The Qatar World Cup is set to get under way in November 2022, the 22nd edition of the FIFA tournament.
France are the reigning world champions having emerged victorious in Paris in 2018, while European champions Italy will not be present having missed out on qualification.
With the controversial tournament edging ever-closer, we at 101 Great Goals bring you all of the key details concerning the group stage draw, set to take place later this week.
When is the draw?
Those nations to have booked their spot in Qatar will discover their group stage fates this coming Friday, April 1st, at 5pm BST.
Where will it be held?
The Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Qatar’s capital is set to play host to the ceremony.
How does the draw work?
Friday’s procedure will see the 32 teams involved (or in this case, 29, plus those to follow) divided up into four pots, each containing the names of eight countries.
From here, pot one will be drawn from first, followed by pot two, and so forth.
This will see each nation allocated a spot in one of eight groups, labelled from A to H.
England’s players line up as the anthems are played before the FIFA World Cup 2022 Group I qualifier football match between England and Albania at Wembley Stadium in London on November 12, 2021 (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Who has qualified?
The following nations have already booked their respective places at the tournament:
- Qatar
- Germany
- Denmark
- Brazil
- France
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Spain
- Serbia
- England
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Argentina
- Iran
- South Korea
- Japan
- Saudi Arabia
- Ecuador
- Uruguay
- Canada
Who could yet qualify?
Set to add to the list of qualified outfits ahead of Friday’s ceremony will be another nine teams.
These will be composed of the following:
Portugal or North Macedonia, Sweden or Poland, Egypt or Senegal, Cameroon or Algeria, Ghana or Nigeria, DR Congo or Morocco, Mali or Tunisia, and two of the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification Group A match between Portugal and Luxembourg at the Estadio Algarve on October 12, 2021 (Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
The remaining three teams set to book their respective spots in Qatar, though, will not do so until long after Friday’s draw.
One such nation will come from Europe, in the form of the winners of a one-off showdown between either Scotland or Ukraine, and Wales.
One of Lebanon, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates or Australia will then go head-to-head with either Peru, Chile or Colombia.
Finally, one of the United States of America, Mexico or Costa Rica will take on either New Zealand or the Solomon Islands.
When does the World Cup get underway?
The first-ever winter World Cup finals will be kicked into gear on November 21st, 2022 at 10am BST.
The tournament’s opening fixture is set to feature hosts Qatar, taking on another of the nations drawn as part of Group A.
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