WCQ PREVIEW 2022

Sebastian Zucchet

The final major qualifying window of the 2022 Fifa World Cup is now upon us. With 15 teams qualified already there's still 17 spots up for grabs from each confederation around the world. This article is going to be a guide for what is happening in World Cup qualifying in each continent.

Qualified Teams

Qatar (hosts)

Germany (Europe)

Denmark (Europe)

Brazil (South America)

France (Europe)

Belgium (Europe)

Croatia (Europe)

Spain (Europe)

Serbia (Europe)

England (Europe)

Switzerland (Europe)

Netherlands (Europe)

Argentina (South America)

Iran (Asia)

South Korea (Asia)

Asia

The final match week in the Asian qualifiers is set to be a good one in group B. Four Asian teams are guaranteed a spot in the World Cup with the possibility of a fifth team via the inter-continental playoffs. The two teams in group A have qualified already as we see South Korea in its tenth consecutive World Cup and Iran competing in their sixth World Cup. The only thing left to determine in that group is who will get a playoff spot. United Arab Emirates currently hold the spot but Lebanon are only three points behind them with two matches to go. UAE has a tough match against already qualified South Korea on the final day, while Lebanon have to travel to Iran and hope for a miracle.

Group B is set up to have an amazing finish as no team is officially qualified yet and there is a battle between three teams. Saudi Arabia are sitting in first place and a win in China on Thursday can pretty much guarantee them their spot in Qatar this winter. Japan currently sit second ahead of Australia, who play each other Thursday and it could be the deciding match to see who qualifies and who gets a play-off. Japan has made a great comeback after being behind Australia for quite a while. The Aussies have to play Saudi Arabia on the final day which will most likely mean that they go to a play-off against UAE or Lebanon. If Australia were to win both games and Japan loses their final game to Vietnam then Japan would drop into the play-off.

Oceania

The Oceania qualifiers have been delayed for a significant amount of time but they’ve finally started. The qualifiers consist of two groups of four teams with the top two teams in each group reaching a semi final, then the winners play each other in a final, and the winner of that final advances to the inter-continental play-off. This is the final year where an Oceanic team is not guaranteed a spot in the World Cup. New Zealand are the clear favorites to move on as they have the most talent and have always dominated this region, but the Solomon Islands could be a surprise package. Vanuatu has withdrawn from the competition. The group stage ends at the end of March, with the play-off most likely concluding in June.

Africa

The final round of African qualifiers is about to begin and it's going to be great. The ten remaining teams have drawn against each other and the winners of the five matches will qualify for Qatar 2022. Some really good games include the rematch of the African Cup of Nations final between Egypt and Senegal, or the big rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana. Mali and the DR Congo will be looking to win their matches against Tunisia and Morocco to try and make their debut at a World Cup. Algeria also take on Cameroon, with both teams looking to get back to the World Cup after missing out in 2018. The five teams with the most goals on aggregate will advance to the World Cup.

Senegal proved how good their team was after winning the AFCON but Egypt should never be counted out, especially with revenge on their mind and Mohammed Salah on the pitch. Nigeria and Ghana both had disappointing AFCON tournaments but Nigeria are favorites as they have a more talented squad and Ghana are just a mess. Mali’s inexperience could hurt them because their opponents Tunisia have been in this position before and they competed at the 2018 World Cup, but Mali have underrated talent and are hungry for their first WC. The same can be said for DR Congo as they take on a very good Moroccan side.

South America

With the two big boys Argentina and Brazil already qualified, the race for third and fourth is a tight one, with fifth also being a play-off spot. Ecuador are guaranteed a top 5 finish and are one point away from qualification, which they can get from their match against Paraguay on Thursday. Uruguay and Peru are battling it out for that final automatic spot and they come up against each other on Thursday, which could be a decider, but if they draw and Chile somehow beats Brazil then the final match between Uruguay and Chile would be huge. Colombia seem to be slipping out of the picture having not scored a goal in their last seven games, but good results against Bolivia and Venezuela could see them make a shock comeback, but would have to rely on Chile, Peru, and Uruguay slipping up as well.

North America

The North American qualifiers have had an unexpected leader in Canada, and I speak for all Canadians when I say I am so hyped for this team. They have dominated every game pretty much and have fought through adversity and showed how much Canada has developed as a footballing nation. Canada is guaranteed a top four finish and can seal a place in their first World Cup since 1986 with a win or a tie in Costa Rica on Thursday night. The USA are tied for second with Mexico, and the two rivals face each other in an all important match up on Thursday. Panama and Costa Rica are also right there battling it out for that third and fourth spot, with Costa Rica currently sitting in fifth place. Costa Rica still need to go through Canada, El Salvador, and the USA, as do Panama so it can go any way between those two countries, but Costa Rica is in better form.

Europe

The play-offs for the UEFA qualifiers begin thursday and there are some intense match ups. 11 teams competing for the final three european spots at the World Cup and we start in group A where Scotland were supposed to play Ukraine but that was postponed until June due to the current political situation in Ukraine. The winner of that game will play either Wales or Austria. Wales and Austria had very similar runs in the Euro Cup last summer, but Wales will have the edge with their more talented attacking squad and the backing of their incredible fans at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Group B sees Poland with an automatic bye to the final after Russia was banned from the competition. Poland will host the winner of Sweden vs Czech Republic, two very underrated and talented teams. Sweden are in poor form and could’ve automatically qualified but choked and lost their spot in first to Spain. An inform Patrick Schick could be the difference maker for the Czech’s but Sweden have home field advantage.

Group C is the main attraction with a potential Portugal vs Italy final. They both need to get through two very determined teams in Turkey and North Macedonia, who feel they are both being overlooked. They both had poor Euro 2020 tournaments but both teams improved over the course of the year, with North Macedonia even beating Germany in a qualifying match not too long ago. Italy and Portugal are the most likely final but could we see Ronaldo watching his last World Cup from his couch at home or will the Italians miss out on a second straight tournament.

This international break is set up to be one of the most exciting ones yet and there will no doubt be lots of drama and shock results within the next couple of weeks.