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WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH THE GAMES
From home
Because of the significant time difference between Qatar and Texas, some of the games will be broadcast in San Antonio in the early morning — as early as 4 a.m. or 7 a.m.
Given the cold, rainy weather, it makes sense to watch any of the games in the warmth and comfort of home (especially if bars and restaurants won’t be open at those times). Also, if you’re at the office and can’t get away, you can watch them on a smartphone or computer. Just don’t let it disrupt your productivity.
NPR offers several options for where to watch the games on TV and where to stream them online.
From bars or restaurants
Based on the calendar of games, there are a few places in San Antonio that plan Men’s World Cup watch parties, though most bars and restaurants will likely have at least one TV tuned to the afternoon games, depending on their business hours. More options will be added as details come in.
Sunday, Nov. 20
Qatar v Ecuador 10 a.m. (all times CST)
Monday, Nov. 21
England v Iran 7 a.m. / Senegal v Netherlands 10 a.m. / USA v. Wales 1 p.m.
- Big Hops Shaenfield: 7915 W Loop 1604 N Ste 112 / Begins at noon / More info here
- Chicken N Pickle: 5215 UTSA Blvd / Begins at noon
- Smoke BBQ + SkyBar: 501 East Crockett St. / Begins at noon / More info here
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Argentina v. Saudi Arabia 4 a.m. / Denmark v. Tunisia 7 a.m.
Mexico v. Poland 10 a.m. / France v. Australia 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Morocco v. Croatia 4 a.m. / Germany v. Japan 7 a.m.
Spain v. Costa Rica 10 a.m. / Belgium v. Canada 1 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 24
Switzerland v. Cameroon 4 a.m. / Uruguay v. South Korea 7 a.m.
Portugal v. Ghana 10 a.m. / Brazil v. Serbia 1 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 25
Wales v. Iran 4 a.m. / Qatar v. Senegal 7 a.m.
Netherlands v. Ecuador 10 a.m. / England v. USA 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 26
Tunisia v. Australia 4 a.m. / Poland v Saudi Arabia 7 a.m.
France v. Denmark 10 a.m. / Argentina v. Mexico 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 27
Japan v. Costa Rica 4 a.m. / Belgium v. Morocco 7 a.m.
Croatia v. Canada 10 a.m. / Spain v. Germany 1 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 28
Cameroon v. Serbia 4 a.m. / South Korea v. Ghana 7 a.m.
Brazil v. Switzerland 10 a.m. / Portugal v. Uruguay 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Netherlands v. Qatar 9 a.m. / Ecuador v. Senegal 9 a.m.
Wales v. England 1 p.m. / Iran v. USA 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Tunisia v. France 9 a.m. / Australia v. Denmark 9 a.m.
Poland v. Argentina 1 p.m. / Saudi Arabia v. Mexico 1 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 1
Croatia v. Belgium 9 a.m. / Canada v. Morocco 9 a.m.
Japan v. Spain 1 p.m. / Costa Rica v. Germany 1 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 2
South Korea v. Portugal 9 a.m. / Ghana v. Uruguay 9 a.m.
Cameroon v. Brazil 1 p.m. / Serbia v. Switzerland 1 p.m.
Round of 16 games
Dec. 3 to Dec. 6
Quarterfinals
Dec. 9 to Dec. 10
Semifinals
Dec. 13 to Dec. 14
Third place playoff
Dec. 17, 9 a.m.
Final
Dec. 18, 9 a.m.
BACKGROUND
What is the Men’s World Cup?
The FIFA Men’s World Cup is the global soccer championship that brings together teams representing dozens of nations — 32 nations this year, including the United States — to compete for the FIFA World Cup trophy. Teams spend about two years trying to qualify to play in the World Cup.
FIFA stands for “Fédération Internationale de Football Association,” which is the international association that manages the games. The tournament has been played every four years since the 1930s (the 1942 and 1946 championships were canceled because of World War II).
Usually, one country hosts the games. Competition between nations is often fierce, and the final decision is usually controversial. The U.S. hosted the games in 1994. Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018. This year, Qatar, a nation on the Persian Gulf, will host.
In 2002, for the first time, multiple countries — Japan and South Korea — shared the hosting honors. In 2026, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will share the games among 17 cities — including Houston and Arlington.
Sergei Karpukhin
/
Reuters
The World Cup usually takes place in the summer, but because of Qatar’s heat, the 2022 games were moved into the winter, from mid November to mid December.
FIFA’s selection of Qatar was one of the most controversial decisions in recent memory. Qatar is a conservative nation governed by Islamic law, and its record on human rights, rights for women, rules on gender equality, and rights for workers (who spent more than a decade building the World Cup facilities) have been the focus of scrutiny and condemnation.
The latest controversy was FIFA’s last minute decision to ban beer sales at World Cup stadiums.
What about the Women’s World Cup?
FIFA’s Women’s World Cup is also held every four years. The U.S. team won the 2019 faceoff with the Netherlands — the U.S. team has won the trophy four times. The next one is in 2023, from July 20 to Aug. 20. Australia and New Zealand will host that competition — the first time two nations host the women’s games.
The Women’s World Cup was established in 1991 as a 12-team tournament. In 2023, it will feature teams from 32 nations — a reflection of the massive growth and popularity of women’s soccer around the world.
Some fans consider the Women’s World Cup — in terms of skill, intelligence of strategy and tactics, and overall quality of teams — far superior to the men’s championship.
The Women’s World Cup has endured and fought against systemic FIFA problems, most notably huge differences in award money.
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