The World Cup is taking place in Qatar (Picture: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is reaching the business end in Qatar with the quarter-finals getting underway on Friday.

There are plenty of differences about this year’s competition, but much has remained the same as well, despite the World Cup being played in winter rather than the sweltering Qatari summer.

England will be looking to win their first major trophy since 1966 and they have made it safely through to the quarter-finals.

However, Wales are now out of the tournament after finishing bottom of the group in their first World Cup since 1958, and the likes of Germany and Belgium also crashed out in the group stages.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including dates, times, schedule, teams, venues and how to watch on TV.

When did the FIFA World Cup 2022 start? Dates and schedule

The World Cup started on Sunday, November 20 and will end on Sunday, December 18, 2022.

More: World Cup 2022

World Cup TV coverage in the UK

As usual, the BBC and ITV are sharing the World Cup coverage.

Every match will be shown live on TV, with fans also able to watch the action on BBC iPlayer and the ITVX app.

For fans in Wales, S4C will be showing Welsh language coverage of every Wales match during the tournament. The matches will be televised on S4C across the UK, and online on the S4C Clic player and BBC iPlayer.

What’s the time difference?

Qatar is three hours ahead of the UK in November and December, with matches kicking off at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm UK time during the group stage and 3pm and 7pm in the knockout stage.

The competition has been hotting up in Qatar (Picture: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Which teams are taking part?

A total of 32 teams entered the World Cup.

However, 16 teams were knocked-out in the group stage including the likes of Germany, Belgium and Uruguay.

A further eight teams were sent home in the round of 16; USA, Australia, Poland, Senegal, Japan, Spain, South Korea and Switzerland.

After Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals, only Argentina, Netherlands, Morocco, Portugal, England and France remain in the competition.

What is happening to the Premier League during the World Cup?

The Premier League stopped for six weeks on November 13, just one week before the World Cup started.

This is just one of a number of impacts the Qatar tournament has had on the Premier League.

The Premier League will return to action on Boxing Day just eight days after the final.

The season started earlier (August 6, 2022) and will finish slightly later (May 28, 2023) than normal.

England are one of the favourites to win the World Cup (Picture: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Why is the World Cup being played in winter?

The tournament is being held in winter to avoid the extremely high temperatures in Qatar during the summer months.

Temperatures in June and July – when the World Cup is typically played – average around 37°C, which is deemed too hot for players.

What will be the temperature in Qatar during the World Cup?

The temperature in November and December in Qatar has been deemed acceptable for playing football, unlike if it was played in June and July.

WeatherAndClimate.com report that the maximum temperature in November in Doha is 30°C, with a minimum of 20°C, with these falling to a max of 25°C and minimum of 16°C in December.

The stadiums feature sophisticated air conditioning units to keep the temperature cool at pitch level.

Who is in the England squad?

Gareth Southgate named the final 26-man England squad for the tournament on November 10.

England have reached the quarter-finals (Picture: Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

As well as the usual cast, Southgate found space in the squad for Leicester midfielder James Maddison, Newcastle striker Callum Wilson and Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

19 year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is in the squad – the Birmingham-born player has started all four of England’s games and scored his first international goal in the victory over Iran.

Southgate now cannot make any changes to the squad.

More: England football team

When are England’s fixtures at the World Cup?

England were originally in Group B alongside USA, Iran and Wales.

The Three Lions finished top of the group with seven points and overcame Senegal 3-0 in the round of 16.

England will now meet France in the quarter-final on Saturday, December 10.

What are the World Cup kits?

Before the tournament, England released their World Cup home and away kits, with their new designs a striking resemblance to some of their popular retro kits of years gone by.

The other nations taking part in the World Cup are also sporting their new home and away kits – and it’s very much a mixed bag.

England look the part in Qatar (Picture: The FA/PA Wire)

What stadiums are being used?

There are eight stadiums being used in Qatar, with the opening match staged at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor and the final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail.

Semi-automated offside technology is being used in stadiums to help improve the accuracy and speed of offside decisions.

The Lusail Stadium will play host to the FIFA World Cup final (Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

MORE : Arsene Wenger warns France about England as he looks ahead to World Cup quarter-final

MORE : Jamie Carragher claims only three England players would get in the France team ahead of World Cup quarter-final

MORE : Where is the next World Cup being held in 2026?

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