The ‘world’ map for Qatar 2022: 13 qualified, tough play-offs …

TO One year and three days after the ball rolled in the Al Bayt Stadium, inaugurating the 2022 World Cup, the first sketches of the next World Cup have already been drawn. 13 teams are placed on the map with the classified label and they are guaranteed to step on the Qatari Greens in the first autumn finals. Serbia, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Croatia, France, England, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Qatar, as hosts, will enter the draw on April 1, 2022 in Doha in which 32 countries will be divided into their respective groups. However, there are still 19 places to be decided in a qualifying phase that has not yet finished and that will run until June next year.

Europe (10 qualified, 12 teams in play-off)

The road to Qatar in Europe is the most advanced on the planet. 10 teams (Serbia, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Croatia, France, England, Belgium and Germany) They are already guaranteed their presence in the 2022 World Cup. The ordinary qualification phase has ended and, in March, there will be a tough repechage: three playoffs made up of four teams that will play two semi-finals and a single-match final to determine which three teams will play. they get into the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Chiesa, Bale, Alaba … will ‘stick’ to reach Qatar. The stars play a card.

The 10 seconds of the group stage (Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Poland, Wales, Scotland, Ukraine, Russia, North Macedonia and Turkey) and the top two champions of their lot in the Nations League not ranked by the ordinary way (Austria and Czech Republic) they will beat without margin of error. The seconds that achieved the most points (excluding those obtained against the bottoms) in the groups will be seeded, contesting the ‘semis’ at home. A privilege that Italy, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Sweden and Wales will have. Who will be local to the final will be determined by lottery. On November 26, in Zrich, the battles for the World Cup that will be played on March 24 (semi-finals) and March 29 (final), 2022 will be set. Out of this fight, the Norway of Haaland and Odegaard has been left.

South America (two classified)

The Qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Conmebol are on fire. Brazil and Argentina They are the only two teams that have a guaranteed presence in Qatar. The ‘Albiceleste’ at his pass four days before the end of this phase due to the results of his rivals and after draw (0-0) in the Clsico with a ‘Canarinha’ already classified. He had never made it so soon. In addition, a duel against Brazil is pending.

The rest are more open than ever. Ecuador, third with 23 points, and Colombia, fourth with 17, are getting directly into the World Cup right now. And Per, fifth with 17, will play the repechage. However, behind the ‘Incas’ come Chile (16), Uruguay (16), Bolivia (15) and Paraguay (13). Only Venezuela, with 7, is ‘off the hook’. In the windows of January / February and March the last four matches of the Eliminatory will be played. Uruguay, double world champion with stars like Luis Surez, Cavani, Valverde, Gimnez … is in trouble. Tabrez’s job as coach could be in jeopardy.

Africa (10 teams qualified for the last phase)

The road to the World Cup in Africa is one of the toughest on the planet. After a group stage with 10 batches and six home and away matches, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco and DR Congo They passed the screen by sneaking into a final playoff in which they will meet in five round-trip ties to determine which five teams will be in Qatar. In March 2022 the last battle for the World Cup will be played in Africa.

There are six days left for the three direct qualifiers and the play-off position for the 2022 World Cup to be decided. At this time, Canada (leader with 16 points), United States (second with 15) and Mexico (third with 14) will be in Qatar and Panama (14) will play the intercontinental play-off. Costa Rica, with nine points, is fifth and still dreams of catching the ‘canaleros’, although the path to the next World Cup seems defined in Concacaf.

Asia (Qatar is classified as host)

The Qataris, who will host the first World Cup in the Arab world and in the autumn of history, have their place as hosts assured and they have not participated in a qualifying phase that is reaching its final stretch. There are four games left, which will be played in two windows between January / February and March 2022.

Iran and South Korea, with 16 and 14 points respectively, have almost closed to go to the World Cup in group A. They take 10 and 8 points respectively to the United Arab Emirates, which with six is ​​third and will play the playoff, a unique match, which opens the door to the intercontinental playoffs. Lebanon, fourth with 5, dreams of third place. Iraq, fifth with 4, and Syria, last with 2, have fewer chances to ‘catch’ them.

In B there will be more battle. Saudi Arabia, leading with 16, and Japan, second with 12, will now have their ticket to Qatar, but Australia, third with 11 and in the playoff zone, follows closely. Omn, fourth with 7, and China, fifth with 5, still have options. Vietnam, bottom with zero, is out.

Oceana (classification has not started)

The pandemic has left the qualification for the 2022 World Cup on standby for now in Oceana. It will be played in March 2022, although it has not yet been determined how many teams and in what format it will be held. The winner will play, roundtrip, the intercontinental playoff with the playoff winner from Asia, the fourth from North America and the fifth from South America. There will be two qualifying rounds from which, in June 2022, the last two classified for the World Cup in Qatar will come out.