A program close to normality, even if still swollen from competitions postponed due to Covid-19. This is what is expected from the sports calendar in 2022.
In football, the first major event would be the Club World Cup pending in the previous season, to be held after the holidays for the second time in a row and again with the appearance of Palmeiras.
The most anticipated attraction is the World Cup. And the wait will be long, as the tournament has been moved to the end of the year – not because of the pandemic, but because of the weather conditions in Qatar. Brazil and 12 other countries have already guaranteed locations, and others will be decided by March 19.
Headlines will primarily focus on the European recap. The new competition format, with semifinals and finals in singles and elimination doubles, promises even more emotion. As if seeing Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and other stars in the hot seat wasn’t enough.
In Brazil, the CBF held the state championships on 16 dates, until the beginning of April. With the World Cup tightening the schedule, national and continental competitions will end a little earlier than usual: the winners of the Copa do Brasil, Sudamericana and Libertadores will be announced in October.
The schedule is also packed with Olympic Games, as the year will focus on world championships that were already planned—such as women’s volleyball and basketball—and others rescheduled during the pandemic—for swimming, athletics and beach volleyball. cases.
Another attraction is the Winter Olympics. Beijing will become the first city to host both editions of the competition after hosting the Summer Games in 2008. However, the election caused a crisis and led to diplomatic boycotts of countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Brazil will be represented in at least two events: cross country skiing and alpine skiing.
Furthermore, the forecast is that most of the competitions will be held in pre-pandemic moulds. For example, the World Tennis, Surfing and Formula 1 circuits announced full schedules for the year. The main category of motorsport predates the longest season in its history with 23 races.
Despite the expectation of normalcy, it is always worth noting that the pandemic is not over and can again lead to delays or transfers, as in the case of Copa America futsal. Following a standoff with CONMEBOL regarding hygiene measures implemented in Brazil, the CBF requested the cancellation of the tournament, which was due to start on 29 January in Rio.
