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Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A United States Men's National Team return, a seasonal setting change, dozens of soccer stars and the priciest infrastructure ever devoted to a World Cup mark the 2022 tournament, which will start Sunday in Qatar. The 32-team tournament will encompass 64 games in eight stadiums over four weeks, ending with the final Dec. 18 in Lusail. Games will air on Fox and FS1, with Spanish broadcasts available on Telemundo and Universo.
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"We are so thankful for any type of support we can get back home," U.S. forward-midfielder Christian Pulisic told reporters last week. "The World Cup is so special for us and the No. 1 thing Americans can watch when it comes to soccer.
"We are going to give everything we have and hope to make everybody back home proud."
Brazil is favored to win the title, with a record five World Cup crowns under its belt. Argentina, reigning champion France, England and Spain are also among the Top 5 favorites.
The United States is not among the Top 10 expected contenders. The Americans failed to qualify for the last World Cup, held in 2018 in Russia. They advanced past the Round of 16 just once in their last nine appearances at the tournament.
The Americans, who have never won a World Cup title, advanced to the quarterfinals in 2002 and the semifinals in 1930.
Pulisic is among the top players for the Americans. His 52 international appearances also make him one of the most experienced players on the team. The Chelsea winger and three-time U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year logged 21 goals and 10 assists in his previous international competitions.
Defender DeAndre Yedlin is the only American player with World Cup experience. Defender Sergino Dest, midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams and forwards Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna and Tim Weah will be among the other players to watch from manager Gregg Berhalter's 26-man roster.
"We are sticking to the values of who we are as a team, and with what we want to accomplish in this tournament," Berhalter said. "We are ready to go. We know World Cup games are highly competitive and that winning World Cup games is very difficult.
"That's going to set the stage for how we compete in this tournament."
Watch the stars
Host country Qatar will face Ecuador in the tournament opener at 11 a.m. Sunday EST on Fox. Pulisic and the Americans will start their run with a group stage match against Wales at 2 p.m. Monday on Fox.
They will face England at 2 p.m. Nov. 25 on Fox. They will wrap up the group stage against Iran at 2 p.m. Nov. 29 on Fox.
Argentina's Lionel Messi, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne, Poland's Robert Lewandowski, Brazil's Neymar Jr., Croatia's Luka Modric and France's Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema will be among the most-notable players in this year's tournament.
Argentina will open the tournament against Saudi Arabia at 5 a.m. Tuesday on FS1. Mexico will face Poland at 11 a.m. Tuesday on Fox. France will meet Australia at 2 p.m. Tuesday on Fox. Croatia will face Morocco at 5 a.m. Wednesday on FS1.
Belgium will play Canada at 2 p.m. Wednesday on Fox. Ronaldo and Portugal will face Ghana at 11 a.m. Thursday on the same network. Neymar and Brazil will battle Serbia at 2 p.m. Thursday on Fox.
The top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the Round of 16 knockout stage. Round of 16 games will be Dec. 3 to 6.
Quarterfinal matches will be Dec. 9 and 10. The semifinals will be Dec. 13 and 14, a few days before the title game.
Dry setting, menu
Stadium capacities for the tournament range from 40,000 to 80,000. Seven of the eight venues were recently constructed as part of Qatar's estimated $300 billion investment since being named host in 2010.
The new, futuristic facilities appear mirage-like, surrounded by dessert sands spilt above the Persian Gulf.
Qatar's typical dry air remains, but a decision to have the tournament in November and December, instead of its standard summer date, will provide respite for the estimated 1.5 million fans expected to be in Qatar for the first World Cup ever hosted in the Middle East.
The high daily average temperatures for July in Qatar is nearly 107 degrees. November and December temperatures range from an average of 70 to 76 degrees.
Most fans looking to quench their thirst at the games won't be able to purchase alcohol inside any of the eight stadiums. FIFA -- the global governing body for soccer -- announced that policy Friday.
"Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeter," FIFA said in a statement.
The last-minute change was just the latest audible for organizers, who announced in August that the tournament would start one day earlier than planned. FIFA announced the tournament's June-July to November-December date change in 2014.
2022 World Cup
Game times in EST
Sunday
Qatar vs. Ecuador at 11 a.m. on Fox
Monday
England vs. Iran at 8 a.m. on FS1
Senegal vs. Netherlands at 11 a.m. on Fox
USA vs. Wales at 2 p.m. on Fox
Tuesday
Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia at 5 a.m. on FS1
Denmark vs. Tunisia at 8 a.m. on FS1
Mexico vs. Poland at 11 a.m. on Fox
France vs. Australia at 2 p.m. on Fox
Wednesday
Morocco vs. Croatia at 5 a.m. on FS1
Germany vs. Japan at 8 a.m. on FS1
Spain vs. Costa Rica at 11 a.m. on Fox
Belgium vs. Canada at 2 p.m. on Fox
Thursday
Switzerland vs. Cameroon at 5 a.m. on FS1
Uruguay vs. South Korea at 8 a.m. on FS1
Portugal vs. Ghana at 11 a.m. on Fox
Brazil vs. Serbia at 2 p.m. on Fox
Nov. 25
Wales vs. Iran at 5 a.m. on FS1
Qatar vs. Senegal at 8 a.m. on FS1
Netherlands vs. Ecuador at 11 a.m. on Fox
England vs. USA at 2 p.m. on Fox
Nov. 26
Tunisia vs. Australia at 5 a.m. on FS1
Poland vs. Saudi Arabia at 8 a.m. on FS1
France vs. Denmark at 11 a.m. on FS1
Argentina vs. Mexico at 2 p.m. on FS1
Nov. 27
Japan vs. Costa Rica at 5 a.m. on FS1
Belgium vs. Morocco at 8 a.m. on FS1
Croatia vs. Canada at 11 a.m. on FS1
Spain vs. Germany at 2 p.m. on FS1
Nov. 28
Cameroon vs. Serbia at 5 a.m. on FS1
South Korea vs. Ghana at 8 a.m. on FS1
Brazil vs. Switzerland at 11 a.m. on Fox
Portugal vs. Uruguay at 2 p.m. on Fox
Nov. 29
Ecuador vs. Senegal at 10 a.m. on Fox
Netherlands vs. Qatar at 10 a.m. on FS1
Iran vs. USA at 2 p.m. on Fox
Wales vs. England at 2 p.m. on FS1
Nov. 30
Tunisia vs. France at 10 a.m. on Fox
Australia vs. Denmark at 10 a.m. on FS1
Poland vs. Argentina at 2 p.m. on Fox
Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico at 2 p.m. on FS1
Dec. 1
Croatia vs. Belgium at 10 a.m. on Fox
Canada vs. Morocco at 10 a.m. on FS1
Japan vs. Spain at 2 p.m. on Fox
Costa Rica vs. Germany at 2 p.m. on FS1
Dec. 2
South Korea vs. Portugal at 10 a.m. on Fox
Ghana vs. Uruguay at 10 a.m. on FS1
Serbia vs. Switzerland at 2 p.m. on FS1
Cameroon vs. Brazil at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 3
Round of 16 at 10 a.m. on Fox
Round of 16 at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 4
Round of 16 at 10 a.m. on FS1
Round of 16 at 2 p.m. on FS1
Dec. 5
Round of 16 at 10 a.m. on Fox
Round of 16 at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 6
Round of 16 at 10 a.m. on Fox
Round of 16 at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 9
Quarterfinals at 10 a.m. on Fox
Quarterfinals at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 10
Quarterfinals at 10 a.m. on Fox
Quarterfinals at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 13
Semifinals at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 14
Semifinals at 2 p.m. on Fox at 2 p.m. on Fox
Dec. 17
Third-place game at 10 a.m. on Fox
Dec. 18
Final at 10 a.m. on Fox
