2022 World Cup: Ukraine is waiting for the draw of the qualifying tournament

07.12.2020 12:00

Photo fifa.com

Today, on December 7, the 2022 World Cup qualifiers draw in the UEFA zone takes place in Zurich (the ceremony starts at 19.00:XNUMX Kyiv time).

It should be reminded that in the last, FIFA November rankings for national teams Ukraine hold 24 position. According to the regulations, it was this register that formed the composition of the pots before the draw. Thus, Ukraine, which ranks 16th among European teams, will be in the second pot. 

The 2022 World Cup qualifying in the European Zone, which will present 13 qualified teams, starts in March 2021 and ends with the playoffs in March 2022.

World Cup 2022. Qualifying. European zone

Group Round

All 55 teams representing UEFA associations will play in a two-round tournament in 10 groups (five for six teams and five for five). There are 10 windows from March to November 2021. Before the draw, participants according to the FIFA rating on 26.11.2020 are divided into six baskets (five - 10 teams, one - five).

Pot 1: Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands.

Pot 2: Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania.

Pot 3: Russia, Hungary, Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland.

Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg.

Pot 5: Armenia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra.

Pot 6: Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino.

Note that the national teams of Ukraine and Russia will be separated. Another point: no more than two countries from the winter pool can get to one group (Iceland, Faroe Islands, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Russia). These teams will play a minimum of home matches in March and November. 

1 round. March 24-25, 2021.

2 round. March 27-28, 2021.

3 round. March 30-31, 2021.

4 round. September 1-2, 2021.

5 round. September 4-5, 2021.

6 round. September 7-8, 2021.

7 round. October 8-9, 2021.

8 round. October 11-12, 2021.

9 round. November 11-13, 2021.

10 round. November 14-16, 2021.

10 group winners will go directly to the World Cup 2022. The other teams will continue to challenge in the next phase.

Photo by uefa.com

Playoff round

The 10 second teams of the qualifying groups and the two best teams among the winners of the groups of the League of Nations 2020/2021 (of those who will not get to the top two in the qualification groups of the 2022 World Cup) will play in March 2022 in the playoffs, which will consist of two single-match stages.

The 12 participants will first determine the six in the butt semifinal matches, and then in the finals - the three strongest. They will receive the remaining three tickets to Qatar. The World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022.