With two European powerhouses and a pair of teams who have shown to be able to compete with nearly anyone in the world, Group E of the 2022 World Cup is one of the strongest of them all.
Featuring Germany, Spain, Costa Rica and Japan, the group has no weak links. The two European sides will have to be deemed favourites based on their strength and historical success, but Costa Rica drew once and won six times over their final seven World Cup qualifiers, including the inter-confederation playoff against New Zealand, and look to keep that red-hot form rolling in Qatar.
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The Japanese have alternated between group-stage exits and knockout round football through every World Cup since they debuted on the big stage in 1998, and they'll be looking to move on to consecutive round of 16s for the first time in their history.
World Cup 2022 Group E: Dates, kick-off times
All kick-off times are listed in Arabia Standard Time.
| Date | Time | Fixture | Venue |
| Nov. 23 | 16:00 | Germany vs. Japan | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Nov. 23 | 19:00 | Spain vs. Costa Rica | Al Thumama Stadium |
| Nov. 27 | 13:00 | Japan vs. Costa Rica | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium |
| Nov. 27 | 22:00 | Spain vs. Germany | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Dec. 1 | 22:00 | Japan vs. Spain | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Dec. 1 | 22:00 | Costa Rica vs. Germany | Al Bayt Stadium |
World Cup 2022 Group E: How to watch
- UK: BBC, ITV
- USA: FOX, FS1, Telemundo
- Canada: CTV, TSN, RDS
- Australia: SBS, SBS Viceland
For listings in your region, consult FIFA.com .