.

The 2014 World Cup’s official song by Pitbull, featuring JLo and Claudia Leitte. The song captures the spirit of the World Cup and was the song of my first World Cup, so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart.

Shreyas Inamdar

Shreyas is a junior at Stern studying Management and Marketing with a minor in Philosophy. He loves going to sporting events, people watching, and questioning the world.

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