A little less than a year to the 2022 World Cup, which will bring together 32 nations (November 21 – December 18, 2022), the qualifying phase reaches its decisive moment in Europe and Africa while it has not yet started in Oceania.
– Current status of the qualifier by region:
. Europe
Competing teams: 55
World Cup tickets: 13
Denmark became the top ranked nation on October 12. Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Serbia and Croatia have followed his path. Between Monday and Tuesday three other classified teams will be known (the champions of groups C, G and I).
The ten teams that finish second (including Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal) and the two best unclassified nations in the League of Nations will participate in a play-off in March that will feature two rounds, a single game and direct elimination, in which they will be they will distribute the last three tickets to Qatar.
. Africa
Competing teams: 54
World Cup tickets: 5
The second qualifying round ends on Tuesday: at the end of this phase, the ten group winners will participate in knockouts with round-trip matches that will determine the five qualifiers for Qatar. Mali, Egypt, Senegal and Morocco have already secured their presence in this phase.
. Asia
Competing teams: 46
Tickets to the World Cup: 4 or 5
Qatar, as the host country, is assured of its presence at the World Cup. Twelve teams are currently participating in the third and final round of the qualifying phase, which will end in March 2022. They are divided into two groups of six and face each other in round-trip matches. The first two of each bracket (currently after five out of ten dates are Iran and South Korea in group A, Saudi Arabia and Australia in group B) will go to Qatar.
The two third parties will then meet in a round-trip tie, and the winner will participate in a round-trip intercontinental playoff.
. South America
Competing teams: 10
Tickets to the World Cup: 4 or 5
Brazil, who have never missed a World Cup finals, validated their ticket to Qatar by defeating Colombia on November 12. At the end of the South American qualifying championship, of 18 dates, in March 2022, the other three nations of the top-4 (currently Argentina, Ecuador and Chile) will accompany him to Qatar.
The team classified in fifth place (currently Colombia) will play an international playoff.
. Concacaf (North, Central and Caribbean)
Competing teams: 35
World Cup tickets: 3 or 4
Eight teams contest the final round, a 14-date mini-championship that will end on March 30. The first three (currently, with six disputed dates, Mexico, the United States and Canada) will go to Qatar.
The fourth classified will play an international playoff.
