The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B promises to be one of the most exciting, with England pitted against the United States, Iran, and a third side yet to be chosen.
In Group B, England was the Pot 1 team, leading the way, and the United States, from Pot 2, finished second behind the 1966 champions. Due to neighbouring Asian confederation member Qatar in Group A, Iran, the first Pot 3 team, was shifted to Group B with England and the United States.
Finally, the undetermined European playoff position in Pot 4 might go to either Wales, Scotland or Ukraine. Wales will host the match-winner between Ukraine and Scotland, postponed until the summer due to Ukraine hostilities.
In past World Cups, the United States has faced both England and Iran. The United States has already upset England, once in 1950 with a spectacular triumph that knocked England out, and again in 2010 with a draw that saw the United States finish first in the group.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (IST) | Time (BDT) | Stadium |
| 21 Nov 2022 | England vs. Iran | 17:30 | 18:00 | Khalifa Int’l Stadium |
| 21/22 Nov 2022 | USA vs. WAL/UKR/SCO | 23:30 | 00:00 | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
| 25 Nov 2022 | WAL/UKR/SCO vs. Iran | 14:30 | 15:00 | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
| 25/26 Nov 2022 | England vs. USA | 23:30 | 00:00 | Al Bayt Stadium |
| 29/30 Nov 2022 | WAL/UKR/SCO vs. England | 23:30 | 00:00 | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
| 29/30 Nov 2022 | Iran vs. USA | 23:30 | 00:00 | Al Thumama Stadium |
Each of the four teams will play the other three nations in a round-robin style. The points from those three group-stage matches are used to determine the group rankings – three points for a victory, one point for a tie, and none for a defeat.
The single-game knockouts are held for the top two clubs in each group based on total points. If two clubs are tied on points, the first tiebreaker is goal differential, followed by goals scored. A different set of tiebreakers is used if teams are tied in those areas.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B Teams Overview
England
- Current FIFA world ranking: 5th (March 2022)
- Regional ranking: UEFA – 3rd
- World Cup titles: 1
- World Cup appearances (last): 15 (Russia 2018)
- Manager: Gareth Southgate since September 2016
- Star players: Harry Kane (Tottenham / England), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City / England), Declan Rice (West Ham / England)
- How qualified: UEFA Group I winners 8W-0L-2D
- Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
- 2022: Win-2 / Lose-0 / Draw-0 (Goals: 5 scored / 1 conceded)
- 2021: Win-15 / Lose-0 / Draw-4 (Goals: 52 scored / 5 conceded)
England will be aiming to go one further in Qatar and win their first major trophy since 1966, after reaching the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and then the final of Euro 2020, only to lose horribly on penalties to Italy.
Gareth Southgate has some promising young players at his disposal, like Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and a number of seasoned stars with extensive tournament experience. It’s now a question of whether they’ll be able to cross the finish line.
The manager will hope that Manchester United defender Harry Maguire can recapture his best form ahead of the tournament. At the same time, there will inevitably be much scrutiny on Harry Kane, who will likely have the chance to become England’s leading all-time goalscorer.
USA
- Current FIFA world ranking: 15th (March 2022)
- Regional ranking: CONCACAF – 2nd
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances: 10 (Brazil 2014)
- Coach: Gregg Berhalter since December 2018
- Star players: Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund / Germany), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea / England), Weston McKennie (Juventus / Italy)
- How qualified: (CONCACAF qualifying third place: 7W-3L-4D)
- Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
- 2022: Win-3 / Lose-2 / Draw-1 (Goals: 9 scored / 5 conceded)
- 2021: Win-17 / Lose-2 / Draw-3 (Goals: 45 scored / 12 conceded)
The United States will compete in the World Cup in 2022, narrowly escaping the group stage on goal differential over Costa Rica. The United States men’s national team (USMNT) will compete in their 11th tournament, with the most remarkable finish being a semifinal appearance in the inaugural tournament in 1930.
Gregg Berhalter’s team, without a doubt, has the young talent to advance out of this group, and they should delight fans along the way as they craft a possibly deep World Cup run.
Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic is expected to lead, with Gio Reyna providing a creative spark in the middle. The United States will be a legitimate threat for teams to worry about in the future, given their 21 goals scored in qualification.
Iran
- Current FIFA world ranking: 21st (March 2022)
- Regional ranking: AFC – 1st
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 6 (Russia 2018)
- Manager: Dragan Skocic since February 2020
- Star players: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord / Netherlands), Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen / Germany), Mehdi Taremi (Porto / Portugal)
- How qualified: AFC Third Round Group A winners: 8W-L1-D1
- Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
- 2022: Win-3 / Lose-1 / Draw-0 (Goals: 4 scored / 2 conceded)
- 2021: Win-10 / Lose-0 / Draw-1 (Goals: 31 scored / 3 conceded)
Iran will compete in the World Cup finals for the third time this year, with the No. 1 rated national squad in the AFC area capable of making an impact.
Dragan Skocic’s team easily qualified for the 2022 showpiece, winning eight of their final qualification round matches, drawing one, and losing one. That was enough for Iran to win their group, beating out South Korea, who qualified as a runner-up.
Iran’s attacking line is led by Mehdi Taremi of Porto, Alireza Jahanbakhsh of Feyenoord, and Sardar Azmoun of Bayer Leverkusen, with Skocic’s team scoring 15 goals in ten final-round qualifying matches after scoring 10 times in a single match against Cambodia earlier in the competition.
Euro Play-Off
The outcome of who will qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar Group B from Wales, Scotland, and Ukraine are to be determined due to events off the field. Wales was supposed to play the winner of the last UEFA playoff final between Scotland and Ukraine. Still, the match between Scotland and Ukraine has been postponed indefinitely owing to the ongoing violence in Ukraine. It is yet to be determined when that match will take place.
Wales
- Current FIFA world ranking: 18th (March 2022)
- Regional ranking: UEFA – 12th
- World Cup appearances (last): 1 (Sweden 1958)
- Manager: Robert Page since April 2021
- Star players: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid / Spain), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth / England), Daniel James (Leeds United / England)
- Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
- 2022: Win-1 / Lose-0 / Draw-1 (Goals: 3 scored / 2 conceded)
- 2021: Win-6 / Lose-4 / Draw-6 (Goals: 18 scored / 18 conceded)
Wales will attempt to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1958 when they reached the competition’s quarterfinals. Despite being a small country, they have been punching far above their weight in recent years, even making it to the Euro 2016 quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions Portugal. Any World Cup ambitions will hinge on Gareth Bale and Daniel James.
Scotland
- Current FIFA world ranking: 39th (March 2022)
- Regional ranking: UEFA – 20th
- World Cup appearances (last): 8 (France 1998)
- Manager: Steve Clarke since May 2019
- Star players: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool / England), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal / England), Che Adams (Southampton / England)
- Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
- 2022: Win-0 / Lose-0 / Draw-2 (Goals: 3 scored / 3 conceded)
- 2021: Win-8 / Lose-3 / Draw-4 (Goals: 21 scored / 14 conceded)
Scotland’s World Cup hopes have been reignited, as they aim to compete in their first finals since 1998. With an eight-match winning streak under their belts, the Tartan Army will be confident that they can overcome tough matches against Ukraine and then Wales to secure their place in Qatar. If Liverpool captain Andrew Robertson and Southampton forward Che Adams qualify, they will be the ones to watch.
Ukraine
- Current FIFA world ranking: 27th (March 2022)
- Regional ranking: UEFA – 16th
- World Cup appearances (last): 1 (Germany 2006)
- Coach: Oleksandr Petrakov since August, 2021
- Star players: Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City / England), Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham / England), Roman Yaremchuk (Benfica / Portugal)
- Overall record (all competitions & friendlies):
- 2022: Win-0 / Lose-0 / Draw-0 (Goals: 0 scored / 0 conceded)
- 2021: Win-6 / Lose-3 / Draw-9 (Goals: 25 scored / 21 conceded)
Because of the ongoing Russian invasion, football has taken a back place in Ukraine. Nonetheless, the Eastern Europeans will remain hopeful that they will be able to contend for a spot in Qatar. Andriy Yarmolenko of West Ham United and Oleksandr Zinchenko of Manchester City likely lead their charge.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B to advance
December 3 & 4, the first- and second-place finishers in Group B will proceed to the Round of 16, where they will meet the two teams who advanced from Group A.
Others World Cup Groups Breakdowns:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
