The 32 Teams Playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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Mapped: The 32 Teams Playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup

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Mapped: The 32 Teams Playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world—in 2018, nearly 3.6 billion people tuned in to watch the tournament.

Starting on November 20th, that excitement will return as 32 teams from around the world will compete in the 22nd FIFA World Cup Championship in Qatar.

This graphic by Athul Alexander shows the teams that will be playing against one another this year, and their latest pre-tournament FIFA rankings.

The Ranks of the 32 Qualifying Teams

The FIFA World Ranking is used to compare the 211 teams that are part of the FIFA association. They attempt to measure the progression and current ability of the each national football team.

The ranking is determined using a number of different metrics, including the number of games a team has won and how “important” those results were, such as in major tournaments or against strong opponents.

But high-ranking teams don’t qualify for the World Cup directly. Instead, ranks are used for seeding in regional qualifying tournaments, as each region (also known as a “confederation”) has a select number of slots.

This means that every World Cup, many lower-ranked teams end up qualifying for the event over higher-ranked teams. For 2022, the biggest example of this is Italy’s national team (ranked #6), which failed to qualify.

Here’s a look at the World Ranking of the 32 qualifying teams, as of Oct 6, 2022:

CountryFIFA RankTotal Points
🇧🇷 Brazil11841.30
🇧🇪 Belgium21816.71
🇦🇷 Argentina31773.88
🇫🇷 France41759.78
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England51728.47
🇪🇸 Spain71715.22
🇳🇱 Netherlands81694.51
🇵🇹 Portugal91676.56
🇩🇰 Denmark101666.57
🇩🇪 Germany111650.21
🇭🇷 Croatia121645.64
🇲🇽 Mexico131644.89
🇺🇾 Uruguay141638.71
🇨🇭 Switzerland151635.92
🇺🇸 USA161627.48
🇸🇳 Senegal181584.38
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales191569.82
🇮🇷 IR Iran201564.61
🇷🇸 Serbia211563.62
🇲🇦 Morocco221563.50
🇯🇵 Japan241559.54
🇵🇱 Poland261548.59
🇰🇷 Korea Republic281530.30
🇹🇳 Tunisia301507.54
🇨🇷 Costa Rica311503.59
🇦🇺 Australia381488.72
🇨🇦 Canada411475.00
🇨🇲 Cameroon431471.44
🇪🇨 Ecuador441464.39
🇶🇦 Qatar501439.89
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia511437.78
🇬🇭 Ghana611393.00

The highest-ranked team is Brazil with 1841.30 points. The South American team holds the record for most World Cup wins with five total—in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.

Next on the ranking is Belgium, with 1816.71 points. Belgium has yet to win the World Cup, however, in 2018 they made it to the semi-finals and ended up getting third place.

The Eight Groups for 2022

Each team’s ranking upon qualifying for the FIFA World Cup tournament is also used for seeding purposes to establish the groups.

The association first organizes the teams into four pots, based on their FIFA Ranking. Then, groups are established by randomly drawing teams from each pot.

Here’s a look at the eight different groups for 2022:

GroupCountry (Top Rank)Country (Top Middle Rank)Country (Bottom Middle Rank)Country (Bottom Rank)
ANetherlandsSenegalEcuadorQatar
BEnglandU.S.WalesIran
CArgentiaMexicoPolandSaudi Arabia
DFranceDenmarkTunisiaAustralia
ESpainGermanyJapanCosta Rica
FBelgiumCroatiaMoroccoCanada
GBrazilSwitzerlandSerbiaCameroon
HPortugalUruguaySouth KoreaGhana

The groups can’t have more than two teams from the same region, with the exception of Europe, which has double the amount of slots.

These groups will play each other in the first stage of the tournament, after which the top two teams from each group will move on to the bracket round.

Past FIFA World Cup Winners

Since 1930, the FIFA World Cup has been hosted every four years, apart from 1942 and 1946, when it was canceled during WWII.

Here’s a look at past cup winners, as well as the runner-ups, since 1930:

YearWinning TeamScoreRunners-up
1930Uruguay4–2Argentina
1934Italy2–1Czechoslovakia
1938Italy4–2Hungary
1950Uruguay2–1Brazil
1954West Germany3–2Hungary
1958Brazil5–2Sweden
1962Brazil3–1Czechoslovakia
1966England4–2West Germany
1970Brazil4–1Italy
1974West Germany2–1Netherlands
1978Argentina3–1Netherlands
1982Italy3–1West Germany
1986Argentina3–2West Germany
1990West Germany1–0Argentina
1994Brazil0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 pen.)
Italy
1998France3–0Brazil
2002Brazil2–0Germany
2006Italy1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 pen.)
France
2010Spain1–0 (a.e.t.)Netherlands
2014Germany1–0 (a.e.t.)Argentina
2018France4–2Croatia

*a.e.t mean “won after extra time,” pen. means “won by penalty kicks”

What’s expected for this year? While it’s technically anyone’s game, Brazil has a 15/4 chance of winning this year’s cup, according to bet365.

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Maps

Mapped: Countries Where People Don’t Exercise Enough

This map shows the share of people in each country who don’t get enough exercise per week. Stark regional patterns emerge.

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This cropped map tracks the share of population in every country that doesn't get enough exercise from data published by a study in Lancet Global Health.

Mapped: Countries Where People Don’t Exercise Enough

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • Two-thirds of the UAE isn’t getting enough exercise, the highest rate for any country in this study.
  • In West and South Asia, around half the population falls short of recommended physical activity levels.
  • Roughly one in three Americans aren’t hitting the minimum exercise mark.

The World Health Organization recommends 2.5 hours of moderate activity or 1.25 hours of vigorous activity every week.

What counts as moderate and vigorous activity?

A good rule of thumb is checking heart rate and breathing. If you can talk but not sing while doing the activity (walking, hiking), then it’s a moderate level of exercise.

Running and high-intensity sports are in the vigorous zone.

Using the latest data from a study published by The Lancet Global Health in 2024, we map the countries by the share of their population who aren’t meeting minimum exercise requirements.

Ranked: Countries That Don’t Get Enough Exercise

At the very top of the list, two-thirds of UAE’s population isn’t meeting minimum physical activity guidelines. This is the highest rate for any country in the study.

RankCountry/Territory% of population with
insufficient physical
activity
1🇦🇪 UAE66%
2🇰🇼 Kuwait63%
3🇨🇺 Cuba61%
4🇱🇧 Lebanon59%
5🇰🇷 South Korea58%
6🇵🇦 Panama58%
7🇶🇦 Qatar54%
8🇮🇶 Iraq52%
9🇵🇹 Portugal52%
10🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia52%
11🇨🇷 Costa Rica50%
12🇮🇳 India49%
13🇸🇷 Suriname49%
14🇮🇷 Iran46%
15🇵🇰 Pakistan46%
16🇻🇪 Venezuela46%
17🇱🇾 Libya46%
18🇵🇭 Philippines46%
19🇷🇸 Serbia45%
20🇿🇦 South Africa45%
21🇯🇵 Japan45%
22🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago45%
23🇹🇷 Türkiye44%
24🇧🇧 Barbados44%
25🇰🇳 Saint Kitts & Nevis42%
26🇵🇷 Puerto Rico42%
27🇧🇿 Belize42%
28🇴🇲 Oman41%
29🇨🇾 Cyprus41%
30🇲🇹 Malta41%
31🇧🇷 Brazil40%
32🇮🇹 Italy40%
33🇲🇾 Malaysia40%
34🇸🇻 El Salvador39%
35🇳🇮 Nicaragua39%
36🇧🇭 Bahrain39%
37🇯🇲 Jamaica39%
38🇦🇷 Argentina39%
39🇲🇷 Mauritania39%
40🇨🇱 Chile38%
41🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda38%
42🇸🇾 Syria38%
43🇧🇸 Bahamas37%
44🇨🇦 Canada37%
45🇱🇰 Sri Lanka37%
46🇩🇴 Dominican Republic37%
47🇵🇱 Poland37%
48🇬🇹 Guatemala37%
49🇭🇳 Honduras37%
50🇷🇴 Romania37%
51🇵🇾 Paraguay36%
52🇬🇩 Grenada36%
53🇹🇯 Tajikistan36%
54🇳🇷 Nauru36%
55🇬🇷 Greece35%
56🇬🇾 Guyana35%
57🇳🇴 Norway35%
58🇵🇪 Peru35%
59🇨🇴 Colombia34%
60🇪🇬 Egypt34%
61🇺🇾 Uruguay34%
62🇺🇸 U.S.34%
63🇦🇫 Afghanistan33%
64🇹🇳 Tunisia33%
65🇧🇳 Brunei33%
66🇧🇬 Bulgaria32%
67🇰🇮 Kiribati32%
68🇺🇿 Uzbekistan32%
69🇨🇻 Cabo Verde31%
70🇹🇴 Tonga31%
71🇩🇲 Dominica31%
72🇻🇨 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines31%
73🇻🇳 Vietnam30%
74🇲🇺 Mauritius30%
75🇲🇱 Mali30%
76🇵🇸 Palestine30%
77🇭🇺 Hungary29%
78🇫🇲 Micronesia29%
79🇾🇪 Yemen29%
80🇩🇿 Algeria29%
81🇹🇭 Thailand29%
82🇭🇷 Croatia28%
83🇭🇹 Haiti28%
84🇯🇴 Jordan28%
85🇰🇿 Kazakhstan28%
86🇲🇽 Mexico28%
87🇲🇳 Mongolia28%
88🇹🇼 Taiwan27%
89🇦🇩 Andorra27%
90🇰🇵 North Korea27%
91🇹🇱 Timor-Leste27%
92🇦🇲 Armenia27%
93🇮🇱 Israel27%
94🇲🇰 North Macedonia26%
95🇵🇼 Palau26%
96🇮🇸 Iceland26%
97🇸🇲 San Marino26%
98🇦🇺 Australia26%
99🇲🇨 Monaco26%
100🇧🇪 Belgium25%
101🇨🇰 Cook Islands25%
102🇳🇦 Namibia25%
103🇲🇻 Maldives25%
104🇲🇦 Morocco25%
105🇲🇭 Marshall Islands24%
106🇹🇻 Tuvalu24%
107🇦🇱 Albania24%
108🇬🇪 Georgia24%
109🇦🇿 Azerbaijan24%
110🇨🇳 China24%
111🇨🇿 Czechia23%
112🇸🇰 Slovakia23%
113🇫🇷 France23%
114🇸🇬 Singapore23%
115🇪🇨 Ecuador23%
116🇲🇪 Montenegro23%
117🇧🇴 Bolivia23%
118🇧🇼 Botswana22%
119🇲🇲 Myanmar22%
120🇮🇪 Ireland22%
121🇪🇸 Spain22%
122🇬🇭 Ghana21%
123🇬🇲 Gambia21%
124🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina21%
125🇱🇨 Saint Lucia21%
126🇬🇦 Gabon21%
127🇸🇨 Seychelles20%
128🇧🇩 Bangladesh20%
129🇱🇹 Lithuania20%
130🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan20%
131🇦🇹 Austria20%
132🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire20%
133🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea20%
134🇸🇿 Eswatini19%
135🇸🇩 Sudan19%
136🇨🇭 Switzerland19%
137🇬🇧 UK19%
138🇮🇩 Indonesia19%
139🇸🇮 Slovenia19%
140🇨🇲 Cameroon19%
141🇳🇿 New Zealand19%
142🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe18%
143🇳🇬 Nigeria18%
144🇷🇺 Russia18%
145🇸🇴 Somalia18%
146🇧🇯 Benin18%
147🇹🇩 Chad18%
148🇿🇼 Zimbabwe18%
149🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau18%
150🇸🇧 Solomon Islands18%
151🇦🇴 Angola17%
152🇰🇲 Comoros17%
153🇩🇯 Djibouti17%
154🇧🇫 Burkina Faso17%
155🇬🇳 Guinea17%
156🇸🇳 Senegal17%
157🇨🇫 Central African Republic17%
158🇸🇸 South Sudan16%
159🇳🇪 Niger16%
160🇨🇬 Congo16%
161🇪🇪 Estonia16%
162🇱🇦 Laos16%
163🇫🇯 Fiji16%
164🇨🇩 DRC15%
165🇹🇬 Togo15%
166🇱🇷 Liberia15%
167🇱🇻 Latvia15%
168🇧🇮 Burundi14%
169🇿🇲 Zambia14%
170🇧🇾 Belarus14%
171🇱🇺 Luxembourg14%
172🇲🇬 Madagascar14%
173🇼🇸 Samoa14%
174🇰🇭 Cambodia13%
175🇸🇱 Sierra Leone13%
176🇺🇦 Ukraine13%
177🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea13%
178🇩🇰 Denmark12%
179🇹🇲 Turkmenistan12%
180🇩🇪 Germany12%
181🇪🇷 Eritrea12%
182🇲🇩 Moldova11%
183🇧🇹 Bhutan10%
184🇲🇿 Mozambique10%
185🇫🇮 Finland10%
186🇪🇹 Ethiopia9%
187🇳🇱 Netherlands9%
188🇷🇼 Rwanda9%
189🇰🇪 Kenya9%
190🇸🇪 Sweden9%
191🇳🇵 Nepal8%
192🇱🇸 Lesotho8%
193🇻🇺 Vanuatu8%
194🇳🇺 Niue7%
195🇺🇬 Uganda6%
196🇹🇿 Tanzania4%
197🇲🇼 Malawi3%

Note: Data collected between 2022–2024, via surveys and national statistics programs, published August 2024. Figures are age-standardized, averaged between sexes, and rounded.

In fact, the Middle East and West and South Asia are all swathes of red—indicating about half of the population isn’t exercising enough.

On the other hand, East and Southeast Asian countries are a little better when it comes to physical activity.

Interestingly Japan—known for their longevity—isn’t technically exercising enough by the specified guidelines. However the Japanese are also known for their walkable cities and excellent diet, both points in their favor.

Meanwhile, most people in Europe and Africa meet the requirements. Sub-Saharan Africa in particular is very active, but there are economic reasons at play here as well: a greater share of the population in poorer countries are often employed in subsistence farming or manual labor.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To see the correlation between exercise levels and incomes check out The Global Population by Income Group for a quick overview.

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