FIFA 2022 World Cup (Qualification)

shocking effort from conor roberts, should be 2-1 wales.

That was hilarious in an elite game of football

Fwiw, on world rankings.

Seeded : Italy (4), Portugal (8), Sweden (17), Wales (19), Russia (33), Scotland (42)

Un-Seeded : Poland (23), Ukraine (26), Czechia (31), Austria (32), Turkey (39), Nth Macedonia (74)

9 teams in the top 32 looking for places in a 32 team competition, only three can make it. Says a lot about how poorly UEFA is treated.

Would like to see Italy and Portugal get there, though I understand the hilarity factor if they fail. None of the others really excite me, some dour teams who often end up a shambles at the final stages (I'm thinking of you Poland and the money I've lost backing you win groups). Maybe I'll finally forgive the Scots fans for the thumps I got in Celtic Park in the 2016 qualifier and cheer them on?

Occasional bouts of football interupting the violence here

Usually there is at least 1 country who qualifies who has never played in the World Cup (e.g. Iceland & Panama last time, Bosnia in 2014). With the remaining teams left it's shaping up that all the teams who qualify will have played in previous competitions (unless North Macedonia pull off a major shock)

Nevermind - just realised that there definitely will be one team there who hasn't played in a previous world cup......the hosts

World Cup should be stage for the best, but the like of Ronaldo, Haaland ,Oblak, Salah, Lewandowski, Suarez and many more will not be there, or will have a play off, Haaland will of course not be there, or any Euros, or World Cups ever, What is wrong with a rest of the world side, it's not different that a crap host side getting in for nothing.

The World Cup should not be just for the elite, like some self-fulfilling prophecy based on biased seedings, perpetually propagated by re-enforcing the same seedings that punish genuinely "over-achieving" nations like North Macedonia. The true reward for North Macedonia should be an open draw where they have an equal chance with the Italys and Portugals of Europe, who failed to take the advantage their seeding afforded them when the draw was made. You can already tell that Italy, Portugal and probably Russia will be kept apart in the draw.

Here's how I see it going

Portugal        vs        Austria

Scotland       vs        Poland

 Italy              vs        Ukraine

Wales            vs        North Macedonia

Russia            vs        Czech Rep

Sweden         vs        Turkey

with the 3 "valued" sides pulling home draws again in the "finals"

North Macedonia aren't being punished for their seeding though, it's on their performance within the group. There was nothing to stop them picking up the extra win that would have had them seeded. If it was being based it on world rankings or coefficient or something historic then you'd have a point, but this was all purely on games in this campaign.

6 team group so you have to minus the 6 Lichtenstein points

It would be a victory for football to have a Rest of the World side. .. even if they were to win it. Would bring to much to the table, money, fans, countries

Indeed but you’re still not grasping the fundamental purpose of a World Cup.

The RoW team would have all those fans from Ireland that cheer for Ronaldo against Ireland 😁.

We see the top players 2/3 times a week for their club it's not like the 60s where you only see top foreign players at the WC

I don't think Canada have qualified before? Or maybe they did back in the 70's.

Either way, them beating Costa Rica and Mexico are huge results for them. I'd been keeping an eye on their group and didn't think they'd have it in them to get 6 points from those fixtures. They were well placed before last week to qualify and look odds on now.

Yeah I remember my friend's older brother had the sticker album for Mexico '86 and Canada were in it, which until this campaign, has been my only personal experience of the Canadian men's national team. I've seen the highlights of a few of their home games and they seem to have a really great atmosphere at their games. Fantastic result against Mexico. They'll surely qualify directly now.

They're joint hosts of the next world cup. FIFA haven't confirmed yet that the 3 hosts will all get automatic spots. Given that Canada is only supplying 2 of the 16 stadiums for the tournament theirs would be the most precarious spot. Qualifying for the 2022 edition under their own steam might tip the balance in their favour for that decision.

It 12 teams for 3 places so explain to me how you do single round home and away.

The only way to do your thing is have some 2nd place but not other go to playoffs which is a sht system. Nothing more unfair than that stupid best placed 2nd or 3rd in a group qualifies.

I know it's probably down to money or something but I miss the old 1 leg neutral venue qualifiers.

I always like the random places games end up getting played like Anfield vs Netherlands or Paris vs Spain

I think UEFA would be against a group winners only scenario because that would mean a lot more dead rubbers for a lot of teams early on.

If they wanted to do a single playoff with 13 spots up for grabs they could have done it with 9 groups. That's how they did it in 2018. However this time they needed to factor in the Nations League in some way so I guess that's how they arrived at the setup that they did.

Coverage of the draw is starting from 4pm.

They're doing the Intercontinental draw afterwards (or the draw where three confederations cross their fingers and hope they dodge South America.)

Italy and Portugal in the same playoff bracket. That's a disaster for FIFA.