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Soccer

QATAR 2022

2022 Qatar World Cup qualification: Who's in? Play-off situation, teams...

The draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place this Friday in Doha with some key games imminent in deciding what teams advance.

Paul Reidy
Paul Reidypaulreidy67
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The FIFA World Cup trophy
KURT SCHORRERAFP

All eyes will be on Doha's Exhibition and Conference Center next Friday as the draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place in the Qatari capital with the qualified teams discovering their group rivals.

32 teams will participate in Qatar with (at the time of writing) 20 nations having already confirmed their tickets for the tournament.

Qualifying: Europe

UEFA have 13 places at the competition with: Germany, Denmark, Belgium, France, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, Netherlands having already advanced.

The three final play-off games will establish who progresses with Portugal facing North Macedonia and Poland at home to Sweden (both on Tuesday 29, March) with the winners of these games Qatar bound.

The other play off path featuring Ukraine has been delayed due to the Russian invasion with the Scotland-Ukraine semi-final scheduled for June with the winner set to face Wales in the final path.

Qualifying: CONCACAF

With a 4-0 home win over Jamaica, Canada became the first CONCACAF nation to seal their place in Qatar with the USA currently sitting second in CONCACAF’s eight-team final qualifying group, from which three countries will qualify automatically for Qatar 2022. The fourth-placed finisher (currently Costa Rica) will go into an inter-confederation playoff against the winner of Oceania’s qualifying tournament. The final round of games takes place on Wednesday (30 March).

Qualifying: CAF

The final rounds of CAF World Cup qualifying play-offs will be played on Tuesday (29 March) and five teams will advance to Qatar.

Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia all took a significant step closer to the World Cup finals after Friday’s first legs of their playoff matches, but new African champions Senegal are going to have to come from behind if they are to qualify for Qatar after a 1-0 loss to Egypt.

The West African derby between Ghana and Nigeria ended goalless.

Soccer Football - World Cup - African Qualifiers - Egypt v Senegal - Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - March 25, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah reacts REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Soccer Football - World Cup - African Qualifiers - Egypt v Senegal - Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - March 25, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah reacts REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshAMR ABDALLAH DALSHREUTERS

Qualifying: CONMEBOL

Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay have all progressed to the competition with a battle between Peru, Colombia and Chile to secure fifth place that would lead to an inter-continental play-off place. The 'Incas' have 21 points, Colombia 20 and Chile on 19 going into the final games with Peru controlling their own destiny as they face eliminated Paraguay in the final matchday.

Argentina's Lionel Messi gestures during the South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Argentina and Venezuela at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires on March 25, 2022. (Photo by Juan Mabromata / AFP)
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Argentina's Lionel Messi gestures during the South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Argentina and Venezuela at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires on March 25, 2022. (Photo by Juan Mabromata / AFP)JUAN MABROMATAAFP

Qualifying: AFC

Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Japan are the four Asian sides guaranteed to represent the Asian confederation (along with host nation Qatar) with a further team emerging from AFC to play the fifth placed side in CONMEBOL. Australia will face either UAE or Iraq in a play-off game and the winners of that progressing to face the South American nation.

Qualifying: OFC

After a mini-group staged in Doha, New Zealand will face the Solomon Islands in Wednesday's Oceania final with the winner set to face the fourth placed CONCACAF side (currently Costa Rica).