There are fewer than nine months before the start of the 2022 Globe Cup in Qatar, and fans all around the world are starting to get into the tournament mood in anticipation of the next group stage draw. But how does the World Cup draw work? Do you know? Let’s try to find out.
On Friday, April 1 at 12 p.m. ET, the World Cup Draw will take place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) in Doha.
Too far, 29 countries have qualified for the World Cup, with three spots remaining up for grabs in June’s regional and intercontinental playoffs. These three empty slots will be represented by stand-ins in the final lottery.
The 33 participants (including the three stand-ins) will be randomly assigned to one of four pools depending on their position in the latest FIFA World Rankings. The names drawn from the hats will be distributed to several groups (A through H) in alphabetical order.
It will begin with the teams in Pot 1, and work its way through all four pots before concluding with the teams in Pot 4.
How Does The Draw Work?
The 29 teams who have already qualified for the tournament will be divided into four groups according to where they now stand in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking. A random selection will be made to place one team out of each four pools into each of the eight groups.
As the country that will be hosting the competition, Qatar will be placed in slot A1 in Pot 1, which will also include the seven teams with the best qualifying rankings.
Pot 2 will consist of the qualified teams that are ranked eighth to fifteenth, Pot 3 will consist of the qualified teams that are ranked sixteenth to twenty-third, and Pot 4 will include the qualified teams that are ranked twenty-fourth to twenty-eighth.
In addition to three placeholders representing the two winners of the intercontinental playoffs, which were played in June, and the remaining UEFA playoff winner (also played in June).
Geographic Restrictions
There are geographical considerations at play, thus it’s unlikely that two teams from the same area would be placed in the same group.
Given that 13 different European nations will be sending teams, the regulations provide that no more than two European teams may be placed in the same group.
If a team is randomly assigned to a group that has a geographical limitation, they will be moved to the next group. If a team is ineligible for Group B, for instance, it may be sent to Group C. If a team from Group B is not selected, the next team picked will take their place.
Group Placement
Each team in Pot 1 will be placed in a predetermined group, starting with A1, then B1, then C1, and so on, to Group H. Teams in Pots 2-4.
However, will be assigned to their groups in different ways. One team from Pots 2-4 will be chosen for a given group, and then another team will be chosen at random from a separate bowl to establish the team’s final group.
If a team is randomly assigned to Group D, for instance, its final placement in that group will be decided by drawing a ball numbered D2, D3, or D4 from a hat. Please explain why it’s so crucial to randomly assign people to these groups.
That’s how we rank group pairings. The pairings for each day are selected by the participants’ starting positions within the group. The schedule is completely at random, so each team will play against the others in the group at some point.
Kickoff Times & Stadiums
FIFA has already made it abundantly clear that despite the fact that we will be aware of the matchups, the world governing body will go back and assign kickoff times and stadiums to each matchup after the draw. This will be done in order to take into account TV windows in particular countries as well as travel within Qatar for fans.
World Cup Draw Pots
The most recent version of the FIFA World Rankings was published on March 31 by FIFA. These rankings were used to arrange the teams in each pot in preparation for the draw on April 1.
The first pot contains the top eight teams, the second pot has the next best eight teams, and so on. Even if some of the teams still in contention for those open playoff positions have rankings that would put them in a different pot.
The three teams who will serve as placeholders for those spots are all located in Pot 4. The following table presents the various pot groups, followed by the March 2022 FIFA World Ranking in parenthesis. (*As the host country, Qatar is placed in Pot 1, as is traditional and required by tournament tradition.)
Also Read: How to Get FIFA World Cup Tickets
Final Words
Live coverage will also be provided by FIFA, in the form of a live feed that can be accessed on the official FIFA YouTube account. Carli Lloyd, one of the most decorated players in the history of the United States national team, together with Jermaine Jenas, a former England international, and Samantha Johnson, a broadcaster, will preside over the official draw event.