Soccer fans have a different circadian rhythm than others. They're up early to see what's going on in Europe, they're in bed late to follow along with Liga MX, they reach an emotional peak on Wednesday afternoons and frequently block off entire month-long periods in the summer for international festivals of footie. It's a delicate balance, but the 2022 soccer tournaments calendar is a disruptive year with the Qatar World Cup falling between Nov. 21 and Dec. 18.
Here's all the major action between January and December of 2022.
2022 Soccer Tournaments Calendar
January 2022 Soccer Tournaments
Liga MX Clausura Begins
Date: Thursday, Jan. 7-April 30
What Is It: After Atlas won the Apertura (its first title in 70 years), this season's second championship begins.
Africa Cup of Nations Begins
Date: Sunday, Jan. 9-Feb. 6
What Is It: The 33rd edition of Africa’s international championship. 24 teams will compete in Cameroon with Riyad Mahrez’s Algeria the defending champion from 2019. The tournament could yet be postponed because of ongoing conflict in the host nation.
February 2022 Soccer Tournaments
Africa Cup of Nations Final
Date: Sunday, Feb. 6
What Is It: The AFCON final at 60,000-seat Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
AFC Women's Asian Cup Final
Date: Sunday, Feb. 6
What Is It: The 20th edition of the Women's Asian Cup culminates with the final at 55,000-seat DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India. Japan is the defending champion after defeating Australia in the 2018 final.
FIFA Club World Cup Final
Date: Saturday, Feb. 12
What Is It: The 18th edition of the tournament contested between the winners of the six continental confederations. This year’s competition features Chelsea, Palmeiras and Monterrey.
The Champions League Resumes With Last-16
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 15-March 16
What Is It: The 2021-22 Champions League resumes with the Round of 16, featuring Real Madrid vs. PSG, Liverpool vs. Inter Milan and Manchester United vs. Atlético.
The Concacaf Champions League Begins
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 15-April 14
What Is It: The 14th edition of Concacaf's premier club tournamnet. Cruz Azul is the only club in the 16-team field that's won it before (2014), while NYCFC, New England and Seattle are MLS's best bets.
MLS Opening Weekend
Date: Saturday, Feb. 26
What Is It: The 27th season of MLS gets its earliest start date ever to accommodate the World Cup and welcomes Charlotte FC to the fold.
March 2022 Soccer Tournaments
NWSL Challenge Cup Begins
Date: Saturday, March 19
What Is It: The NWSL season begins with the now customary Challenge Cup and our first looks at Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave.
USMNT Away To Mexico
Date: Thursday, March 24
What Is It: The U.S. faces its most difficult assignment in qualifying on Matchday 12 of 14 — an away trip to Mexico.
UEFA World Cup Qualifying Playoff Finals
Date: Tuesday, March 29
What Is It: We discover the final three European teams that make the World Cup with three single-leg playoffs on the same day.
April 2022 Soccer Tournaments
Concacaf Champions League Final
Date: April 26/28 - May 3/5
What Is It: The two-legged CCL final.
May 2022 Soccer Tournaments
NWSL Challenge Cup Final
Date: Saturday, May 7
What Is It: The final of the third annual Challenge Cup.
FA Cup Final
Date: Saturday, May 14
What Is It: The 141st season of football's oldest tournament reaches its climax. Leicester City is the defending champion.
UEFA Europa League Final
Date: Wednesday, May 18
What Is It: The 51st edition of Europe’s secondary club competition. The final is hosted at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, Spain.
UEFA Women's Champions League Final
Date: Sunday, May 22
What Is It: The 21st Women's Champions League final takes place at Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy.
UEFA Champions League Final
Date: Saturday, May 28
What Is It: The 67th edition of Europe’s premier club competition. The final is hosted at the Stade de France in Paris.
June 2022 Soccer Tournaments
July 2022 Soccer Tournaments
UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Begins
Date: Wednesday, July 6-31
What Is It: The 13th UEFA Women's Championship begins in England with Netherlands as the defending champion after defeating Denmark back in 2017.
Concacaf W Championship Begins
Date: Saturday, July 9
What Is It: Used to determine who qualifies from Concacaf for the 2023 Women's World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in France. The USWNT is the two-time defending champion, going through the 2018 tournament with a record of five played, five wins, 26 scored and zero conceded. The final is Sunday, July 24.
UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Final
Date: Sunday, July 31
What Is It: The final at the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium in London, England.
August 2022 Soccer Tournaments
Premier League Opening Day
Date: Aug. 6
What Is It: The new Premier League starts before taking a break for the World Cup following match day 16, which is set to be played over the weekend of Nov. 12-13.
MLS All-Star Game
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 10
What Is It: Minnesota's Allianz Field will host the league's annual All-Star Game, and while there's no confirmed opponent yet, it could again be the Liga MX All-Stars.
Transfer Deadline Day
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 31
What Is It: The closing of the summer transfer window for the 2022-23 season.
September 2022 Soccer Tournaments
Champions League Group Stage Begins
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 6
What Is It: The 32-team group stage begins for the 2022-23 Champions League, with the final scheduled for Istanbul, Turkey.
U.S. Open Cup Final
Date: Sept. 6-7 or 13-14
What Is It: We finally (hopefully) get the 107th edition of the Open Cup with Atlanta United still the defending champion from 2019.
October 2022 Soccer Tournaments
Copa Sudamericana Final
Date: Saturday, Oct. 1
What Is It: The final of South America's secondary club tournament at the Mané Garrincha in Brasília.
MLS Decision Day
Date: Sunday, Oct. 9
What Is It: Simultaneous kick-off in each conference to determine the final regular season standings.
NWSL Championship Weekend
Date: Friday, Oct. 28-30
What Is It: After a 22-game regular season with the top six teams qualifying for the playoffs, the NWSL Championship airs on CBS.
Copa Libertadores Final
Date: Saturday, Oct. 29
What Is It: The 63rd edition of South America's premier club tournament ends with the final at El Monumental in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
November 2022 Soccer Tournaments
MLS Cup Final
Date: Saturday, Nov. 5
What Is It: The final, played 16 days before the start of the World Cup.
FIFA World Cup Begins
Date: Monday, Nov. 21-Dec. 18
What Is It: The 22nd edition of the men's international championship.
December 2022 Soccer Tournaments
FIFA World Cup Final
Date: Sunday, Dec. 18
What Is It: The final at the 80,000-seat Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, Qatar.
Premier League Resumes
Date: Dec. 26
What Is It: After a 43-day break for the World Cup, the Premier League resumes.
