After months of back-to-back controversies and scandals, the 2022 Qatar World Cup finally started on Sunday, November 20th, with Ecuador beating the home team 2-0 in the tournament opener.
The remaining 63 matches will be played between today and Sunday, December 18th – the day of the final – at one of the following times: 11am, 2pm, 4pm, 5pm or 8pm Italian time.
So, how can football fans catch the games in Italy?
Well, there are a number of options available, starting with watching the games on Italian television.
RAI, Italy’s public broadcaster, will air all World Cup matches – from the group stages right to the tournament’s final – with games being broadcast on Rai1, Rai2, Rai3 or RaiSport (channel 57).
The above channels are available on all Italian TVs and viewing is free of charge.
Those looking to watch the games in the company of fellow football fans may be able to do so at their local sports bar. Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP
For those who might not have access to a TV, games will also be available on RAI’s streaming platform, RaiPlay, which can be accessed online at the following link or through the RaiPlay mobile app.
Once again, viewing will be free of charge, though users will be required to create their own RaiPlay account first.
It’s worth noting that, for the first time since 2002, RAI owns exclusive rights to the World Cup, which means that no other broadcaster (Sky, DAZN, Prime, etc.) will be able to air the matches.
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RAI’s full group stage schedule can be found at the end of this article.
With that being said, World Cup tournaments aren’t just about football games. They’re also about sharing good and bad moments with other fans and being part of a wider football community.
So, if you’d rather watch the games in the company of locals or, perhaps, some of your fellow countrymen, your best bet would be to head down to your local sports bar.
It goes almost without saying that there’s no shortage of bars broadcasting football matches in Italy, with even the smallest villages across the boot having at least one such venue.
So, we hope you enjoy the World Cup and may the best team win!
Group stage TV schedule:
Monday, November 21st
2pm – England-Iran (Group B) – Rai2, RaiPlay
5pm – Senegal-Netherlands (Group A) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – USA-Wales (Group B) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Tuesday, November 22nd
11am – Argentina-Saudi Arabia (Group C) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – Denmark-Tunisia (Group D) – Rai2, RaiPlay
5pm – Mexico-Poland (Group C) – Rai2, RaiPlay
8pm – France-Australia (Group D) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Wednesday, November 23rd
11am – Morocco-Croatia (Group F) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – Germany-Japan (Group E) – Rai1, RaiPlay
5pm – Spain-Costa Rica (Group E) – Rai3, RaiPlay
8pm – Belgium-Canada (Group F) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Thursday, November 24th
11am – Switzerland-Cameroon (Group G) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – Uruguay-South Korea (Group H) – Rai2, RaiPlay
5pm – Portugal-Ghana (Group H) – Rai2, RaiPlay
8pm – Brazil-Serbia (Group G) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Friday, November 25th
11am – Wales-Iran (Group B) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – Qatar-Senegal (Group A) – Rai2, RaiPlay
5pm – Netherlands-Ecuador (Group A) – Rai3, RaiPlay
8pm – England-USA (Group B) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Saturday, November 26th
11am – Tunisia-Australia (Group D) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – Poland-Saudi Arabia (Group C) – Rai2, RaiPlay
5pm – Argentina-Mexico (Group C) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – France-Denmark (Group D) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Sunday, November 27th
11am – Japan-Costa Rica (Group E) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – Belgium-Morocco (Group F) – Rai1, RaiPlay
5pm – Croatia-Canada (Group F) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Spain-Germany (Group E) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Monday, November 28th
11am – Cameroon-Serbia (Group G) – Rai2, RaiPlay
2pm – South Korea-Ghana (Group H) – Rai2, RaiPlay
5pm – Brazil-Switzerland (Group G) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Portugal-Uruguay (Group H) – Rai1, RaiPlay
Tuesday, November 29th
4pm – Netherlands-Qatar (Group A) – Rai1, RaiPlay
4pm – Ecuador-Senegal (Group A) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Wales-England (Group B) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Iran-USA (Group B) – RaiSport, RaiPlay
Wednesday, November 30th
4pm – Tunisia-France (Group D) – Rai1, RaiPlay
4pm – Australia-Denmark (Group D) – RaiSport, RaiPlay
8pm – Poland-Argentina (Group C) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Saudi Arabia-Mexico (Group C) – RaiSport, RaiPlay
Thursday, December 1st
4pm – Croatia-Belgium (Group F) – Rai1, RaiPlay
4pm – Canada-Morocco (Group F) – RaiSport, RaiPlay
8pm – Japan-Spain (Group E) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Costa Rica-Germany (Group E) – RaiSport, RaiPlay
Friday, December 2nd
4pm – South Korea-Portugal (Group H) – Rai1, RaiPlay
4pm – Ghana-Uruguay (Group H) – RaiSport, RaiPlay
8pm – Cameroon-Brazil (Group G) – Rai1, RaiPlay
8pm – Serbia-Switzerland (Group G) – RaiSport, RaiPlay