The 2022 World Cup will be held in November and December, when the average temperature is around 25 degrees Celsius, closer to the temperature of the beginning of summer in Europe. However, during this relatively cool time of the year, the humidity is still uncomfortably high. Will the European countries be affected by the heat and humidity? Will the lower ranked teams be more adaptable to the weather in Qatar and blow the competition out of the water? Will the unique humidity and heat of Qatar benefit some countries in the 2022 World Cup?
Although the temperatures are cooler, the weather is undoubtedly a challenge for most of the participating countries. In addition, players in the Northern Hemisphere will have to adjust to colder playing conditions. Playing in such humid climates increases sweating and sodium loss at a faster rate. If not replenished in a timely manner, high sodium loss can seriously affect performance.
To combat such a challenging climate, the race will be held in a climate-controlled stadium, even in the winter months in Qatar. All eight fields will be air-conditioned through vents in the stands and vents on the sidelines to keep players and spectators comfortable.
Will the weather at the Qatar World Cup provide an advantage?
With the tournament moving to winter and air conditioning, the impact of the weather in Qatar may not be as great as originally thought. Nevertheless, at least some of the time, the athletes will experience very different weather conditions from their original environment.
With that in mind, it might be worth thinking about which countries and players are better suited to play in Qatar. Here are three countries you can bet on that might be better suited to Qatar’s climate. While none of them are likely to be champions, the task of a good bettor is to find the expected value, not necessarily the champion. As long as these teams progress beyond expectations, there is a chance that your bets will pay off.
Uruguay (FIFA World Cup 2022 Group H)
Uruguay is the second seed in this grouping, along with Portugal, Ghana and South Korea, making it arguably one of the easiest groups to play in. Uruguay’s climate is humid and subtropical. Therefore, their team members should be familiar with the climate of Qatar.
Despite winning their first World Cup title in 1930 and their second in 1950, they have often failed to live up to their name in recent years. However, this year’s squad has a lot of promise, with most of their players having played for some of the top teams in Europe. If they can win the group stage and avoid likely Group G winner Brazil in the round of 16, they could be in the top eight.
Senegal (FIFA World Cup 2022 Group A)
Senegal are the current African Nations Cup champions and currently have a golden squad, having made a name for themselves in their first World Cup appearance in 2002 when they beat world champions France in the round of 16.
Senegal is in Group A with hosts Qatar, Ecuador and the Netherlands. Senegal is located in West Africa and has a rainy season from July to October, with higher humidity than the winter months in Qatar and average temperatures of around 25-30 degrees Celsius. As a result, the climate during the World Cup will make their team feel like they are at home.
If they finish second in the group after title favorites Netherlands, they could face England in the next round, but avoiding England would require a win over Iran, the United States or Wales to reach the last eight.
Ecuador (FIFA World Cup 2022 Group A)
In both the June 2021 Copa America and the more recent January 2022 World Cup qualifying matches, Ecuador drew one-to-one with World Cup champions Brazil. So we can’t ignore Brazil coach Tite’s opinion that Ecuador could be a huge upset in this year’s World Cup.
In fact, aside from Brazil and Argentina, Ecuador has scored more goals than any other team in the FIFA World Cup qualification tournament – more than Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Ecuador is located south of the equator, and much of the low-lying country has a humid, subtropical climate. Although this team is not as popular as the more popular national teams and can boast some notable players, there are some talented players who are starting to make their mark.
Being in Group A with Senegal, Netherlands and Qatar, it is likely that only one of these teams will make it to the second round. Betting on Ecuador to qualify from the group stage will probably give you a better chance of getting your money back than betting on Senegal.