Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 are set to resume on Thursday with 44 teams still competing for the 17 spots left in the 32-team football World Cup that takes place in November and December.
Fifteen teams, including hosts Qatar, have already qualified for football’s biggest competition. Here is how things stand:
Who has qualified so far?
Argentina
Belgium
Brazil
Croatia
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Iran
Netherlands
Qatar
Serbia
South Korea
Spain
Switzerland
Europe
Number of spots: 13
Already qualified: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland
Situation: The 10 group winners have qualified with the the three remaining spots to be determined via the playoffs.
Matches:
Semi-finals – March 24
Wales vs Austria
Sweden v Czech Republic
Italy v North Macedonia, Portugal v Turkey
Scotland v Ukraine (postponed)
Finals – March 29
Poland (given a bye after Russia’s disqualification) v Sweden/Czech Republic
Portugal/Turkey v Italy/North Macedonia
Wales/Austria v Scotland/Ukraine (postponed)
South America
Number of spots: 4-5
Already qualified: Argentina, Brazil
Situation: The top four teams in the single South American qualifying group earn automatic spots, while the fifth-placed finishers enter an inter-continental playoff.
Argentina and Brazil have already qualified while Ecuador need a draw against Paraguay to reach Qatar 2022. For Uruguay, a win over Peru, coupled with Chile failing to win away to Brazil would secure qualification.
Matches:
March 24
Uruguay v Peru
Colombia v Bolivia
Brazil v Chile
Paraguay v Ecuador
March 25
Argentina v Venezuela
North and Central America and the Caribbean
Number of spots: 3-4
Already qualified: 0
Situation: Top three sides from the eight-team league will qualify directly for the World Cup while the team finishing fourth will go into a playoff with the team that finishes top of the Oceania group.
Canada currently sit at the top of the table followed by USA and Mexico.
Matches:
March 24
Jamaica v El Salvador
March 25
Panama v Honduras
Mexico v USA
Costa Rica v Canada
Africa
Number of spots: 5
Already qualified: 0
Situation: Ten teams have reached the final round in African qualifying with the winners of the two-legged ties, starting from Friday, sealing progress to Qatar 2022.
Matches:
March 25
DR Congo v Morocco
Cameroon v Algeria
Mali v Tunisia
Egypt v Senegal
Ghana v Nigeria
Asia
Number of spots: 5-6
Already qualified: Iran, Qatar, South Korea
Situation: The 12 remaining teams in Asia’s qualifying have been divided into two groups. Top two sides from each group will seal progress to Qatar 2022 while the two third-placed teams will face off with the winners facing the fifth-placed side in South American qualifying.
Iran and South Korea have qualified from Group A. In Group B, Saudi Arabia can secure qualification with a win over China on Thursday. Japan and Australia are currently placed second and third in the group.
Matches:
March 24
Australia v Japan
South Korea v Iran
Lebanon v Syria
Vietnam v Oman
China v Saudi Arabia
Iraq v UAE
Oceania
Number of spots: 0-1
Already qualified: 0
Situation: Only one side can qualify from Oceania for the World Cup. The winner of the qualifying campaign advances to an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed side from the CONCACAF region, which features nations from North and Central America, and the Caribbean.
Matches:
March 24
Solomon Islands v Tahiti
New Zealand v New Caledonia
Fiji v Papua New Guinea
