With the final matchday of World Cup Qualifiers (UEFA) coming to an end, here we take a look at the teams that have booked their tickets to Qatar next year and the ones who are waiting to feature in the playoffs.
Qualification scenario
Out of 55 nations from UEFA, only 13 places have been allotted for the World Cup in Qatar next year. Those 13 teams will be decided by the Group stage and playoff games.
The winners of each group (10 groups) will secure automatic qualification. The runners up alongside the two-best ranked teams from UEFA Nations League will enter the playoffs. The playoffs will determine the remaining three teams.
Teams who have secured automatic qualification (Group winners)
- Serbia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- France
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Netherland
- Croatia
- England
- Germany
Playoffs scenario
There are shocking entrants like Portugal and Italy for the next year’s playoffs.
Teams who will compete in the playoffs ( group stage runners up and two teams from Nations League)
- Portugal
- Sweden
- Italy
- Ukraine
- Wales
- Scotland
- Turkey
- Poland
- North Macedonia
- Russia
Two highly-ranked Nations League teams
- Austria
- Czech Republic
The playoffs will take place in March next year and the draw for the playoffs will be held later this month.
As far as the format is concerned, the 12 teams will be separated into three paths and winners of each path will grab their place for the World Cup. Each path will have two single-legged semi-finals and a single-legged final to determine the winner.
The teams have been divided into two pots as seeded and unseeded. The seeded teams are the best-placed runners up and they will have the home advantage.
Pot 1 (seeded)
Portugal
Scotland
Italy
Russia
Sweden
Wales
Pot 2 (unseeded)
Turkey
Poland
North Macedonia
Ukraine
Austria
Czech Republic
Portugal and Italy caught in a tricky situation
Firstly, it was shocking to see both Italy and Portugal getting relegated to the playoffs. Although they have the home advantage, it seems too early to predict the favourites. The likes of Sweden, Ukraine, Czech and Poland are also looking as underdogs and would look to battle out for their place in the next year’s World Cup.
Furthermore, the semi-finals and finals will be single-legged ties and the teams have to be at their best throughout the playoffs.
Moreover, Italy and Portugal have a chance to meet others in the finals in one of the playoff paths, which means it could be the end of the road for one of the two teams.
