Qatar 2022: Battlelines drawn as stage set for the first FIFA World Cup in Middle East

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Bengaluru/Doha, April 2: With the official draw ceremony over, the stage is set for the biggest football show on earth -- FIFA World Cup -- to be held in Qatar later this year.

In a break from the normal tradition of hosting the FIFA World Cup in the June-July window, Qatar 2022 will be held in winter with the tournament starting on November 21 and ending on December 18 to coincide with the Qatar National Day.

Italy may have been absent from Friday's (April 1) Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup draw, but they can at least provide recent examples of the pitfalls of forecasting the finals this far in advance.

For the records, Qatar 2022 will be a 28-day affair as the country is set to host the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Middle East and the entire Arab world.

Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held at eight venues -- Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Educational City, Al Rayyan, Al Bayt and Al Thumama, Stadium 974 and Lusail and work is over in almost all the stadiums.

champions France face familiar opponents in the group and potentially in the second round, too, while they are in the same quarter of the draw as Qatar's pool and will avoid Spain, Germany, Belgium and Brazil early on.

Sentimental favourites Brazil should have no problems in the group so can settle into their campaign nicely while possible heavyweight opponents face titanic early tests.

Euro 2020 finalists England have been given thorough examinations by the USA, Scotland and Wales in past tournaments, but Gareth Southgate's side should fancy their chances of advancing and will back themselves again in the knockout stage.

Spain have not won their World Cup opener since 2006 but simply cannot afford a slow start this time, with Germany and perhaps Belgium to play after that. From pot one, Spain's draw could not have been much worse.

The odds for Belgium to go all the way drifted on Friday, as initial optimism around their group-stage draw was followed by greater inspection of a daunting path to the final.

Hosts Qatar are the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup champions. But hisory has always been against the host nations. The hosts may be the Asian champions, but only Germany were perhaps feared more than the Netherlands from pot two, while Senegal in pot three are the African champions and have a world class player in Sadio Mane.

Four of the past five holders have bowed out at the group stage, including the most recent three in a row, while Brazil in 1962 were the last team to win consecutive tournaments.

But France's title-winning campaign in 2018 saw them grouped with Australia, Peru and Denmark, giving Didier Deschamps' men some confidence they can negotiate this task, too.

Only the official draw ceremony is over. It is surely too early then to form firm opinions, but the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East and entire Arab world promises plenty of thrill and action! Game on! Bring it on! Yalla Qatar!