Sports

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

Published

2 years ago

November 19, 2022

Athul Alexander

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Carmen Ang

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:

Country	FIFA Rank	Total Points
🇧🇷 Brazil	1	1841.30
🇧🇪 Belgium	2	1816.71
🇦🇷 Argentina	3	1773.88
🇫🇷 France	4	1759.78
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England	5	1728.47
🇪🇸 Spain	7	1715.22
🇳🇱 Netherlands	8	1694.51
🇵🇹 Portugal	9	1676.56
🇩🇰 Denmark	10	1666.57
🇩🇪 Germany	11	1650.21
🇭🇷 Croatia	12	1645.64
🇲🇽 Mexico	13	1644.89
🇺🇾 Uruguay	14	1638.71
🇨🇭 Switzerland	15	1635.92
🇺🇸 USA	16	1627.48
🇸🇳 Senegal	18	1584.38
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales	19	1569.82
🇮🇷 IR Iran	20	1564.61
🇷🇸 Serbia	21	1563.62
🇲🇦 Morocco	22	1563.50
🇯🇵 Japan	24	1559.54
🇵🇱 Poland	26	1548.59
🇰🇷 Korea Republic	28	1530.30
🇹🇳 Tunisia	30	1507.54
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	31	1503.59
🇦🇺 Australia	38	1488.72
🇨🇦 Canada	41	1475.00
🇨🇲 Cameroon	43	1471.44
🇪🇨 Ecuador	44	1464.39
🇶🇦 Qatar	50	1439.89
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	51	1437.78
🇬🇭 Ghana	61	1393.00

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:

Group	Country (Top Rank)	Country (Top Middle Rank)	Country (Bottom Middle Rank)	Country (Bottom Rank)
A	Netherlands	Senegal	Ecuador	Qatar
B	England	U.S.	Wales	Iran
C	Argentia	Mexico	Poland	Saudi Arabia
D	France	Denmark	Tunisia	Australia
E	Spain	Germany	Japan	Costa Rica
F	Belgium	Croatia	Morocco	Canada
G	Brazil	Switzerland	Serbia	Cameroon
H	Portugal	Uruguay	South Korea	Ghana

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:

Year	Winning Team	Score	Runners-up
1930	Uruguay	4–2	Argentina
1934	Italy	2–1	Czechoslovakia
1938	Italy	4–2	Hungary
1950	Uruguay	2–1	Brazil
1954	West Germany	3–2	Hungary
1958	Brazil	5–2	Sweden
1962	Brazil	3–1	Czechoslovakia
1966	England	4–2	West Germany
1970	Brazil	4–1	Italy
1974	West Germany	2–1	Netherlands
1978	Argentina	3–1	Netherlands
1982	Italy	3–1	West Germany
1986	Argentina	3–2	West Germany
1990	West Germany	1–0	Argentina
1994	Brazil	0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–2 pen.)	Italy
1998	France	3–0	Brazil
2002	Brazil	2–0	Germany
2006	Italy	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 pen.)	France
2010	Spain	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Netherlands
2014	Germany	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Argentina
2018	France	4–2	Croatia

*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.

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.

Related Topics:Brazil map rankings football soccer FIFA mapped FIFA world cup FIFA Ranking FIFA winners Qatar

Click for Comments

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.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2025

Pallavi Rao

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.

Rank	Country/Territory	% of population with insufficient physical activity
1	🇦🇪 UAE	66%
2	🇰🇼 Kuwait	63%
3	🇨🇺 Cuba	61%
4	🇱🇧 Lebanon	59%
5	🇰🇷 South Korea	58%
6	🇵🇦 Panama	58%
7	🇶🇦 Qatar	54%
8	🇮🇶 Iraq	52%
9	🇵🇹 Portugal	52%
10	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	52%
11	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	50%
12	🇮🇳 India	49%
13	🇸🇷 Suriname	49%
14	🇮🇷 Iran	46%
15	🇵🇰 Pakistan	46%
16	🇻🇪 Venezuela	46%
17	🇱🇾 Libya	46%
18	🇵🇭 Philippines	46%
19	🇷🇸 Serbia	45%
20	🇿🇦 South Africa	45%
21	🇯🇵 Japan	45%
22	🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago	45%
23	🇹🇷 Türkiye	44%
24	🇧🇧 Barbados	44%
25	🇰🇳 Saint Kitts & Nevis	42%
26	🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	42%
27	🇧🇿 Belize	42%
28	🇴🇲 Oman	41%
29	🇨🇾 Cyprus	41%
30	🇲🇹 Malta	41%
31	🇧🇷 Brazil	40%
32	🇮🇹 Italy	40%
33	🇲🇾 Malaysia	40%
34	🇸🇻 El Salvador	39%
35	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	39%
36	🇧🇭 Bahrain	39%
37	🇯🇲 Jamaica	39%
38	🇦🇷 Argentina	39%
39	🇲🇷 Mauritania	39%
40	🇨🇱 Chile	38%
41	🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda	38%
42	🇸🇾 Syria	38%
43	🇧🇸 Bahamas	37%
44	🇨🇦 Canada	37%
45	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	37%
46	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	37%
47	🇵🇱 Poland	37%
48	🇬🇹 Guatemala	37%
49	🇭🇳 Honduras	37%
50	🇷🇴 Romania	37%
51	🇵🇾 Paraguay	36%
52	🇬🇩 Grenada	36%
53	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	36%
54	🇳🇷 Nauru	36%
55	🇬🇷 Greece	35%
56	🇬🇾 Guyana	35%
57	🇳🇴 Norway	35%
58	🇵🇪 Peru	35%
59	🇨🇴 Colombia	34%
60	🇪🇬 Egypt	34%
61	🇺🇾 Uruguay	34%
62	🇺🇸 U.S.	34%
63	🇦🇫 Afghanistan	33%
64	🇹🇳 Tunisia	33%
65	🇧🇳 Brunei	33%
66	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	32%
67	🇰🇮 Kiribati	32%
68	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	32%
69	🇨🇻 Cabo Verde	31%
70	🇹🇴 Tonga	31%
71	🇩🇲 Dominica	31%
72	🇻🇨 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines	31%
73	🇻🇳 Vietnam	30%
74	🇲🇺 Mauritius	30%
75	🇲🇱 Mali	30%
76	🇵🇸 Palestine	30%
77	🇭🇺 Hungary	29%
78	🇫🇲 Micronesia	29%
79	🇾🇪 Yemen	29%
80	🇩🇿 Algeria	29%
81	🇹🇭 Thailand	29%
82	🇭🇷 Croatia	28%
83	🇭🇹 Haiti	28%
84	🇯🇴 Jordan	28%
85	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	28%
86	🇲🇽 Mexico	28%
87	🇲🇳 Mongolia	28%
88	🇹🇼 Taiwan	27%
89	🇦🇩 Andorra	27%
90	🇰🇵 North Korea	27%
91	🇹🇱 Timor-Leste	27%
92	🇦🇲 Armenia	27%
93	🇮🇱 Israel	27%
94	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	26%
95	🇵🇼 Palau	26%
96	🇮🇸 Iceland	26%
97	🇸🇲 San Marino	26%
98	🇦🇺 Australia	26%
99	🇲🇨 Monaco	26%
100	🇧🇪 Belgium	25%
101	🇨🇰 Cook Islands	25%
102	🇳🇦 Namibia	25%
103	🇲🇻 Maldives	25%
104	🇲🇦 Morocco	25%
105	🇲🇭 Marshall Islands	24%
106	🇹🇻 Tuvalu	24%
107	🇦🇱 Albania	24%
108	🇬🇪 Georgia	24%
109	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	24%
110	🇨🇳 China	24%
111	🇨🇿 Czechia	23%
112	🇸🇰 Slovakia	23%
113	🇫🇷 France	23%
114	🇸🇬 Singapore	23%
115	🇪🇨 Ecuador	23%
116	🇲🇪 Montenegro	23%
117	🇧🇴 Bolivia	23%
118	🇧🇼 Botswana	22%
119	🇲🇲 Myanmar	22%
120	🇮🇪 Ireland	22%
121	🇪🇸 Spain	22%
122	🇬🇭 Ghana	21%
123	🇬🇲 Gambia	21%
124	🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina	21%
125	🇱🇨 Saint Lucia	21%
126	🇬🇦 Gabon	21%
127	🇸🇨 Seychelles	20%
128	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	20%
129	🇱🇹 Lithuania	20%
130	🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	20%
131	🇦🇹 Austria	20%
132	🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire	20%
133	🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea	20%
134	🇸🇿 Eswatini	19%
135	🇸🇩 Sudan	19%
136	🇨🇭 Switzerland	19%
137	🇬🇧 UK	19%
138	🇮🇩 Indonesia	19%
139	🇸🇮 Slovenia	19%
140	🇨🇲 Cameroon	19%
141	🇳🇿 New Zealand	19%
142	🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe	18%
143	🇳🇬 Nigeria	18%
144	🇷🇺 Russia	18%
145	🇸🇴 Somalia	18%
146	🇧🇯 Benin	18%
147	🇹🇩 Chad	18%
148	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	18%
149	🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau	18%
150	🇸🇧 Solomon Islands	18%
151	🇦🇴 Angola	17%
152	🇰🇲 Comoros	17%
153	🇩🇯 Djibouti	17%
154	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	17%
155	🇬🇳 Guinea	17%
156	🇸🇳 Senegal	17%
157	🇨🇫 Central African Republic	17%
158	🇸🇸 South Sudan	16%
159	🇳🇪 Niger	16%
160	🇨🇬 Congo	16%
161	🇪🇪 Estonia	16%
162	🇱🇦 Laos	16%
163	🇫🇯 Fiji	16%
164	🇨🇩 DRC	15%
165	🇹🇬 Togo	15%
166	🇱🇷 Liberia	15%
167	🇱🇻 Latvia	15%
168	🇧🇮 Burundi	14%
169	🇿🇲 Zambia	14%
170	🇧🇾 Belarus	14%
171	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	14%
172	🇲🇬 Madagascar	14%
173	🇼🇸 Samoa	14%
174	🇰🇭 Cambodia	13%
175	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	13%
176	🇺🇦 Ukraine	13%
177	🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	13%
178	🇩🇰 Denmark	12%
179	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	12%
180	🇩🇪 Germany	12%
181	🇪🇷 Eritrea	12%
182	🇲🇩 Moldova	11%
183	🇧🇹 Bhutan	10%
184	🇲🇿 Mozambique	10%
185	🇫🇮 Finland	10%
186	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	9%
187	🇳🇱 Netherlands	9%
188	🇷🇼 Rwanda	9%
189	🇰🇪 Kenya	9%
190	🇸🇪 Sweden	9%
191	🇳🇵 Nepal	8%
192	🇱🇸 Lesotho	8%
193	🇻🇺 Vanuatu	8%
194	🇳🇺 Niue	7%
195	🇺🇬 Uganda	6%
196	🇹🇿 Tanzania	4%
197	🇲🇼 Malawi	3%

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.