Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It was the first tournament held in the Arab world, with matches played in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022.
The wording can also mean the country that made the tournament’s official football. That ball, called Al Rihla, was designed by Adidas and manufactured through factories in Pakistan and China—not made by Qatar’s government.
Here’s how to tell those answers apart, why Qatar hosted the event, where the matches took place, and what happened in the final. You’ll also find the key details about the stadiums, tournament schedule, and the official ball.
which country will make football for fifa 2022? Qatar hosted it
Qatar was the host country for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The tournament ran from November 20 through December 18, 2022, and brought 32 national teams together for 64 matches.
There is a useful distinction in the question: a country can host the tournament, while a company and its factories design and make the match ball. Qatar hosted the competition. Adidas designed the official ball, Al Rihla, and production involved factories in Pakistan and China.
So, if “make football” means host the FIFA World Cup, the answer is Qatar. If it means manufacture the ball used in the matches, Qatar is not the answer. The ball’s design and production were part of Adidas’s manufacturing and supply chain.
Why Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup
FIFA selected Qatar as host in December 2010. The selection made Qatar the first Middle Eastern country and the first Arab country to stage the men’s World Cup. It was also the first time the tournament took place in November and December rather than the usual Northern Hemisphere summer window.
That timing was a practical response to Qatar’s summer heat. Outdoor temperatures can be extremely high in summer, so FIFA and the organizers moved the competition to cooler months. The adjusted calendar affected domestic leagues around the world, which paused or changed their schedules to allow players to join their national teams.
Qatar is a small country, which meant teams and fans could stay relatively close to the match venues compared with World Cups spread across a large territory. Most stadiums were in and around Doha, the capital. Lusail, Al Khor, Al Wakrah, and Al Rayyan also hosted matches.
The tournament drew attention for reasons beyond football. Public discussion included the cost and scale of construction, migrant workers’ conditions, labor reforms, and human rights. Qatar introduced labor-law changes before the competition, while critics and rights groups continued to raise concerns about enforcement and workers’ experiences. A clear account should recognize both the reforms and the continuing debate.
Where the matches were played
Eight stadiums in five host cities were used. Several venues were built or substantially prepared for the tournament, while Khalifa International Stadium had already existed and underwent renovation. The compact layout made it possible for spectators to attend more than one match on some days, subject to ticketing and travel arrangements.
| Stadium | Location | What it is known for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lusail Stadium | Lusail | Hosted the final and the largest number of tournament matches | The final and major knockout matches |
| Al Bayt Stadium | Al Khor | Hosted the opening match and reflected the region’s tent form | The opening ceremony and early matches |
| Khalifa International Stadium | Al Rayyan | An established national venue renovated for the event | Seeing a long-standing Qatar stadium |
| Ahmad bin Ali Stadium | Al Rayyan | Hosted group and knockout fixtures | Matches in the western part of the host area |
| Education City Stadium | Al Rayyan | Hosted group games and knockout matches | Matches near university and education facilities |
| Al Janoub Stadium | Al Wakrah | Hosted group fixtures and a round-of-16 match | Games south of Doha |
| Al Thumama Stadium | Doha | Hosted group games and knockout fixtures | Matches within the Doha area |
| Stadium 974 | Doha | A temporary venue built with shipping containers and modular parts | Group games and a round-of-16 match |
The venue names matter if you are checking an old fixture or highlight. “Doha” was not the location for every match: some were played in nearby municipalities, and match listings often identify the stadium rather than the city alone.
How the 2022 tournament worked
The 2022 competition used the familiar 32-team format. Teams were divided into eight groups of four. Each team played the other three sides in its group, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage.
The knockout rounds began with 16 teams. A match that was level after 90 minutes went to extra time, and a tie that remained level after extra time was decided by a penalty shootout. The final followed the same rules. From the 2026 World Cup onward, FIFA expanded the tournament to 48 teams, so that later format should not be mistaken for Qatar’s 2022 competition.
- Group stage: 32 teams played 48 matches across eight groups.
- Round of 16: The 16 group qualifiers played eight single-elimination matches.
- Quarterfinals and semifinals: Winners continued through the knockout bracket.
- Third-place match: The semifinal losers played for third place.
- Final: Argentina and France competed for the championship at Lusail Stadium.
The schedule was compressed into about four weeks. That made recovery and squad rotation important, particularly for teams whose players had already played a busy club season before the competition began.
Who won the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, defeating France in the final at Lusail Stadium on December 18. The match ended 3–3 after extra time. Argentina then won the penalty shootout 4–2 to claim the title.
Lionel Messi scored twice for Argentina, and Ángel Di María scored once. France’s Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick, becoming the first player to score three goals in a men’s World Cup final since 1966. The dramatic scoreline and shootout made the final one of the most memorable matches of the tournament.
Argentina’s victory was its third men’s World Cup title. The team had previously won in 1978 and 1986. France, the defending champion, finished as runner-up after winning the 2018 tournament in Russia.
If you are looking up a particular team’s result, separate the group stage from the knockout rounds. A team could finish first or second in its group and still be eliminated in its very next match, because every knockout game was a single-elimination contest.
What was the official match ball?
The official ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was called Al Rihla. The name means “the journey” in Arabic. Adidas designed the ball, and it was used in the tournament’s matches before a different ball, Al Hilm, was introduced for the semifinals and final.
That change is an easy detail to miss. Al Rihla was the main official match ball, but it was not the ball used in every match through the final. Al Hilm, whose name means “the dream,” was the official ball for the last four games: the two semifinals, the third-place match, and the final.
For a question about the country where a ball was made, do not assume that the tournament host also manufactured it. Adidas is a German sportswear company, but product design, brand ownership, and factory location are different things. Reports on Al Rihla production have associated manufacturing with facilities in Pakistan and China.
This distinction also helps when comparing a match ball with a retail replica. A retail version may share the official design and name but use different construction or materials. Check the specific product description if you need the exact version used in professional play.
What made the Qatar tournament different?
The winter schedule was the most visible difference for many fans. Earlier men’s World Cups in the Northern Hemisphere were generally held in June and July. Qatar’s tournament began in November because of the region’s summer conditions, which required a major shift to the international football calendar.
The event was also geographically compact. Fans could base themselves near Doha and travel to several venues without long-distance flights between host cities. That convenience did not remove the need to plan for tickets, crowd movement, and local transport, but it set the tournament apart from editions spread across large countries.
Another notable feature was Stadium 974, a venue assembled using shipping containers and modular construction elements. Its design was intended to allow the structure to be taken apart after the tournament. The number in its name referred both to the international dialing code for Qatar and the reported number of shipping containers used in its construction.
The tournament’s scale also brought questions about what happens to stadiums and infrastructure after the final. Some venues were intended to be adapted, reduced in capacity, or used for other purposes. These plans matter because the value of a major sporting event depends not only on match-day facilities but also on whether they serve communities afterward.
Common mix-ups about the 2022 host and ball
- Host country versus ball-maker: Qatar hosted the World Cup; Adidas designed its official balls.
- Al Rihla versus Al Hilm: Al Rihla was used for most matches, while Al Hilm was used from the semifinals through the final.
- Host country versus host city: Qatar was the country, but matches took place across several cities and municipalities.
- 2022 format versus 2026 format: Qatar’s tournament had 32 teams; the 2026 edition expanded to 48.
- Summer tournament versus winter tournament: The 2022 event was held in November and December, not during the usual summer period.
One practical tip: if you are searching for an old match, use the team names, round, and stadium together. That avoids confusing the host country with the venue or mixing up a group-stage result with a later knockout match.
Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, held from November 20 to December 18. Argentina won the final against France on penalties after a 3–3 draw.
If you meant the official football rather than the host country, look for Adidas’s Al Rihla ball; Al Hilm replaced it for the final four matches. Remember that which country will make football for fifa 2022 has two possible meanings: Qatar hosted the tournament, while the ball’s manufacturing involved factories outside Qatar.