WORLD CUP 2022

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is off and running from Qatar, with a big slate of games coming your way on Tuesday, featuring some of the top teams in the tournament.

Some are older and familiar names who might be in their last World Cup, while others will be names to get used to for future World Cups.

While the key contributors aren’t limited to these five, going into the USMNT’s first game against Wales on Monday, here are the players most likely to carry the American side.

Qatar is a tiny nation that is smaller than Connecticut in square miles, so Qatar would be No. 49 on the list of largest states if it was a part of the U.S.

For the first time, the World Cup will be held in November and December instead of its customary time slot of June and July.

Up to 1,600 soccer fans of the teams that qualified for the World Cup are being recruited for an all expenses-paid trip to Qatar to sing in the tournament's opening ceremony.

Fans going to the World Cup in Qatar must show a negative COVID-19 test when they arrive as part of the host nation’s rules to combat COVID-19.

Ukraine has missed out on qualifying for the World Cup after the war-disrupted team was beaten 1-0 by Wales in the European playoff final for the FIFA soccer showpiece.

FIFA has received 3 million ticket requests for the World Cup final in Qatar and high demand to attend some of its biggest group-stage games.

Poland’s refusal to play its World Cup qualifier against Russia next month in response to that nation's invasion of Ukraine gained wider support when Sweden followed with its own plans to protest to FIFA.

The eight stadiums for the 2022 Qatar World Cup — all within a 30-mile radius of Doha — are now largely complete.

Denmark’s national soccer team will wear “human rights messages” on their training clothes at next year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Defender Chris Richards and midfielder Gianluca Busio entered the U.S. lineup for a match at Jamaica as the Americans started their second-youngest lineup ever in a World Cup qualifier.

Italy will have to go through the playoffs once again in its bid to reach the World Cup.

Spain, Serbia and Croatia are heading to next year’s World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe’s four goals in an 8-0 rout of Kazakhstan ensured defending champion France reached next year’s World Cup along with victorious Belgium.

Italy has set an international record of 36 games unbeaten as Germany and Spain returned to the top of their World Cup qualifying groups.

Bukayo Saka set up Jesse Lingard's opening goal and then completed England's 4-0 victory over Andorra with a header in a World Cup qualifier.

FIFA says it will take “adequate actions” once it has investigated the the racial abuse that England players faced in Hungary.

Serbian state TV has reported the captain’s armband that Cristiano Ronaldo angrily threw to the ground during Portugal’s World Cup qualifier in Belgrade last week has been sold to an unidentified bidder for $75,000 at a charity auction.

Germany's collapse at the World Cup in Russia the following month meant the final act of Löw's long tenure would be a rebuild. Germany's showing in Russia was its worst World Cup campaign since 1938, and there's been more unwanted history since. Losing to North Macedonia ended a 20-year, 35-game unbeaten run for the national team in World Cup qualifying. AdInjuries have played their part, too, leading Löw to use defensive midfielder Emre Can at left back and right back in successive World Cup qualifiers. Löw has done some useful groundwork for his successor, like persuading 18-year-old Bayern forward Jamal Musiala to choose Germany over England.

(AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)World Cup qualifying in Europe took a quirky turn when the goalposts were removed before a match between Switzerland and Lithuania because they were deemed the incorrect size. Like Spain, France started its qualification campaign with an unexpected draw at home but also got back on track in its second game, easing to a 2-0 win at Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Denmark became the latest European team to use the World Cup qualifiers to direct attention to workers’ rights in 2022 host Qatar. ITALY FLYINGItaly's back-to-back wins to open World Cup qualifying come after a perfect 10 wins in qualifying for Euro 2020. RECORD WINDenmark earned its biggest win in a World Cup or European Championship qualifier.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the World Cup 2022 group A qualifying soccer match between Serbia and Portugal at the Rajko Mitic stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)Portugal and Belgium were left frustrated by draws in their World Cup qualifying matches. Stéphanie Frappart made more history as the first woman to referee a men's World Cup qualifier as the Netherlands beat Latvia 2-0. TV replays indicated the ball did cross the line, but goal-line technology and video review aren't used in the World Cup qualifiers. Artem Dzyuba scored both of Russia's goals to move within one goal of the Russian team record of 30 held by retired striker Alexander Kerzhakov.