A World Cup never really starts to feel truly like a World Cup until Brazil take the field, and Thursday sees them make their 2022 debut against Serbia. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal also step into the fray as the first round of group fixtures come to a close.
Here is everything you need to know about Thursday’s action.
Switzerland v Cameroon - Group G
Where: Al-Janoub Stadium, Al-Wakrah
When: 10am (GMT) / 1pm (AST)
TV: ITV1, STV and ITV Hub
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
Last meeting: N/A - First meeting
Switzerland's last five: Lost 2-0 v Ghana, Won 2-1 v Czech Republic, Won 2-1 v Spain, Won 1-0 v Portugal, Lost 1-0 v Spain
Switzerland's World Cup record: 12th finals appearance (Best: Quarter-Finals 1934, 1938, 1954) Total Games: 37, Won 12, Drawn 8, Lost 17. Win percentage 32%
Cameroon last five: Drew 1-1 v Panama, Drew 1-1 v Jamaica, Lost 1-0 v South Korea, Lost 2-0 v Uzbekistan, Won 1-0 v Burundi
Cameroon's World Cup record: Eighth finals appearance (Best: Quarter-Finals, 1990) Total Games 23, Won 4, Drawn 7, Lost 12. Win percentage 17%
Switzerland squad: 1 Yann Sommer, 2 Edimilson Fernandes, 3 Silvan Widmer, 4 Nico Elvedi, 5 Manuel Akanji, 6 Denis Zakaria, 7 Brezel Embolo, 8 Remo Freuler, 9 Haris Seferovic, 10 Granit Xhaka, 11 Renato Steffen, 12 Jonas Omlin, 13 Ricardo Rodriguez, 14 Michel Aebischer, 15 Djibril Sow, 16 Christian Fassnacht, 17 Ruben Vargas, 18 Eray Comert, 19 Noah Okafor, 20 Fabian Frei, 21 Gregor Kobel, 22 Fabian Schar, 23 Xherdan Shaqiri, 24 Philipp Kohn, 25 Fabian Rieder, 26 Ardon Jashari
Cameroon squad: 1 Simon Ngapandouetnbu , 2 Jerome Ngom Mbekeli, 3 NicolasNkoulou, 4 Christopher Wooh, 5 Gael Ondoua, 6 Moumi Ngamaleu, 7 Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, 8 Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, 9 Jean-Pierre Nsame, 10 Vincent Aboubakar, 11 Christian Bassogog, 12 Karl Toko Ekambi, 13 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, 14 Samuel Gouet, 15 Pierre Kunde, 16 Devis Epassy, 17 Olivier Mbaizo, 18 Martin Hongla, 19 Collins Fai, 20 Bryan Mbeumo, 21 Jean-Charles Castelletto, 22 Olivier Ntcham, 23 Andre Onana, 24 Enzo Ebosse, 25 Nouhou Tolo, 26 Souaibou Marou
Preview: Switzerland could be set to surprise a few on the world stage after they stunned France in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 and there is a nice blend of experience and youth in Murat Yakin's squad. They will look to their experienced leaders in Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and also turn to forwards Haris Seferovic and Breel Embolo who both made an impact at Euro 2020.
For Cameroon, they have never been a consistent threat at the World Cup and it was surprising to see the Cameroonian Football Federation President and their all-time leading goalscorer Samuel Eto’o say they can go on and win it - particularly when they have gone out at the group stage in their last four appearances. A lot of eyes will be on skipper Vincent Aboubakar after he said that he was a better footballer than Egyptian Mohamed Salah. With Salah not in the frame to dazzle at this World Cup, Aboubakar has got a lot of work to do to give his words substance. A player to keep an eye on would be versatile forward Bryan Mbeumo who represented France at youth levels.
Sportsman stat: Switzerland have won their opening match at three of the last four World Cups they have featured in.
Betfred match odds: Switzerland, 4/5, Cameroon, draw 5/2
Favourites for first goalscorer: Haris Seferovic (Switzerland) 4/1, Breel Embolo (Switzerland) 9/2, Noah Okafor (Switzerland) 5/1
Featured bet: Over 2.5 goals 5/4
To qualify from Group G: Switzerland 11/10, Cameroon 3/1
Uruguay v South Korea - Group H
Where: Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
When: 1pm (GMT) / 4pm (AST)
TV: BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
Last meeting: South Korea 2-1 Uruguay (Seoul, 2018)
Uruguay's last five: Won 2-0 v Canada, Lost 1-0 v Iran, Won 5-0 v Panama, Drew 0-0 v USA, Won 3-0 v Mexico
Uruguay’s World Cup record: 14th finals appearance (Best: Winners, 1930 and 1950) Total games: 56, Won 24, Drawn 12, Lost 20. Win percentage 43%.
South Korea's last five: Won 1-0 v Iceland, Won 1-0 v Cameroon, Drew 2-2 v Costa Rica, Lost 3-0 v Japan, Won 3-0 v Hong Kong
South Korea's World Cup record: 11th finals appearance (Best: Fourth place 2002) Total games: 34, Won 6, Drawn 9, Lost 19. Win percentage 17%
Uruguay squad: 1 Fernando Muslera, 2 Jose Gimenez, 3 Diego Godin, 4 Ronald Araujo, 5 Matias Vecino, 6 Rodrigio Bentancur, 7 Nicolas de la Cruz, 8 Facundo Pellestri, 9 Luis Suarez, 10 Giorgian de Arrascaeta, 11 Darwin Nunez, 12 Sebastian Sosa, 13 Guillermo Varela, 14 Lucas Torreira, 15 Federico Valverde, 16 Mathias Olivera, 17 Matias Vina, 18 Maxi Gomez, 19 Sebastian Coates, 20 Facundo Torres, 21 Edinson Cavani, 22 Martin Caceres, 23 Sergio Rochet, 24 Agustin Canobbio, 25 Manuel Ugarte, 26 Jose Luis Rodriguez
South Korea squad: 1 Kim Seung-gyu, 2 Yoon Jong-gyu, 3 Kim Jin-su, 4 Kim Min-jae, 5 Jung Woo-yung, 6 Hwang In-beom, 7 Son Heung-min, 8 Paik Seung-ho, 9 Cho Gue-sung, 10 Lee Jae-sung, 11 Hwang Hee-chan, 12 Song Bum-keun, 13 Son Jun-ho, 14 Hong Chul, 15 Kim Moon-hwan, 16 Hwang Ui-jo, 17 Na Sang-ho, 18 Lee Kang-in, 19 Kim Young-gwon, 20 Kwon Kyung-won, 21 Jo Hyeon-woo, 22 Kwon Chang-hoon, 23 Kim Tae-hwan, 24 Cho Yu-min, 25 Jeong Woo-yeong, 26 Song Min-kyu
Preview: There is a lot to be admired by the quality Uruguay possess in their squad, particularly with their midfield and attacking options. Some have tipped them as dark horses this tournament. There is a good blend of experience and youth in their ranks which could see them upset a few of the big guns in Qatar. In Rodrigo Bentancur and Federico Valverde you have two different central midfielders but both have been playing at the top of their game at club level which bodes well for their World Cup opener. And they may be veterans now but Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are natural goalscorer who can still do it at this level.
South Korea are viewed as a one-man team because of their captain Son Heung-min. The Tottenham attacker is a world-class talent but he could not have gotten to the World Cup without his teammates, who some aren't giving enough credit. There is a reason that they have qualified for the last 10 consecutive World Cup finals and that is why you should never be too quick to write them off.
Sportsman stat: South Korea are the first team outside of Europe and South America to reach 10 consecutive World Cup finals.
Betfred match odds: Uruguay 3/4, South Korea 9/2, draw 13/5
Favourites for first goalscorer: Luis Suarez (Uruguay) 7/2, Edinson Cavani (Uruguay) 4/1, Darwin Nunez (Uruguay) 4/1
Featured bet: Over 2.5 goals 5/4
To qualify from Group H: Uruguay 2/5, South Korea 11/4
Portugal v Ghana - Group H
Where: Stadium 974, Doha
When: 4pm (GMT) / 7pm (AST)
TV: ITV1, STV and ITV Hub
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
Last meeting: Portugal 2-1 Ghana (Brasilia, 2014 World Cup)
Portugal's last five: Won 4-0 v Nigeria, Lost 1-0 v Spain, Won 4-0 v Czech Republic, Lost 1-0 v Switzerland, Won 2-0 v Czech Republic
Portugal World Cup record: Eighth finals appearance (Best: Third Place, 1966) Total games: 30 , Won 14, Drawn 6, Lost 10. Win percentage 46%
Ghana's last five: Won 2-0 v Switzerland, Won 1-0 v Nicaragua, Lost 3-0 v Brazil, Drew 0-0 v Chile, Lost 4-1 v Japan
Ghana's World Cup record: Fourth finals appearance (Best: Quarter-Finals, 2010) Total games: 12, Won 4, Drawn 3, Lost 5. Win percentage 33%
Portugal squad: 1 Rui Patricio, 2 Diogo Dalot, 3 Pepe, 4 Ruben Dias, 5 Raphael Guerreiro, 6 Joao Palhinha, 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, 8 Bruno Fernandes, 9 Andre Silva, 10 Bernardo Silva, 11 Joao Felix, 12 Jose Sa, 13 Danilo Pereira, 14 William Carvalho, 15 Rafael Leao, 16 Vitinha, 17 Joao Mario, 18 Ruben Neves, 19 Nuno Mendes, 20 Joao Cancelo, 21 Ricardo Horta, 22 Diogo Costa, 23 Matheus Nunes, 24 Antonio Silva, 25 Otavio, 26 Goncalo Ramos
Ghana squad: 1 Lawrence Ani-Zigi, 2 Tariq Lamptey, 3 Denis Odoi, 4 Mohammed Salisu, 5 Thomas Partey, 6 Elisha Owusu, 7 Abdul Fatawa Issahaku, 8 Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, 9 Jordan Ayew, 10 Andre Ayew, 11 Osman Bukari, 12 Ibrahim Danlad, 13 Daniel Afriyie, 14 Gideon Mensah, 15 Joseph Aidoo, 16 Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, 17 Baba Rahman, 18 Daniel Amartey, 19 Inaki Williams, 20 Mohammed Kudus, 21 Salis Abdul Samed, 22 Kamaldeen Sulemana, 23 Alexander Djiku, 24 Kamal Sowah, 25 Antoine Semenyo, 26 Alidu Seidu
Preview: With the saga now ended surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United, Portugal can look ahead to what could be a promising World Cup campaign given how much talent there is within their ranks. The Euro 2016 champions arrive in Qatar with a good shot at going far in the tournament and it won't necessarily be down to Ronaldo. The squad is filled with stars in the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao. You would expect Fernando Santos' men to create a lot of chances.
Ghana are still hurt from their controversial exit from the 2010 tournament against Uruguay and with the South American nation in their group, the Black Stars will certainly be out for revenge. There are some talented individuals within their squad in the likes of Jordan Ayew, his brother Andre, and Inaki Williams. Their form ahead of Qatar has been troubling but as they say, it all goes out the window when a major tournament rolls around.
Sportsman stat: Ghana's run to the quarter-finals in 2010 is the joint-best finish for an African side at the tournament after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002
Betfred match odds: Portugal 2/5, Ghana 8/1, draw 18/5
Favourites for first goalscorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 11/4, Goncalo Ramos (Portugal) 4/1, Andre Silva (Portugal) 4/1
Featured bet: Portugal to win both halves 12/5
To qualify from Group H: Portugal 1/6, Ghana 11/4
Brazil v Serbia - Group G
Where: Lusail Stadium, Lusail
When: 7pm (GMT) / 10pm (AST)
TV: BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website
Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRN)
Last meeting: Serbia 0-2 Brazil (Moscow, 2018 World Cup)
Brazil's last five: Won 5-1 v Tunisia, Won 3-0 v Ghana, Won 1-0 v Japan, Won 5-1 v South Korea, Won 4-0 v Bolivia
Brazil’s World Cup record: 22nd finals appearance (Best: Winners 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) Total games: 109, Won 73, Drawn 18, Lost 18. Win percentage 66%
Serbia's last five: Won 5-1 v Bahrain, Won 2-0 v Norway, Won 4-1 v Sweden, Drew 2-2 v Slovenia, Won 1-0 v Sweden
Serbia's World Cup record: Third finals appearance (Best: Group Stage 2010, 2018) Total games: 6, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 4. Win percentage 33%
Brazil squad: 1 Alisson, 2 Danilo, 3 Thiago Silva, 4 Marquinhos, 5 Casemiro, 6 Alex Sandro, 7 Lucas Paqueta, 8 Fred, 9 Richarlison, 10 Neymar, 11 Raphinha, 12 Weverton, 13 Dani Alves, 14 Eder Militao, 15 Fabinho, 16 Alex Telles, 17 Bruno Guimaraes, 18 Gabriel Jesus, 20 Vinicius Jr, 21 Rodrygo, 22 Everton Ribeiro, 23 Ederson, 24 Bremer, 25 Pedro, 26 Gabriel Martinelli
Serbia squad: 1 Marko Dmitrovic, 2 Strahinja Pavlovic, 3 Strahinja Erakovic, 4 Nikola Milenkovic, 5 Milos Veljkovic, 6 Nemanja Maksimovic, 7 Nemanja Radonjic, 8 Nemanja Gudelj, 9 Aleksandar Mitrovic, 10 Dusan Tadic, 11 Luka Jovic, 12 Predrag Rajkovic, 13 Stefan Mitrovic, 14 Andrija Zivkovic, 15 Srdan Babic, 16 Sasa Lukic, 17 Filip Kostic, 18 Dușan Vlahovic, 19 Uros Racic, 20 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 21 Filip Duricic, 22 Darko Lazovic, 23 Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, 24 Ivan Ilic, 25 Filip Mladenovic, 26 Marko Grujic
Preview: Many have tipped Brazil to go all the way in Qatar because they appear to have the squad filled with the most talent and depth. Tite's forward line options are exciting, spear-headed by Neymar. He is surrounded by the youthful talents of Vinicius Jr and Gabriel Martinelli while the defence brings a lot of experience, particularly Thiago Silva, who is still delivering at the highest level. There is a great chance that Brazil extend their record for most World Cup titles to six this winter.
As for Serbia, they could be another one of the tournament's surprise packages. Forward Aleksandar Mitrovic is a handful for any defender he faces and he has been in the form of his life over the past 18 months for club and country. Then you have the highly-talented Dusan Vlahovic who has been scoring goals for Juventus this term and offers a different dynamic to Mitrovic. Serbia have a lot of options in midfield too, with the standout stars being skipper Dusan Tadic and Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Sportsman stat: Brazil are unbeaten in their last 15 group games at the World Cup (D3), their last defeat was in 1998 to Norway
Betfred match odds: Brazil 1/2, Serbia 6/1, draw 7/2
Favourites for first goalscorer: Neymar (Brazil) 10/3, Gabriel Jesus (Brazil) 4/1, Pedro (Brazil) 9/2
Featured bet: Neymar 4+ shots on target 5/1
To qualify from Group G: Brazil 1/12, Serbia 11/10
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
