WORLD CUP

Are you ready for some fútbol? World Cup 2022 is underway in Qatar, but you don’t have to be an expert on soccer — or football, as most of the world calls it — to enjoy the planet’s most-watched sports competition.

Amid a brutal 2022 World Cup group that features two European giants, Japan knew they would need to spring an upset or two to qualify for the knockout stage. They did just that in their opening match, coming from behind Wednesday to defeat Germany, 2-1, in shocking fashion.

Since coming back to England, I always get asked the question: “What’s the standard like in Japan?” I always say the same thing: It’s fantastic, these players are technicians. They can keep the ball against anyone.

The FIFA World Cup is always a special occasion with the tournament only coming around once every four years. In 2022, football fans have had to wait even longer with the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar pushing back the usual start date from June to November.

The World Cup draw was made on Friday, with England to face Iran, USA and one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine in the group stage. Following the draw, the reaction in the English press was largely that Gareth Southgate’s team will have a rather easy passage through to the knockout stages in Qatar.