World Cup 2022: schedule, teams, venues and final

Here's what you need to know about the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is being held in Qatar:

WHEN DID WORLD CUP 2022 START?

* This year's World Cup began on Nov. 20 and will run through to Dec. 18.

* The tournament began with a Group A match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Nov. 20, which Ecuador won 2-0.

* The World Cup started a day earlier than originally scheduled to ensure hosts Qatar played the opening match.

WHICH TEAMS ARE TAKING PART?

The World Cup features 32 teams and began with a group stage, with teams divided into eight groups of four.

* Group A: Qatar (hosts), Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

* Group B: England, Iran, United States, Wales

* Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

* Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

* Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

* Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

* Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

* Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

WHAT ARE THE VENUES?

* Games are being staged at eight stadiums - Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Iconic Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium.

* With 80,000 seats, Lusail Iconic Stadium is the largest of Qatar's eight World Cup stadiums.

* All the stadiums are located within 40 kilometres of central Doha.

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE?

* There is a round-robin format in the group stage when each of the 32 teams play three matches each. Teams get three points for a win and one for a draw. The final group stage match will be played on Dec. 2.

* The top two in each group advance to the last 16. The knockout rounds will begin on Dec. 3 and will feature one-off matches, which can go to extra time and then penalties to decide the