Nine months from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the cast is almost complete. If play-offs are still to take place in the coming months, the fate of the biggest footballing nations is already known. Against all odds, Italy lost in the play-off against North Macedonia and will miss a second World Cup in a row. The Squadra Azzurra will be the only nation already victorious of the precious trophy to be conspicuous by its absence.
They will make their comeback
Absent from the last Russian edition or Euro 2016 in France, the Netherlands will be there in Qatar and confirm their return to the fore. Led by the top scorer in the qualifying phase, Memphis Depay (11 goals), the Netherlands had only one defeat against Turkey, which was itself eliminated by Portugal in the play-offs. Also absent in 2018, Ecuador will return to the World Cup.
This is also the case for Canada, whose qualification is more of a feat. By defeating Jamaica, Canada qualified for its first World Cup in 36 years. At the time, the players of the country with the maple leaf had left Mexico without the slightest victory and the suitcases full of five goals conceded in three games.
The Ghana of the brothers Jordan and André Ayew will be traveling in the Gulf. Thanks to their 1-1 draw against the Nigerians, they take advantage of the away goal rule after a first meeting without movement in the first leg (0-0). It is thanks to the goal of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey that the Black Stars will find the lawns of the World Cup, after having missed it in 2018.
QATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!#WCQ2022 | #BringBackTheLove | #GoBlackStarsGo | #GoGhana pic.twitter.com/NcI6jAjB6r
— Black Stars (@GhanaBlackstars) March 29, 2022
They won’t be there
The trauma of 2018 resurfaced. After winning the last Euro, the Italians once again failed at the World Cup play-off stage. After a defeat against Sweden which deprived them of the Russian World Cup in 2018, it was this time against North Macedonia that Marco Verratti’s teammates lost their ticket to Qatar.
“Tonight the incredible happened, I am responsible for it“ reacted Roberto Mancini in the columns of the Gazzetta dello sport evoking the moment the “harder than [sa] career“. For the first time in its history, the Squadra Azzurra will miss two World Cups in a row. Still in the Europe zone, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not experience the happiness of a new World Cup with Sweden despite his recent return to selection.
Pharaoh Mohamed Salah will not have been enough for his team to qualify in a remake of the final of the African Cup of Nations against Senegal. The Egyptians lost once again on penalties against the Lions of Teranga and will not go to the World Cup, just like Algeria, beaten on the gong by Cameroon, qualified, and which has a second disappointment after the CAN.
They will still be there
To remove Brazil, Germany or Argentina from a World Cup is to deprive them of their most faithful representatives. Since 1970, these four nations have been in all competitions, and Brazil have not even missed any since the competition was created in 1930, when Germany missed two (1930 and 1950). They will also be in Qatar, with the unstoppable French or Spanish selections.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will once again not miss the call. The teammates of the five-time Ballon d’Or were able to count on a Bruno Fernandes of the big nights, author of a double, to get rid of North Macedonia. This will be the Portuguese superstar’s fifth World Cup since 2006. In the Europe zone, Poland, present in 2018, is also making a name for itself after its success against Sweden. His star Robert Lewandowski will therefore be able to take his revenge and score his first goal or goals in the competition.
On the side of Asia, South Korea has, as usual since 1986, seized one of the five tickets reserved for the Asian continent. Just like Japan, present without interruption since a certain World Cup in 1998. These two historic qualifiers for the Asia zone will be accompanied by Saudi Arabia, Iran and of course Qatar, the host country.
They will discover the competition
Precisely, for the first time in its history, Qatar will participate in a World Cup. Organizing country, the team did not have to go through the playoffs, because automatically qualified. The Qataris thus become the fourth Persian Gulf state to take part in the World Cup, after Kuwait (1982), the United Arab Emirates (1990) and Saudi Arabia (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018). For the first time, two Gulf countries, since Saudi Arabia will also be on the trip, will participate in the same World Cup.
They will play their place
But not everyone has yet validated their ticket to Qatar. If 27 out of 32 selections are qualified, there are still five places to distribute. There will be two for the Concacaf zone (North and Central America) on March 31. Fourth at three points from the qualifying places, Costa Rica of Keylor Navas will have to win against the United States, almost qualified, to hope to believe it. Mexico, third, will need a draw against El Salvador to secure their place and condemn the Costa Ricans to a huge feat against the Americans to qualify directly for Qatar.
The last three tickets will be awarded during intercontinental play-offs next June. The last European ticket will be awarded after the match between Wales and the winner of Ukraine-Scotland, moved due to the war in Ukraine. The Asian representative (Australia or United Arab Emirates) will be opposed to that of South America, Peru, which clinched 5th place on Tuesday by beating Paraguay (2-0). Finally, the representative of North, Central America and the Caribbean (United States, Mexico or Costa Rica) will face that of Oceania (New Zealand or Solomon Islands)
2-0
1-1
0-1
0-2
0-4 #WCQ | #WorldCup | @CONMEBOL pic.twitter.com/kX06dc6DgE— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 30, 2022