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2022 FIFA World Cup: The Fan Guide & Malaysian Schedules Timing

Get ready because the long-awaited 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup is coming! Football fans can now finally flock to the venues and stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The first match will start on 20 November, and the final on 18 December. Don't worry if you want to bet on the 2022 FIFA World Cup but aren't familiar with this year's odds, be sure to read the rest of the guide ! There's still time to learn the facts and tips for 2022 FIFA World Cup Betting Malaysia. Here at Ec2Bet , we have provided the ultimate fan guide to the 2022 FIFA World Cup so you can save time, win money and bet easily with us.

Read the Ultimate 2022 FIFA World Cup Malaysian Betting guide. Get to know the history, legacy, this year's participants, predictions, and more. You'll be a football genius in no time!

FIFA World Cup: The Qualification

The FIFA World Cup is regarded as the world's most prestigious international football competition. 32 men's national teams will compete in this competition that takes place every four years. The 31 out of the 32 teams are selected based on the FIFA World Cup qualification process, which can last for about two years and can start three years before the final tournament. The regional confederations are responsible for organising the matches in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The confederations are the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) , Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) , Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). There is no standard qualification format across the six confederations, as they are usually different. However, it is common that one or two spots for the FIFA World Cup final tournament will be given to the winners of the international playoffs. The host nation is guaranteed a spot. The host nation for this year is Qatar. Hence the Qatar national football team automatically qualifies for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Fun fact #1: This is Qatar's first appearance in the World Cup finals.

Fun fact #2: This year's mascot will be La'eeb, a super-skilled player. La'eeb resembles a gutra, a cloth headdress commonly worn in Qatar.

FIFA 2022 Mascot La'eeb
Artist : Mahtab Mehedi Image via Wikipedia

Fun fact #3: The FIFA World Cup final tournament is usually held mid-year. This year it is held at the end-year due to the intense summer heat in Qatar during May, June, and July.

FIFA World Cup: The Past Winners

The winners of the past FIFA World Cup are as follows:

Country Year No. of Titles
Brazil 1958 1962
1970 1994
2002
5
Germany 1954 1974
1990 2014
4
Italy 1934 1938
1982 2006
4
Argentina 1978
1986
2
France 1998
2018
2
Uruguay 1930
1950
2
England 1966 1
Spain 2010 1

Fun fact #4: Only nations from Europe and South America have won the FIFA World Cup. There are no other winners from other continents.

Fun fact #5: Uruguay, Italy, England, Germany, Argentina, and France have won the FIFA World Cup title as host nations.

2022 FIFA World Cup: The Participants

This year we see 32 teams split into eight groups to battle it out in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The groups are as follows:

Group Teams
A Ecuador, Netherlands, Qatar, Senegal
B England, Iran, United States, Wales
C Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia
D Australia, Denmark, France, Tunisia
E Costa Rica, Germany, Japan, Spain
F Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Morocco
G Brazil, Cameroon, Serbia, Switzerland
H Ghana, Portugal, South Korea, Uruguay

Teams listed by region and confederations are as follow:

Nation Region Confederations
Qatar ( Host ) Asia AFC
Argentina S. America CONMEBOL
Australia Asia AFC
Belgium Europe UEFA
Brazil S. America CONMEBOL
Cameroon Africa CAF
Canada N. America CONCAF
Costa Rica N. America CONCAF
Croatia Europe UEFA
Denmark Europe UEFA
Ecuador S. America CONMEBOL
England Europe UEFA
France Europe UEFA
Germany Europe UEFA
Ghana Africa CAF
Iran Asia AFC
Japan Asia AFC
Mexico N. America CONCAF
Morocco Africa CAF
Netherlands Europe UEFA
Poland Europe UEFA
Portugal Europe UEFA
Saudi Arabia Asia AFC
Senegal Africa CAF
Serbia Europe UEFA
South Korea Asia AFC
Spain Europe UEFA
Switzerland Europe UEFA
Tunisia Africa CAF
United States N. America CONCAF
Uruguay S. America CONMEBOL
Wales Europe UEFA
*None Qualified from Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)

Fun fact #6: We will see 48 teams compete for the future editions of the FIFA World Cup, starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is to replace the current 32-teams format.

Group Stages

The 32 teams, split into eight groups, will play in the round-robin event. Each team will play against the other groups of the same team. In short, each team will play three games. This means that in each group, six games are played.

Fun fact #7: In the final games of the group stages, the games will be played together to ensure fair play for all teams.

Teams will be awarded points in the games of the group stages. The winner of each game will receive 3 points, while the loser will receive none. A draw will see both teams with a point each. No extra time will be awarded if the game ends level after normal play time. At the end of the group stages, the top two teams of each group will advance to the knockout stages.

Knockout Stages

In the knockout stages, the loser of each game will be immediately eliminated from the competition. Group A to H winners will play against the runner-ups of other groups in the Round of 16. This means that the winner of Group A will play with the runner-up of Group B and so on. The winners will progress to the next rounds, which are the quarter-finals, third-place game, and semi-finals until the final game to determine the FIFA World Cup champion.

There are different rules in the knockout stages. In the group stages, we see that a game can end level, and both the playing teams will receive a point each. In single-elimination matches, there needs to be a winner. Thus, two periods of extra time are given if the game ends level after normal playing time. Each period of extra time is 15 minutes long. If the game is still level after 30 minutes of extra time, a penalty shootout is given to determine the winner of the game.

2022 FIFA World Cup: The Predictions

Who will emerge as the champion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup? 32 teams compete in this world-class tournament, but not all will receive the same enthusiasm from football pundits and fans. We've ranked our top five favourites to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Start placing your bets on Sports Betting Malaysia with Ec2Bet right now!

1. Brazil

It's no surprise that Brazil is at the top of our list. They are no stranger to success, having won the competition 6 times in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002, and are first in FIFA men's world ranking. With quality players like Neymar Jr., Philipe Coutinho, Thiago Silva, and many more at their disposal, we will see Brazil sending terror and shock to the competition. This is also the last time Tite will be in charge. Thus, the players are determined to give him the best farewell gift a manager could ask for by breaking more world records. Brazil faces Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon in Group G.

Fun fact #8: Brazil is the only team to qualify in every FIFA World Cup final tournament.

2. France

We can't deny that France is on most lists. The defending champion is ready for another fight at this year's FIFA World Cup. But firstly, they have to break the myth of what is known as the 'holder's curse.' It is said that defending winners of the tournament will be eliminated from the tournament before reaching the knockout stages. This was true for France when they failed to secure a place in the knockout stages after winning their first FIFA World Cup title in 1998. We hope the team will prove everyone wrong about the myth and show us a good run this year. We aren't that worried as France has extraordinary players like Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, and N'golo Kante, who can prove to be catalysts to incredible results. France will take on Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia in Group D.

3. England

Frustrated by their 'nearly moments,' the Three Lions are determined to make their nation and fans proud. It has been 56 years since England won their first FIFA World Cup title. Southgate's English team seems to have the experience and flair to produce some entertaining games. Let's see if the English players like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham will take the role of catalyst to bring the FIFA World Cup back to English soil. England is in Group B alongside Iran, United States, and Wales.

4. Spain

Spain's style of play, the tiki-taka, shocked the world during their golden era. We've seen them at the top in the 2008 Euro, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and 2012 Euro tournaments by emerging as champions. Although they have slipped after that, 10 years later, their current generation of players are silver-ware hungry and are determined to show everyone their improved tiki-taka, which is more intense and defensive. Enrique's Spanish team has shown some solid improvement as they finished second at this year's Nation League, losing to France. They will face well-known contenders Germany, Costa Rica, and Japan in Group E. We're excited to see if Spain can remind us why they were once the best in the world.

5 Argentina

As this is potentially Messi's last FIFA World Cup appearance, we will see the captain be more determined than ever to relive their glory in the 1986 World Cup, following the footsteps of the legendary Diego Maradona. The team is enjoying their long unbeaten run of 35 games, just 2 games short of surpassing Italy's record. With confidence flying high from winning the 2021 Copa America and this year's Finalissima, plus a fit team with expertise and experience from players like Nicolas Otamendi and Angel di Maria, Argentina is hopeful of causing upsets for their opponents. Let's see how they play against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland in Group C.

2022 FIFA World Cup: Unlikely Winners

Sometimes things may not go according to plan. We have seen some unlikely contenders causing upsets in the previous FIFA World Cup finals. Thus, it's only fair that we don't rule them out so quickly. Look at Ec2Bet's list of contenders that could potentially progress or win this year's FIFA World Cup.

1. Senegal

Senegal is surely a dark horse to watch out for at Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup. They were recently crowned champions of this year's Africa Cup of Nations. This major international win, alongside a great FIFA World Cup qualifiers run, will surely boost morale and confidence in the team. Don't forget. They have a strong team with experienced players like Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy, Idrissa Gueye, and Kalidou Koulibaly. They are eager to show what they can offer after their impressive first appearance in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Let's hope Senegal can progress further and create history once more. Senegal takes on Qatar, Ecuador, and Netherlands in Group A.

2. Canada

Yes, this may seem shocking to some to regard Canada as a serious contender in this year's FIFA World Cup. However, Canada has shown steady performances after finishing top in the FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers. They beat Mexico, who came in second to top the group and secure their second appearance in a FIFA World Cup final tournament. The team consists of experienced players like Besiktas's midfielder Atiba Hutchinson and Red Star Belgrade's captain and goalkeeper, Milan Borjan. Alongside veterans like Atiba Hutchinson and Milan Borjan are young creative talents like Cyle Larin and Jonathan David, who have experience playing in higher intensities and tempo in European football. This North American team might be flying high in this year's World Cup. Canada faces Belgium, Morocco, and Croatia in Group F.

Fun fact #9: Canada will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico. This will be the second time that the competition will be hosted by more than one nation.

3. Qatar

No, we're not just putting them here as a favourite because they are the host nation. Qatar has shown us how much they have grown in the past 12 years after being awarded host for the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup. Qatar has risen in the FIFA men's world ranking to 50th from 114th. That's 64 places! The Maroon has also enjoyed some success in recent years by winning the 2019 AFC Asia Cup and reaching the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals. Led by the former Barcelona youth coach, Felix Sanchez, Qatar might stand a chance in Group A which is now regarded as the Group of Dark Horses facing Ecuador, Senegal, and Netherlands. Just don't underestimate what any host can do.

Fun fact #10: Qatar is the first Middle-Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup and is the smallest (by land size and population) host country so far.

2022 FIFA World Cup: Players to Watch

The FIFA World Cup is one of the best showcases of individual talent and will not disappoint this year. It's not a secret that we have eyes on some players already. So move over, Ronaldo and Messi! There are plenty of other worthy players to mention. Here is our list of players to watch:

1. Kylian Mbappe (France)

The French youngster made headlines in the previous World Cup in 2018 after scoring four goals for France. He even scored in the finals, making him the second teenager after Pelé to ever score in a World Cup final. Hence, it was a unanimous decision to reward him with the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award. Regardless of nationality, millions of football fans would like to see this young lad shine again in Qatar this year.

2. Neymar Jr. (Brazil)

Neymar Jr. not only shines in the Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain but also in his international career. He's Brazil's top goal scorer with 74 goals in 119 appearances after the legendary Pelé. He's eager to score more and make his country proud, as this may be his last World Cup. There's no better time to win Brazil's sixth World Cup title than now!

3. Son Heung-min (South Korea)

This is for all South Korean football fans out there. Your boy does not go unnoticed. This Tottenham ace is a killer in the Premier League. Son shared the golden boot alongside Mohammad Salah by scoring 23 goals. He's not shy in his international appearances either, as he's already scored 35 goals and counting, making him one of South Korea's greatest goal-scorers. There is no doubt that he's one of the best Asian footballers. With his excellent passing skills and scoring abilities, it will be interesting to see if he can push South Korea to greater heights.

2022 FIFA World Cup: Betting Odds and Tips

Still unsure of who to bet on? Check out the best 2022 FIFA World Cup betting odds with Ec2Bet. You'll only get the best on Ec2Bet. There's no point hesitating. If it's in your mind, then act now! We have listed down the best odds for you and which provider gives the best odds.

Teams WBet Maxbet Best Odds
Brazil 5 5.2 WBet
Argentina 6.5 6.5 Same
France 7 7.5 WBet
England 9 8.7 Maxbet
Spain 10 10 Same
Germany 11 11 Same
Netherlands 13 12 Maxbet
Belgium 17 15 Maxbet
Portugal 17 15 Maxbet
Denmark 31 32 WBet
Croatia 51 51 Same
Uruguay 51 51 Same
Senegal 81 81 Same
Switzerland 81 81 Same
Mexico 151 151 Same
Poland 151 151 Same
Serbia 151 151 Same
USA 151 151 Same
Ecuador 151 151 Same
Wales 151 151 Same
Australia 251 301 WBet
Cameroon 251 251 Same
Canada 251 251 Same
Ghana 251 301 WBet
Japan 251 213.5 Maxbet
Morocco 251 251 Same
Korea Republic 251 245 Maxbet
Qatar 351 251 Maxbet
Tunisia 351 401 WBet
Costa Rica 801 801 Same
Iran 801 751 Maxbet
Saudi Arabia 801 801 Same
*Odds are provided by Maxbet and WBet.
** Odds are pre-recorded on 10/11/2022 01:25:18 (GMT+8).
***Odds may differ as they'll be updated on a real-time basis.

2022 FIFA World Cup: Matches and Schedule in Malaysian Time (GMT+8)

2022 Fifa World Cup Match Groups

We're so excited to share this year's FIFA World Cup schedule! All matches are in Malaysian time (GMT+8). That probably means #TeamNoSleep for a few days, but it will be all worth it once you know you have chosen the right team to bet with and win big with Ec2Bet.

Monday, November 21

Group A

Group B

Tuesday, November 22

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Wednesday, November 23

Group C

Group D

Group F

Group E

Thursday, November 24

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Friday, November 25

Group H

Group G

Group B

Group A

Saturday, November 26

Group A

Group B

Group D

Group C

Sunday, November 27

Group D

Group C

Group E

Group F

Monday, November 28

Group F

Group E

Group G

Group H

Tuesday, November 29

Group G

Group H

Group A

Wednesday, November 30

Group B

Group D

Thursday, December 1

Group C

Group F

Friday, December 2

Group E

Group H

Saturday, December 3

Group G

Round of 16

Sunday, December 4

Round of 16

Monday, December 5

Round of 16

Tuesday, December 6

Round of 16

Wednesday, December 7

Round of 16

Friday, December 9

Quarter-Finals

Saturday, December 10

Quarter-Finals

Sunday, December 11

Quarter-Finals

Wednesday, December 14

Semi-Finals

Thursday, December 15

Semi-Finals

Saturday, December 17

Third-Place Play-Off

Sunday, December 18

World Cup Final

You've reached the end of the article. We've hoped you've taken away some inspiration for who to place your bet on here at Ec2Bet.