Qatar World Cup: Start times for every match and how to watch

DOHA, Qatar — For the first time, the FIFA World Cup is heading to the Middle East for a fall tournament highlighting soccer's best.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup will serve as an international showcase for the small and wealthy Persian Gulf nation. The country is eager to distance itself from allegations of human rights abuses even if controversy over its selection as a World Cup host nation has hardly dissipated over the last 12 years.

The U.S. men's national team looks to defy the odds and pull off a World Cup holiday shocker. But they'll have to get past Wales, England and Iran in group play first. Mexico, hit hard by injuries and issues within its federation, may face even tougher odds of staying alive beyond group play.

Here's a preview of each of the eight groups at the 2022 World Cup, along with how to watch every game on TV and streaming services (FIFA world rankings in parentheses):

GROUP A

— Ecuador (44), Netherlands (8), Qatar (50), Senegal (18)

— The skinny: Senegal, the only country in this group that played in the 2018 World Cup, was dealt a crushing blow just five days before its opener when forward Sadio Mane, a two-time African player of the year, was ruled out of the tournament with