The wait is finally over. After four long competitive years, the FIFA World Cup returns for kickoff on Nov. 20, 2022. As the first Middle Eastern country to ever host a World Cup, Qatar has the honor of hosting the tournament’s 22nd event, and here is everything you need to know.

The event will last for 28 days, starting on Nov. 20th with Ecuador versus Qatar kicking off the tournament, and the final game occurring on Dec. 18th. This World Cup will be filled with many historical factors, such as it being the first ever Winter World Cup due to extreme Qatari summers. “Located in the Middle East, Qatar experiences extremely high temperatures that can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius,” VOI reports. These conditions create an unplayable summer World Cup.

With such conditions, Qatar has also spent 200 billion USD on the event, making it the most expensive World Cup to date whilst also being the smallest country to ever host the competition. FIFA has also announced that, “It will be the smallest nation ever to host the global finals, for one, allowing visitors to navigate the country with ease – and even plan for watching multiple matches on the same day.” It is sure to be a convenient and entertaining experience for all in attendance.

Not only will this be a memorable experience for Qatar, but for the players and fans alike. This will likely be the last World Cup for many legends of the game, including Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Manuel Neuer (Germany), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), and many more, due to the fact that they’re well into their mid 30’s. It is truly the end of an era, especially for arguably the greatest rivalry in football history between Messi and Ronaldo.

With all that being said, set your calendars for Nov. 20th to support and watch your favorite teams battle it out once again for the prestigious World Cup. Who will you be rooting for?