Qatar 2022 World Cup countdown: The road to Qatar – who’s qualified, who can’t and who might

While
Qatar
was
awarded
the
tournament
almost
11
years
ago,
there
are
many
who
expected
the
Middle
Eastern
nation
to
have
it
taken
off
them
by
now,
such
have
been
the
controversies
surrounding
the
event.

The
bidding
process
has
been
the
subject
of
criminal
investigations
due
to
allegations
of
bribery,
while
Qatar’s
human
rights
record
has
routinely
been
called
into
question
by
the
nation’s
critics,
with
particular
focus
on
the
treatment
of
migrant
workers
and
the
LGBTQ+
community.

Qatar
2022
World
Cup
countdown:
Messi
magic,
killer
Kane
and
rejuvenated
Germany
–
Qatar
contenders
assessed

Yet
here
we
are,
a
year
and
a
day
out
from
the
big
kick-off,
and
it
appears
to
be
all
systems
go
for
Qatar
2022.

Qualification
is
in
full
swing
–
for
the
most
part,
but
more
on
that
later…
–
and
has
even
concluded
for
some
countries.

Below,
Stats
Perform
runs
through
how
the
various
qualification
campaigns
around
the
globe
are
shaping
up…

AFC
(Asia)

Nations
already
qualified:
Qatar
(hosts)

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocated:
Qatar
plus
four
(one
spot
available
via
inter-confederation
play-offs)

Asian
qualification
is
into
its
decisive
third
stage,
with
everything
looking
rosy
for
Iran
and
South
Korea
in
the
automatic
qualification
spots.
Both
remain
undefeated
after
six
games
in
the
six-team
Group
A
–
the
Taegeuk
Warriors
trail
by
two
points
in
second
but
are
eight
clear
of
United
Arab
Emirates.

In
Group
B,
Saudi
Arabia
are
in
charge
with
16
points
and
well
on
course
to
qualify.
Japan
are
four
points
adrift
in
second
and
have
Australia
hot
on
their
heels
with
11.

The
two
third-placed
teams
will
face
each
other
in
the
next
stage
for
the
right
to
compete
in
the
inter-confederation
play-offs,
from
which
a
total
of
two
teams
will
progress
to
the
finals.

CAF
(Africa)

Nations
already
qualified:
None

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocated:
Five

The
second
stage
of
qualifying
in
Africa
concluded
this
week,
with
the
winners
of
the
10
round-robin
groups
confirmed.
Next,
they
will
all
be
drawn
into
five
home-and-away
ties,
and
the
victors
progress
to
Qatar.

Ivory
Coast
are
the
biggest
early
casualty
as
they
finished
second
to
Cameroon
in
Group
D,
with
only
the
Indomitable
Lions
going
through.
In
Group
G,
Ghana
pipped
South
Africa
by
virtue
of
scoring
one
more
goal
than
their
rivals,
whom
they
defeated
1-0
on
the
final
matchday,
though
FIFA
is
probing
the
outcome
after
Bafana
Bafana
asked
for
an
investigation
into
the
controversial
nature
of
the
winning
penalty.

But,
for
now,
the
10
teams
set
to
contest
the
next
stage
are:
Algeria,
Cameroon,
DR
Congo,
Egypt,
Ghana,
Mali,
Morocco,
Nigeria,
Senegal
and
Tunisia.

CONCACAF
(North
&
Central
America,
and
the
Caribbean)

Nations
already
qualified:
None

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocation:
Three
(one
spot
available
via
inter-confederation
play-offs)

There
is
still
a
fair
amount
of
time
for
things
to
change
in
the
CONCACAF
qualifiers,
with
each
team
having
only
played
eight
out
of
14
matches
in
the
final
group
stage,
but
it’s
looking
very
good
for
Canada.

The
Canucks
have
not
been
to
a
World
Cup
since
1986,
their
only
previous
appearance,
but
they
sit
top
of
the
group
with
16
points
having
just
beaten
Mexico.

Complacency
cannot
be
afforded,
though.
The
United
States
(15
points)
and
El
Tri
(14)
are
close
in
the
other
two
automatic
qualification
spots,
while
Panama
(also
14)
occupy
the
inter-confederation
play-off
berth
with
a
five-point
cushion
ahead
of
Costa
Rica
in
fifth.

CONMEBOL
(South
America)

Nations
already
qualified:
Brazil,
Argentina

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocation:
Four
(one
spot
available
via
inter-confederation
play-offs)

Brazil
and
Argentina
have
already
confirmed
their
attendance
in
Qatar,
and
surprise-package
Ecuador
look
set
to
be
next
after
a
tremendous
run
in
qualifying.
Beyond
that,
though,
it’s
all
up
in
the
air.

Colombia
currently
sit
in
the
fourth
automatic
spot
due
to
a
better
goal
difference
than
Peru,
who
as
it
stands
will
go
into
the
inter-confederation
play-offs,
though
just
four
points
separate
Los
Cafeteros
from
Paraguay
in
ninth.

With
everyone
bar
the
top
two
having
four
games
to
play,
only
Venezuela
–
bottom
on
seven
points
–
realistically
have
no
hope,
which
promises
for
a
dramatic
end
to
the
campaign.

OFC
(Oceania)

Nations
already
qualified:
None

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocation:
None
(one
spot
available
via
inter-confederation
play-offs)

Amazingly,
World
Cup
qualification
hasn’t
even
started
in
Oceania.
It
was
due
to
begin
in
September
2020
but
that
–
and
several
other
revised
schedules
since
–
proved
impossible
due
to
borders
closures
in
that
part
of
the
world
amid
the
coronavirus
pandemic.

There
is
still
no
confirmation
of
what
OFC
plans
to
do,
though
playing
a
full
qualifying
tournament
in
Qatar
during
March’s
international
window
is
apparently
an
option.

OFC
has
until
June
to
get
matches
concluded
or
face
the
possibility
of
forfeiting
its
place
in
the
inter-confederation
play-offs
later
the
same
month.

UEFA
(Europe)

Nations
already
qualified:
Serbia,
Spain,
Switzerland,
France,
Belgium,
Denmark,
Netherlands,
Croatia,
England,
Germany

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocation:
13

Ten
European
nations
can
relax
to
a
certain
extent
as
they
have
sealed
their
places
at
the
World
Cup,
with
the
group
stage
of
qualification
ending
this
week.

The
10
group
runners-up
and
the
two
best
Nations
League
group
winners
who
finished
outside
of
the
top
two
in
World
Cup
qualification
will
now
turn
their
attention
towards
play-offs
in
March.

Among
those
to
finish
second
were
European
champions
Italy
and
Euro
2016
winners
Portugal,
while
Austria
and
the
Czech
Republic
progress
to
this
stage
by
virtue
of
their
Nations
League
performances.

Inter-continental
play-offs

Confirmed
World
Cup
places
allocation:
Two

FIFA
confirmed
on
Friday
that
the
draw
for
the
play-offs
is
due
to
take
place
on
November
26,
shortly
after
a
similar
ceremony
determines
which
teams
face
each
other
in
the
European
ties.

The
one-legged
inter-continental
play-offs
are
due
to
take
place
on
June
13
and
14,
with
one
team
present
from
each
of
the
AFC,
CONCACAF,
CONMEBOL
and
OFC
confederations,
all
of
which
are
yet
to
be
determined.

Australia
and
Peru
were
the
nations
to
progress
via
this
route
ahead
of
the
2018
World
Cup
in
Russia.