Qatar World Cup: Start times for every match and how to watch
For the first time, the FIFA World Cup is heading to the Middle East for a fall tournament highlighting soccer’s best.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup will serve as an international showcase for the small and wealthy Persian Gulf nation. The country is eager to distance itself from allegations of human rights abuses even if controversy over its selection as a World Cup host nation has hardly dissipated over the last 12 years.
The U.S. men’s national team looks to defy the odds and pull off a World Cup holiday shocker. After playing to draws against Wales and England, they next challenge Iran in group play Tuesday. A win over Iran will move them into the knockout round.
Mexico, hit hard by injuries and issues within its federation, faces even tougher odds of staying alive beyond group play after falling to Argentina on Saturday. It'll need to beat Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to have any chance at advancing.
Here's a look at Monday's World Cup matchups:
Brazil vs. Switzerland
Where: Stadium 974
Time: 8 a.m. PST
TV: Fox, Telemundo, Peacock Premium
The buzz: Tournament-favorite Brazil will be without talisman striker Neymar and left back Danilo for the rest of the group stage because of ankle injuries. There is no timetable for either player’s return, and while that might be catastrophic news for most teams, Brazil has one of the deepest rosters in the tournament. In its opener, it got two goals from Richarlison 11 minutes apart in the second half to post a comfortable win over Serbia.
In its first game, Switzerland edged Cameroon behind a big performance from keeper Yann Sommer, who had five saves. Brazil, however, makes a big step up in class for the Swiss.
A win for either team sends it on to the next round, a trip Brazil has made in each of the last 13 World Cups.
Portugal vs. Uruguay
Where: Lusail Iconic Stadium
Time: 11 a.m. PST
TV: Fox, Telemundo, Peacock Premium
The buzz: Cristiano Ronaldo got one piece of business out of the way in Portugal’s win over Ghana, converting from the penalty spot to become the first player to score in five World Cups. Now he can focus on trying to get past the semifinals for the first time, and in that regard the opening-game victory was far from encouraging since the outcome, against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, was in doubt 10 minutes into stoppage time.
Uruguay will present a far tougher challenge. It was unlucky to finish its game with South Korea with just a point after both Diego Godin and Fede Valverde bounced shots off the goalpost. But that bad luck means Uruguay probably needs at least a point if it is to keep its World Cup outcome in its hands.
Here's a look at Tuesday's World Cup matchups:
Qatar vs. Netherlands
Where: Al Bayt Stadium
Time: 7 a.m. PST
TV: FS1, Universo, Peacock Premium
The buzz: Winless Qatar is playing for little more than pride in this one since it already has been eliminated, the earliest elimination for a host country in World Cup history. South Africa also was eliminated in the first round from the tournament it staged in 2010, but it had a win and a draw in group play.
Qatar has lost its first two games by a combined score of 5-1. “Our goal was to be competitive,” said Qatar coach Félix Sánchez, whose team’s latest setback, a 3-1 defeat, came against Senegal.
The situation for the Dutch is far more uncertain. Their four points leave them tied with Ecuador for the group lead and with a win or draw, they would advance to the second round. But a decisive loss could eliminate them too, depending on the result of Ecuador’s final match with Senegal.
In its last World Cup under coach Louis van Gaal, the Netherlands made it to the semifinals. That was in 2014.
Ecuador vs. Senegal
Where: Khalifa International Stadium
Time: 7 a.m. PST
TV: Fox, Telemundo, Peacock Premium
The buzz: This is the first elimination game of the tournament for both teams since a loss would send the loser home. Even a draw probably wouldn’t help Senegal (1-0-1) if the Netherlands gets at least a point from its game, as expected.
That Senegal still has a chance at the knockout stage is something of a miracle since it lost Sadio Mane, the two-time reigning African player of the year, to injury before the first game, a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands. It then had to go without midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate for the second, a 3-1 win over Qatar.
All three of Ecuador’s goals in this World Cup have come from forward Enner Valencia, who finished the first two games of the group stage tied with Kylian Mbappe of France for the tournament lead.
If Senegal hopes to stop Ecuador, it will have to stop Valencia first.
Wales vs. England
Where: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
Time: 11 a.m. PST
TV: FS1, Universo, Peacock Premium
The buzz: Wales’ return to the World Cup after a 64-year absence will be a short one without a victory over unbeaten England in its group-stage finale. But the Dragons will be without first-choice keeper Wayne Hennessey, who drew a late red card in this team’s 2-0 loss to Iran, and could be without captain Gareth Bale, whose fitness issues leaves coach Rob Page with a decision to make ahead of his team’s third game in nine days.
Bale, 33, and veteran Aaron Ramsey, 31, have arguably been liabilities more than assets through Wales’ first two matches, with a draw against the U.S. preceding the loss to Iran. But benching his captain and vice-captain in a game Wales must win would be a bold move.
Unbeaten England, which leads the group with four points, is in much safer territory. A win or a tie and it’s through. Even a loss would not eliminate England unless Wales makes up a six-goal differential to the English.
Iran vs. United States
Where: Al Thumama Stadium
Time: 11 a.m. PST
TV: Fox, Telemundo, Peacock Premium
The buzz: The math is simple in this game too: The winner goes on and the loser goes home. A draw, meanwhile, would eliminate the U.S. but not Iran, which would still advance if Wales does not win.
That Iran still has a chance is surprising given its 6-2 loss to England in its opener. But goals eight and 11 minutes into stoppage time against a 10-man Wales team has it second in the group with three points, one ahead of the U.S.
The Americans have not allowed a goal from the run of play, with a Gareth Bale penalty kick late in its opening draw with Wales the only score they have conceded. But they’ve also scored just once and with a draw here doing them no good, the Americans will have to find a way to improve their finishing.
“Anytime you’re in a World Cup and you get to go into the last group game controlling your destiny, that’s a pretty good thing,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said.
Group play TV schedules
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
