Wwith UEFA world Cup With the qualifying groups drawing to a close, attention naturally shifts to the next key stage in completing the European representation in Qatar in 2022: the playoffs.
The 10 group winners will qualify directly, but 12 teams will compete for the last three tickets to next year’s tournament. There will be many big names among these teams, and the battle for the final places will surely be fierce.
When is the draw for the FIFA World Cup qualification playoffs?
The draw for Qatar’s European Playoffs 2022 will take place on Friday 26 November in Zurich at 17:00 CET.
What format will the playoffs be in?
In the format of the first European qualification for the World Cup, the playoffs will take place in the form of one-off games over two rounds, a semi-final round and a final round to determine the three teams that will advance to Qatar.
This is very similar to the Euro 2020 playoff format that some of the participating teams are already familiar with.
Which teams will play in the playoffs?
The final list of entrants will be determined by the middle of next week and will include the 10 runners-up groups as well as the top two 2020/21 Nations League winners who did not finish first or second in their group. It currently looks like Wales and Austriabut may still change.
Right now there is something to play for in the final round of matches, only Scotland sure to make the playoffs later this month. Other teams can still qualify directly or withdraw from the competition.
Only Germany and Denmark finally qualified directly for the World Cup as group winners in the current environment.
When will the playoffs take place?
Following the draw on 26 November, the next key dates will be the playoff semi-finals, which will take place on 24 and 25 March next year.
By the end of March, everything will be finalized and three finals will be played on March 28 and 29. Preparations will then begin for the three winning teams joining the European contingent in Qatar for the first-ever Winter World Cup, starting on November 21, 2022.
Where can I watch the draw?
The draw for the FIFA World Cup qualification playoffs will be streamed live on Fifa.com, excluding the territories where it will be televised.