Quarterfinals World Cup 2022: Teams qualified, bracket, match schedule, fixtures and how it works

We’re approaching the business end of the 2022 World Cup schedule with the final eight teams that will be left standing after the conclusion of the Round of 16.

The nations that reach the quarterfinals will all feel like they have a legitimate chance to reach the final at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday, December 18. All eight will be just three wins away from hoisting the World Cup trophy.

The quarterfinals could produce several intriguing potential matchups: France versus England, Portugal versus Spain, Netherlands versus Argentina, and Senegal versus France are some of the most compelling head-to-heads that could happen.

The final quarterfinal picture will be known on Tuesday, December 6 when the final Round of 16 matches will be played.

MORE: Everything you need to know about the World Cup Round of 16

World Cup Quarterfinals match schedule

The eight teams that survive the Round of 16 will play in the quarterfinals on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10. 

That will give teams a six-day break between the Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches. The quarterfinal winners will then only have four days before they play their semifinal matches.

World Cup Quarterfinals

World Cup Semifinals

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World Cup Quarterfinals bracket 2022

The graphic of the 2022 World Cup bracket shows that there are two halves with each producing a World Cup finalist who will vie for the trophy in the championship game on Sunday, December 18.

One finalist will come from the following list of teams on one side of the bracket with a mix of representatives from several regions: 

• Netherlands / USA
• Argentina / Australia
• Japan / Croatia
• Brazil / South Korea

The other half of the bracket has a heavy presence of European sides (six of eight) so there’s a good chance the other finalist will hail from Europe. The only opposition will come from two African sides still alive in the competition (Morocco, Senegal).

• England / Senegal
• France / Poland
• Morocco / Spain
• Portugal / Switzerland

MORE: Who will win the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Here’s what the odds say

How the quarterfinals work

The quarterfinals work in the same way as the Round of 16. 

They are made up four single-elimination matches in which a winner needs to be determine on the day. So if teams are tied after 90 minutes of regulation, 30 minutes of extra time are played.

If teams are still deadlocked at the conclusion of the 30-minute extra time period, then the match will proceed to a penalty-kick shootout to determine the winner.

Penalty shootout

Here’s how the penalty shootout works: Each team gets five attempts to score a penalty kick against the opposition’s goalkeeper with each side determining which player gets to shoot and the specific order.

The team that successfully converts the most penalties after five rounds is deemed the winner and advances, although the match will officially be registered as a draw on each team’s record.

If teams are tied on penalties made after the end of the fifth round, both teams get one additional round of attempts until the deadlock is finally broken.

A player cannot be named to take a second penalty attempt in the same shootout until all 11 players on the field at the end of extra time — including the goalkeeper — have taken an attempt.

World Cup quarterfinal history

In the seven men’s World Cup tournaments held since 1994, the 56 available quarterfinal slots have been occupied by 26 different nations listed below.

A total of 16 European nations, five from South American, two from North America and Africa, and one from Asia have reached the elite eight since 1994.

Brazil, Germany, and the Netherlands lead the way in quarterfinal appearances over the seven tournaments prior to Qatar 2022. 

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