The draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is nearly here. Just a few qualifying matches remain before the FIFA ranking that will be used to determine the draw is revealed.
One team from each of the four pots will be drawn into eight groups that will be selected at random in Friday’s draw. As the host, Qatar automatically secures a spot in Pot 1, while the rest of the teams—except for those who will contest playoffs in June—fall based on the March 31 FIFA ranking. The oddity of the draw is that it will be conducted with three places at the World Cup still to be claimed. Two intercontinental playoffs and one UEFA playoff (postponed from this window due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine) will be contested in June, with the three eventual winners having spots designated for them in the draw.
In the draw itself, only European nations can be grouped with each other (a maximum of two in a group), with teams from all other confederations cannot be paired together (so, for example, the U.S. would not be able to be in Canada’s group).
