World Cup draw: Twelve European teams set to discover opponents on Friday
Friday, April 1, 2022
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When is the draw? How does the draw work? What are the seeding pots? Who are Europe's qualifiers?
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The identity of 12 of the 13 European sides who will line up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is now known ahead of Friday's draw.
Europe's World Cup qualifiers
Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland
When is the 2022 World Cup draw?
The World Cup draw takes place on Friday in Doha, starting at 19:00 local time (mainland Europe is an hour behind, UK and Portugal two hours).
How does the 2022 World Cup draw work?
Teams have been divided into four pots of eight according to FIFA rankings, with hosts Qatar assured of a place in Pot 1. There will be a placeholder in Pot 4 for the winner of the postponed Path A play-offs involving Ukraine, Scotland and Wales.
Teams will then be drawn from each pot and allocated into eight groups (A to H), starting with Pot 1, then Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4.
What are the 2022 World Cup draw pots?
Pot 1
Qatar
Brazil
Belgium
France
Argentina
England
Spain
Portugal
Pot 2
Mexico
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Uruguay
Switzerland
United States
Croatia
Pot 3
Senegal
Iran
Japan
Morocco
Serbia
Poland
South Korea
Tunisia
Pot 4
Cameroon
Canada
Ecuador
Saudi Arabia
Ghana
Wales / Scotland / Ukraine
Costa Rica / New Zealand
Peru / Australia / United Arab Emirates
2022 World Cup
The World Cup runs from 21 November to 18 December at eight venues in Qatar. European sides have won the last four World Cups, most recently France in 2018.
How did the European teams qualify for the World Cup?
Ten teams booked their places after topping their groups in the European Qualifiers, with the final three spots going to the sides that come through the new-look play-offs. The play-offs feature the group runners-up and the two highest-ranking UEFA Nations League group winners who failed to finish in the top two in the European Qualifiers.
Qualified as group winners
Belgium – third 2018 (World Cup best)
Croatia – runners-up 2018
Denmark – quarter-finals 1998
England – winners 1966
France – winners 1998, 2018
Germany – winners 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
Netherlands – runners-up 1974, 1978, 2010
Serbia – fourth 1930*, 1962*
Spain – winners 2010
Switzerland – quarter-finals 1934, 1938, 1954
Qualified via play-offs
Poland – third 1974, 1982
Portugal – third 1966
The final European place will be decided by the winner of the rescheduled play-off final between Wales and Scotland or Ukraine.
*As Yugoslavia
How the play-offs stand
The finals of Paths B and C concluded on Tuesday evening, while the Path A play-offs involving Ukraine, Scotland and Wales have been postponed.
Finals – Tuesday 29 March 2022
Path B: Poland 2-0 Sweden
Path C: Portugal 2-0 North Macedonia
Final – postponed, 5 June 2022
Path A: Wales vs Scotland / Ukraine
Semi-final – postponed, 1 June 2022
Path A: Scotland vs Ukraine
Semi-finals – Thursday 24 March 2022
Path A: Wales 2-1 Austria
Path B: Sweden 1-0 Czech Republic (aet)
Path C: Italy 0-1 North Macedonia, Portugal 3-1 Turkey
This article is for information only and all is subject to final confirmation from FIFA. Full details of how qualifying works can be found in the official regulations.