Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A : Match Schedule & Fixtures

The 2022 World Cup will be the biggest sports spectacle in this calendar year. It will be held in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December. The national teams will fight it out to be crowned the champions of the World. Here's a recap of the different World Cup 2022 groups 

The groups have been decided and there are some interesting fixtures to entertain the fans for over one month. In this article, we will deep dive into World cup Group A discussing the teams, schedules, and fixtures of this group. This is a very diverse group with all teams from different continents which will be a treat to watch.

World Cup Group A Predictions

Here are some of the most interesting predictions for this fixture in Group A. Remember to check the odds before placing your bet!

Ecuador vs Senegal – Over 2.5 goals @ 5/4 (2.25)

This isn’t going to be your run-of-the-mill World Cup game. Whoever wins gets to play in the round of 16. Ecuador has four points while Senegal scraped only two from their first two clashes in Group A. Both squads have performed at peak levels since the start of the tournament and we expect a very equal contest on the 29^th of November.

Without a doubt, there’s not much separating these two. Everyone pegged Ecuador as dead men walking against the Netherlands. And what happened? Ecuador deserved their point and the match ended with a draw. Louis van Gaal’s boys should feel lucky to even get a point out of this clash as they certainly didn’t impress anyone with their lack of interest in what was happening on the pitch.

The good news is that Ecuador produced 15 shots and that’s certainly an impressive feat when you know how good the Dutch defense is. On the other hand, Ecuador conceded a goal from only one shot on target. And you definitely don’t want that when you are about to face this fierce Senegalese team that so far crafted 31 shots in the tournament.

Netherlands vs Qatar – Over 3.5 goals @ 23/20 (2.15)

We certainly wouldn’t want to be in coach Felix Sanchez Bas’ shoes right now as he has some very difficult decisions to make ahead of the Netherlands clash on the 29^th of November. It’s the last game of the group stage and Qatar’s chances of qualifying for the round of 16 are now completely gone. The World Cup hosts have no points to their name and have a poor goal difference. The Qatari players scored their very first World Cup goal in the contest against Senegal a few days ago and that might just serve as a nice ego boost for their farewell game in the tournament against the Netherlands. Perhaps this will aid the team in bagging one last goal. It will certainly help our prediction for this match.

There’s no denying that coach Louis van Gaal is relying a bit too much on defense at this World Cup. He continues to bench his star player in the attack. There are still chances for the Netherlands team to not make it to the next stage so if the 71-year-old coach wants to see his beloved team qualify for the next round, he has to launch a full-scale attack on the World Cup hosts.

2022 World Cup Group A Odds

The pundits are backing Netherlands with their raw talent and overall better squad to win the group. Senegal is the most likely team to finish second in the 2022 World Cup Group A. With a more balanced side, they are expected to win their games against Ecuador and Qatar. Ecuador is favourable among the remaining two sides to come third in the table with the hosts Qatar taking the fourth position. Qatar has shown incredible character in recent times but it will be a hard mountain to climb against these top teams in the group.

2022 World Cup Group A Group Qualification Odds

The pundits are backing the Netherlands with their raw talent and overall better squad to qualify from the group with the odd of 1.10. Senegal is the most likely be the other team to qualify from Group A for 1.83. With a more balanced side, they are expected to win their games against Ecuador and Qatar. Ecuador is favourable among the remaining two sides to qualify with odds of 1.90, they can even give Senegal a run for their money. Lastly, the host Qatar has the worst odds of qualifying from group A with 6.00.

2022 World Cup Group A Group Betting Odds

Unsurprisingly, the Netherlands are the clear favourites to win group A for 1.50. Senegal who is expected to finish second in the group has 5.00 odds of finishing first. The remaining two teams Ecuador and Qatar have odds of 7.00 and 13.00 respectively to finish at the top of the group.

World Cup Group A Match Schedule

The teams will play in a round-robin manner with the top two teams in the group qualifying for the knockout round. The teams will receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no point for a loss. If there is a tie between two teams, the team scoring the most goals will be ranked higher in the table.

Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A fixtures

Qatar will be kicking off their first game against Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on the 21st of November. Ecuador being the second worst ranked team in the World Cup group A, Qatar will be looking for all three points in this game. The second game will be against Senegal which Qatar is meeting for the first time in a big tournament. Qatar will be ending the group A fixture against a strong Dutch side. Qatar will be in big trouble if they do not win their first game against Ecuador.

Netherlands 2022 World Cup Group A fixtures

The Netherlands will start their campaign against Senegal which will be the most anticipated game of this group. Whichever team will win this game will have a foot in the next round of the tournament. Netherlands and Senegal have never played against each other before in this competition which makes it even more exciting. They play Ecuador in the second game and then Qatar to round up the group. The Dutch are expected to win both of their games against lower-ranked teams and cruise to the next round as winners.

Senegal 2022 World Cup Group A fixtures

Senegal will take on the Netherlands in a high-profile game in the first game of the tournament. With qualifications on the line, it will be a cracking game to look out for. Senegal like the Netherlands is expected to win the remaining games against Ecuador and Qatar to qualify as one of the two teams from the group.

Ecuador 2022 World Cup Group A fixtures

Ecuador will be taking on the hosts in their first game and with home pressure on Qatar, Ecuador might knick a victory and make a strong case for the next round. Ecuador looks more likely to win their first game. If they do and if they also go on to win another game against the Dutch or Senegal, they will cause a massive upset and give a major boost to their chances of going into the round of 16.

World Cup Group A Teams

In the Fifa World cup Group A we have the hosts Qatar who were automatically added to Group A as per tradition. Qatar is joined by the Netherlands in World cup Group A, who missed out on the last world cup. The champions of Africa, Senegal, are the third team who are in this group. Ecuador was the fourth team to be inducted into the group. According to the Fifa ranking, the Netherlands was the second-toughest team in pot 2, Senegal was the toughest team in pot 3 and Ecuador was the second-toughest pot 4 team. This shows the potential of the group.

Qatar

The host Qatar was the first team to be placed in Group A. Having ranked 49th in the world according to the latest FIFA ranking, Qatar will have home support and huge expectations to do well in the tournament. With previous World Cup hosts Russia and Brazil doing well at home in the previous two tournaments, Qatar will be looking to replicate the same in 2022 World Cup Group A.

Qatar is ranked sixth in Asia and won Asia Cup in 2019. They have shown great mantle in going from 110th rank in 2010 to 49th in 2022. Felix Sanchez is coaching the team since 2017 and Qatar has developed an attack-minded and entertaining playing style under him. This will be Qatar's first world cup appearance. Qataris will be looking at their star players Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, and Hassan Al-Haydos for good performances.

Qatar has played 3 games in this calendar year and has won one and drawn two scorings and two goals and conceded one in the process. A big headache for Qatar will be to break down defensively sound teams in the competition. They will play two more friendlies against Canada and Chile before the start of the world cup. Qatar came third in the FIFA Arab Cup held last year.

• Current FIFA world ranking: No. 49 (August 2022)
• Regional ranking: 6th (Asia)
• How qualified: Tournament host
• Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
  • 2022: 1W-0L-2D (Goals: 2 scored / 1 conceded)
  • 2021: 12W-7L-5D (Goals: 35 scored / 32 conceded)
• Manager: Felix Sanchez (Spain) since July 2017
• Star players: Akram Afif (Al-Sadd SC / Qatar), Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail SC / Qatar), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd SC / Qatar)

Netherlands

The Netherlands has come back strongly after not qualifying for the 2018 world cup. Louis van Gaal is managing the team for the third time in his career. The Netherlands reached the finals in 2010 and semi-finals in 2014 but did not even qualify last time.

The team has changed after the golden generation is retired many young talented Dutch players are roaring to go to their first ever World cup. Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt are a few of the superstars who will be dictating the pace of the game with their abilities. A rock-solid defence headed by Virgil van Dijk considered one of the best defenders in the world at the moment, provides much-needed stability at the back.

The Netherlands is ranked 10th in the world and seventh in Europe. The Dutch team has scored 16 goals and conceded six in the six games played in 2022. The Netherlands crashed out in the round of 16 in the Euros last year against the Czech Republic.

• Current FIFA world ranking: No. 10 (March. 2022)
• Regional ranking: 7th (UEFA)
• World Cup titles: Nil
• World Cup appearances (last): 10 (Brazil 2014)
• How qualified: UEFA Group G winners: 7W-1L-2D
• Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
  • 2022: 4W-0L-2D (Goals: 16 scored / 6 conceded)
  • 2021: 11W-2L-3D (Goals: 46 scored / 14 conceded)
• Coach: Louis van Gaal (Netherlands) since August 2021
• Star players: Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich / Germany), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool / England), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona / Spain)

Senegal

Senegal took a very difficult route to book their place in the 2022 World cup Group A. Senegalese are coming off after winning the African Cup of Nations this year after beating Egypt on penalties. They faced Egypt again in the decisive game in the qualifying round and won the game on penalties to earn a spot in the world cup.

They have superstars all across the board with Mendy in goal, Mane in attack and Koulibaly in defence. They look like a very balanced side and will give tough competition for the cup this year. Pundits are identifying them as Dark Horses for the tournament. Senegal has the best winning record among all African teams in the world cup.

They are ranked 20 in the world and first in Africa. Aliou Cisse has managed this side since 2015 and the team has had lots of success under him. Senegal did not advance from their group in the last world cup.

• Current FIFA world ranking: No. 20 (March 2022)
• Regional ranking: 1st (CAF)
• World Cup titles: Nil
• World Cup appearances (last): 2 (Russia 2018)
• How qualified: Africa 3rd Round winners (penalty shootout vs. Egypt after 1-1 aggregate)
• Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
  • 2022: 7W-1L-3D (Goals: 14 scored / 4 conceded)
  • 2021: 10W-1L-5D (Goals: 29 scored / 12 conceded)
• Coach: Aliou Cisse (Senegal) since March 2015
• Star players: Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea / England), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea / England), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich / Germany)

Ecuador

Ecuador was the fourth and final team to qualify from South America for the 2022 World Cup Group A. They went out of Copa America against Argentina in the quarterfinals last year. They have to be more adaptable to go into the next round in the Fifa World cup 2022. Ecuador missed out on the last world cup like the Netherlands. Star players like Valencia, Estupinan and Gruezo will be the point of focus if the team has to do well in the competition. Even with the presence of some good players the team overall looks weak against the strong opponents in group A.

Ecuador has played seven games this year and has lost one and won two scoring six goals in the process. They are currently 46th in the world ranking and 7th in America. They would have to work really hard to get out of the group consisting of star-studded teams. Gustavo Alfaro of Argentina is coaching the Ecuadorian side in this world cup.

• Current FIFA world ranking: No. 46 (March 2022)
• Regional ranking: 7th (CONMEBOL)
• World Cup titles: Nil
• World Cup appearances (last): 3 (Brazil 2014)
• How qualified: (CONMEBOL fourth place: 7W-6L-5D
• Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
  • 2022: 2W-1L-4D (Goals: 6 scored / 6 conceded)
  • 2021: 6W-6L-6D (Goals: 21 scored / 20 conceded)
• Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentina) since August 2020
• Star players: Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce / Turkey), Pervis Estupinan (Villarreal / Spain), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg / Germany)

Conclusion

With some exciting teams in World Cup Group A, this group will be thrilling to watch. With some major contenders for the trophy, the group will not be easy for any team despite their rankings and ability. With various teams meeting each other for the first time in their history on this big stage, entertainment is guaranteed. Senegal vs Netherland will be the most anticipated game in group A. Qatar can cause an upset by winning one or more games in the group with the home advantage at their side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which teams are in World Cup Group A?

There are four teams in group A are – the Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador and the hosts Qatar.

Where will World Cup 2022 Group A games be played?

All the games of World Cup Group A will be played across three cities in Qatar namely Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Al Thumama Stadium in Doha and Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan.

Who will get qualified from World Cup Group A?

Netherlands and Senegal are the favourites to qualify from this group.

What are the odds of Qatar qualifying from World Cup group A?

The pundits are expecting Qatar to be at the bottom of Group A after the three games.

Who will play the winners of World Cup Group A?

The runners-up of group B consisting of England, Iran, USA and Wales will play the winners of Group A.

Which team has the most world cups from World Cup Group A?

None of the four teams has won the world cup in their history. However, the Netherlands were runners-up thrice in this competition.