An estimated five billion people will tune in to watch a portion of the 2022 men’s FIFA World Cup, from Sunday, Nov. 20, to Sunday, Dec. 18. The worldwide event, with soccer teams and fans from across the globe, will be held in Qatar, with an opening match between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, in Al Khor.
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An estimated 550 million people will watch the final game on Dec. 18. By comparison, the most watched Super Bowl was viewed by an estimated 115 million people.
University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Memorial Student Center and Office of International Education are partnering to offer a World Cup Zone “for students to engage across cultures through their mutual love of the sport and competition,” said Danielle Clarizio, assistant director of International Student and Scholar Services.
The zone will be in the Overlook area in MSC, on the second floor above the northwest entrance, where students can cheer on their favorite team or home country. The Overlook area features dozens of international flags.
A schedule is available in CONNECT, the university’s event app, and a full broadcast schedule and bracket will be posted in the World Cup Zone. When multiple games are being played simultaneously, an extra TV will be set up.
All 64 games will be broadcast live, with the exception of those being held at 4 a.m. and during fall break (Wednesday, Nov. 23, to Sunday, Nov. 27) when MSC will be closed. For students remaining on campus during fall break, World Cup matches can be viewed on campus TVs in the residence halls.
Chedly Mouelhi, a student from Tunisia, said his country takes “theWorld Cup competition very seriously, along with the Olympics. Since I came to the U.S., I was looking for a place to watch soccer games. For the Office of International Education to organize such an event makes Stout really feel like home.”
Joshua Hoffmann agreed. “Growing up in Germany, where soccer is huge, the World Cup has always been one of the most anticipated events for many Germans, myself included. Almost the whole country will turn on their TVs to watch the German National Team play,” he said.
