I know, I know. We already have far too much to worry about with Fantasy Premier League. But, the biggest competition in world sport is rapidly approaching: the Fantasy Football World Cup 22 in Qatar.
That’s right. There are more fantasy competitions this year than Tory Prime Ministers!
So ,when will it all actually start?
When Does the FIFA 2022 World Cup Start?
Over four years since the 2018 World Cup finished, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will finally begin on Monday November 21, 2022. The final will take place on Sunday December 18, after a 27-day run of almost constant football and fantasy World Cup tinkering.
What Happens to the Premier League During the World Cup?
Where have you been? Obviously not on our site! Why don’t you correct that little error now and bookmark our glorious homepage.
(You may as well follow us on Twitter while you’re at it. Here you go!)
Anyway, the Premier League and Fantasy Premier League takes a long break from the end of Gameweek 16, which starts on 12th November 2022, until the start of Gameweek 17, which starts on 26th December.
Crucially, all FPL transfers are free during this break. You basically get a free wildcard during the tournament (albeit one you’re forced into using during this time). That’s right – on Christmas Day you can run into your parents’ room at 5 am and shout: “Mummy, Daddy! The FPL deadline is at 13:30 UK time tomorrow! You need to lock in a team before then!”
Just as God intended.
When Will the Fantasy Football World Cup 2022 Start?
In 2018, McDonald’s FIFA World Cup 2018 was introduced on June 7, which was seven days before the tournament’s first kickoff.
In 2021, EURO 2020 fantasy debuted 31 days prior to the first kickoff in 2021 on May 10.
So, based on recent historical precedent, we could anticipate that the World Cup 2022 Fantasy Football will begin any time between October 21 and November 14, 2022.
This also makes sense because the 32 participating nations have two key deadlines to meet when it comes to their official squad lists: Oct. 21 and Nov. 14.
- Friday, Oct. 21: Publish list of 35-55 players (including four goalkeepers).
- Sunday, Nov. 13: Last domestic league matchday before players are released.
- Monday, Nov. 14: Final 26-man squads to be submitted to FIFA (including three goalkeepers).
- Tuesday, Nov. 15: FIFA to publish final 26-man squad lists.
Each team has up to 24 hours before their first match to substitute players, due to the likelihood of COVID-19 infections or injuries. A nation’s initial release list of players, which FIFA has increased from 35 to 55, must, however, contain any potential replacements. Finally, teams are also now allowed to have up to 15 players on their bench for matches with a maximum of five substitutions allowed to be made during a game.
Preparing for the Qatar Fantasy World Cup 2022
Details are still thin on the ground about how the Qatar Fantasy World Cup 2022 works. When these are released, however, we’ll be bringing out a comprehensive Fantasy World Cup 2022 Explained article to help break them down for you. Afterwards, we’ll be bringing you a full World Cup 2022 Fantasy Advice article, with further Fantasy World Cup tips provided for each round of the tournament.
In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the Fantasy Premier League’s first half, and start thinking about who you’re going to want in your 2022 Fantasy World Cup team. It’s never too early!