European qualifiers for the World Cup: state of play | European qualifications
Thirteen European teams will line up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the identities of 12 of them will be known ahead of Friday’s draw.
Which European teams have qualified for the 2022 World Cup?
Ten teams have booked their places after dominating their groups in the European Qualifiers, with the last three places going to teams that will go through the new play-offs. The play-offs will feature the group runners-up and the two highest-ranked UEFA Nations League group winners who failed to finish in the top two of the European qualifiers.
Qualified as group winners
Belgium – third in 2018 (best in World Cup)
Croatia – 2018 finalist
Denmark – quarter-finals 1998
England – winners 1966
France – winners 1998, 2018
Germany – winners 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
Netherlands – finalists 1974, 1978, 2010
Serbia – fourth 1930*, 1962*
Spain – winners 2010
Switzerland – quarter-finals 1934, 1938, 1954
*Like Yugoslavia
Who can still qualify via the play-offs?
Seven teams remain in contention to seal the three places available via the play-offs: North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden, Ukraine and Wales. The Paths B and C finals end on Tuesday evening, while the Path A play-offs involving Ukraine, Scotland and Wales have been postponed.
Finals – Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Path B: Poland v Sweden
Path C: Portugal v North Macedonia
Kick-off 8:45 p.m. CET
Final – postponed, date to be confirmed
Path A: Wales vs Scotland / Ukraine
Semi-final – postponed, date to be confirmed
Path A: Scotland v Ukraine
Semi-finals – Thursday March 24, 2022
Path A: Wales 2-1 Austria
Path B: Sweden 1-0 Czech Republic (ap)
Path C: Italy 0-1 North Macedonia, Portugal 3-1 Turkey
How does the 2022 World Cup draw work?
The World Cup draw takes place on Friday in Doha, starting at 7:00 p.m. local time (mainland Europe are an hour behind, the UK and Portugal two hours).
The teams will be split into four pots of eight according to FIFA’s rankings to be released on Thursday, with hosts Qatar guaranteed a place in Pot 1. There will be a reserved space in Pot 4 for the winner of the play-offs of Track A postponed. involving Ukraine, Scotland and Wales.
Teams will then be drawn from each pot and divided into eight groups (A to H), starting with Pot 1, then Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4.
World Cup 2022
The World Cup takes place from November 21 to December 18 at eight venues in Qatar. European teams have won the last four World Cups, the last in France in 2018.
The two highest-ranked UEFA Nations League group winners who finished outside the top two in their World Cup qualifying group made it to the play-offs: Austria and the Czech Republic.
League A
1France
2 Spain
3 Italy
4 Belgium
League B
5 Wales
6 Austria
7 Czech Republic
8 Hungary*
C-League
9 Slovenia*
10 Montenegro*
11 Albania*
12 Armenia*
League D
13 Gibraltar*
14 Faroe Islands*
The teams in italics finished in the top two of a qualifying group.
* Did not finish in the top two of the qualifying group or reach the play-offs via the UEFA Nations League table.
This article is for informational purposes only and is subject to final confirmation by FIFA. Full details on how qualifiers work can be found in the Official Rules.