The international football calendar before Qatar 2022
By Orri Benatar
A new international cycle will begin sooner rather than later. Here are all the key tournaments to watch before Qatar 2022.
We are now into a new cycle of international football. Usually, the international cycle goes from one World Cup to the next one over a four-year span. In this span, nations that competed at the World Cup and all the others compete in different continental tournaments. Here is a quick guide on each tournament happening over the next four years.
2018-19 & 2020-21 UEFA Nations League
The inaugural UEFA Nations League will begin on September 6th with France playing Germany in League A. The new competition offers more competitive matches for international teams right after big tournaments. We will see two editions of the UNL before the next World Cup since the competition takes place right after the World Cup and the Euros.
The official result of the #NationsLeague draw! ✅ pic.twitter.com/H1fPteK7M1
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) January 24, 2018
2019 AFC Asian Cup – United Arab Emirates
The first major continental competition will be the AFC Asian Cup. The United Arab Emirates will host for the first time since 1996. Much like UEFA, the AFC expanded the Asian Cup from 16 teams to 24. Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, and Yemen will be making their Asian Cup debuts while Australia defends the title. The opening match will be on January 5th in Abu Dhabi when the UAE take on Bahrain.
#ICYMI: Here are the highly-anticipated #AsianCup019 Final Draw results. Tell us your thoughts! pic.twitter.com/yJK7BD8hYg
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) May 5, 2018
2019 Women’s World Cup – France
The summer of 2019 will be headlined by the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. Les Blues will attempt to become the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time. France made the quarterfinals in Canada in 2015 and will be a favorite to win it all next summer. The U.S. will defend with Japan, Germany, Brazil, and England as the other top contenders.
"Next year in France, we'll see the greatest FIFA Women's World Cup ever, in a country that really celebrates women's football." @Deynac18 conducted one last interview before leaving Russia. A sit-down with the FIFA President.#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/obYUA1j8nz
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) June 30, 2018
2019 Copa America – Brazil
The Copa America returns after three years off. Brazil will host the tournament for the first time since 1989 and it will be the fifth straight edition without a world champion. South America’s sub-par World Cup could spell a very tight tournament next summer. Along with the 10 South American countries, Qatar and Japan are the invited teams.
https://twitter.com/CONMEBOL/status/1018575628377972736
2019 & 2021 Gold Cup – USA
The CONCACAF Gold Cup will once again take place in 2019 and 2021 in the United States. These two editions will have great significance after the Americans missed out on the World Cup. The U.S. is the reigning champions with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica as the title challengers. The new CONCACAF Nations League will determine 10 of the qualifying spots.