FIFA, Qatar prepare for unprecedented World Cup finals draw
DOHA, Qatar –
A World Cup like no different in its 92-year historical past will take form this week at an unprecedented event draw.
When FIFA and host nation Qatar stage the draw ceremony present Friday, three of the 32 entries might be placeholders as a result of the three-year qualifying program was delayed and continues to be ongoing.
A once-in-a-century international well being disaster and the struggle in Ukraine made certain of that.
It means 37 nations might be concerned on Friday, together with 5 which can finally not play in November when the primary “winter” World Cup kicks off.
The total lineup won’t be recognized till not less than June 14, when the intercontinental playoff spherical ends in Qatar. That’s 74 days after the draw and the identical date the 2018 event began in Russia, which was thrown out of the ultimate phases of qualifying this time over the invasion of Ukraine.
Possibly FIFA received fortunate seven years in the past by shifting the 2022 event to November and December to keep away from the searing desert warmth of Qatar’s summer season.
The later begin created wiggle room to clear the match backlog after the COVID-19 pandemic worn out virtually each national-team recreation outdoors Europe in 2020.
It has additionally put uncertainty on stage on the Doha Exhibition & Conference Heart, the place the present Friday begins at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) and lasts one hour.
One of many balls being drawn from pot 4 of low-ranked groups will symbolize “Peru or Australia or the United Arab Emirates.” One other is “Ukraine or Wales or Scotland.”
So it goes at this main World Cup milestone, in maybe its very unlikely host nation, on April 1.
Here is a take a look at this uncommon World Cup draw.
FIRST-TIMER QATAR
One certain factor is Qatar would be the top-seeded group in Group A, taking place A1 within the schedule of 64 matches in simply 28 days.
The privilege is given to all host nations even when ranked No. 65 on the earth, as Russia was. Qatar is at present No. 52.
Nonetheless, the 2019 Asian Cup winner is the exception amongst trendy World Cup hosts, having by no means earlier than certified for the finals. Qatar’s debut opens the event on Monday, Nov. 21 at Al Bayt Stadium.
It means within the group stage Qatar avoids the world’s top-ranked groups, from Nos. 1 to 7 – Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain and Portugal.
These international locations would be the subsequent seven drawn out of top-seeded Pot 1 and allotted in flip to Teams B by way of H.
HOW THE SEEDING WORKS
Seeding pots are stuffed in accordance with FIFA rankings which weigh outcomes over a number of years and are formally up to date Thursday.
The subsequent eight highest-ranked qualifiers go into Pot 2, which is the second to be drawn. It consists of Germany and certain the USA and Mexico after Wednesday’s qualifying video games.
Subsequent is Pot 3 with groups ranked within the 20s by FIFA and eventually Pot 4 that might embody Canada regardless of main the North American qualifying group. Canada is again within the World Cup after a 36-year hole.
The easy format is now sophisticated by the three playoff entries delayed to June: The European bracket containing Ukraine, which can not at present put together a group, and the 2 intercontinental playoffs.
FIFA weighted these entries downward into Pot 4 in accordance with the lowest-ranked potential qualifiers, corresponding to Scotland, New Zealand and the UAE.
Increased-ranked playoff groups Peru and Wales face being seeded under their true degree.
GEOGRAPHY LESSON
Geography additionally limits potential matchups. Groups from the identical continent typically cannot go in the identical group, apart from some Europeans. Europe has 13 of the 31 qualifying slots they usually can not all keep away from one another.
5 teams get two European groups, and the opposite three teams every get one. It means 2014 winner Germany from Pot 2 can land with defending champion France.
FIXTURE SCHEDULE
Every four-team group is a round-robin of six video games in complete. The order every group performs the opposite is set by one other draw inside the ceremony.
After every group is drawn, a subsequent ball – numbered 1, 2, 3 or 4 – is picked to put that nation within the fixture grid.
This unpredictability means the 2 highest-ranked groups in a gaggle might meet in any of the three rounds.
KNOCKOUT STAGE
The 32-team lineup is the right quantity for a knockout bracket. The highest two groups in every group – the place aim distinction is the primary tiebreaker – advance to the spherical of 16.
A group’s path by way of to the quarterfinals, semifinals and closing is about within the bracket. If Qatar advances because the Group A winner, it should then play the Group B runner-up.
Groups which advance from the identical group can not meet once more till the ultimate.
GOOD DRAW, BAD DRAW?
Is there a “good” or “dangerous” part of the draw to land in?
Possibly sure at this congested event, which might be 4 days shorter than the 2018 version in Russia.
Touchdown in Group B means beginning on Nov. 21 as an alternative of Nov. 24 in Group G or H. Which means three further relaxation days.
The Group G winner must play seven video games in simply 25 days to win the title. That group additionally will get simply two full days off earlier than a spherical of 16 recreation on Dec. 5.
Why is the schedule so tight? This World Cup is jammed into an enforced break in home league seasons in Europe.
Reluctant to lose profitable weekend broadcast slots, Europe’s prime leagues ensured they are going to play by way of Nov. 13 – simply eight days earlier than kickoff in Qatar.
