The race for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is heating up with a number of countries competing for the final automatic qualification spots ahead of next week’s group stage draw.
Germany and Denmark became the first teams to book place their place and join hosts Qatar in the tournament later this year, and they were soon followed by the likes of defending champions France as well as England, Brazil, Argentina and Spain.
This week will see the conclusion to the race in each of the respective confederations, with Europe and Africa staging play-off finals and the qualification process in South America and North and Central America also drawing to a close.
There will still be a few spaces to fill, however, with the inter-continental play-offs set to take place in June, while a play-off final between either Ukraine or Scotland and Wales will also not take place until around that time.
Each of the eight World Cup groups will include one team from each of Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4, with hosts Qatar the team from Pot 1 that will be placed in Group A - enabling them to play in the first game of the tournament. England are one of the eight seeded teams in Pot 1, while Wales or Scotland - should either qualify from the European play-offs that were delayed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - are in Pot 4.
With the exception of Uefa, who can supply two nations to a single group, teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn alongside one another. For example, Argentina could not be in the same group as Uruguay, but England could face Croatia.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Who has qualified for the World Cup?
Uefa (12 qualified from 13 spots)
- Germany
- Denmark
- France
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Spain
- Serbia
- England
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Scotland or Ukraine or Wales
Conmebol (4 qualified from either 4 or 5 spots)
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Ecuador
- Uruguay
- Peru go to inter-confederation play-off
AFC (5 qualified from either 5 or 6 spots)
- Qatar (hosts)
- South Korea
- Iran
- Japan
- Saudi Arabia
- Australia/United Arab Emirates go to inter-confederation play-off.
CAF (5 qualified from 5 spots)
- Senegal
- Cameroon
- Ghana
- Morocco
- Tunisia
Concacaf (1 qualified from 3 or 4 spots)
- Canada
- Mexico
- USA
- Costa Rica go to inter-confederation play-off
OFC (0 qualified from 0 or 1 spot)
- New Zealand go to inter-confederation play-off
Inter-confederation play-offs
- Australia/United Arab Emirates v Peru
- Costa Rica v New Zealand
What is the World Cup draw?
Group A : Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, European Play-Off: (Scotland/Ukraine/Wales)
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, IC Play-Off 1: (Australia/United Arab Emirates/Peru), Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, IC Play-Off 2: (Costa Rica/New Zealand), Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
