Thanks to its landslide victory (8-0) against Kazakhstan, the French team has already qualified for the next World Cup to be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022 in Qatar. In a match mastered from start to finish, Didier Deschamps’ players provided the spectacle and delighted the spectators of the Parc des Princes. Special mention to Kylian Mbappé, author of his first quadrupled under the tricolor jersey, including a header goal.
The Blues can therefore calmly approach their next trip, Tuesday in Helsinki where they will face Finland, which it will have to go through the dams to hope to be in Doha next year. Other selections have imitated France this weekend by also winning their sesame for the World Cup. Nine have already qualified at this time. We take stock zone by zone.
Europe
Competitive teams: 55 Qualifying places: 13
the Denmark became the first nation to land its ticket on October 12. Germany, France, Belgium, Croatia, spain and serbia have since imitated it. By Tuesday, three other teams will join them. The ten teams ranked second and the top two teams from the last League of Nations not qualified will participate in March 2022 in two-round play-offs, in a single knockout match, which will award the last three tickets for Qatar.
Portugal is in shock after losing Sunday to Serbia (1-2). Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammates let qualification slip away, when a draw was enough, at the last minute. The Portuguese will have to pass the dams to get their ticket for Qatar. same for me the Netherlands, hooked by Montenegro. They can nevertheless hope to qualify in the next match. Italy and england can also qualify if they win against their opponent this week.
Africa
Competitive teams: 54 Qualifying places: 5
The second qualifying round ends on Tuesday: at the end of this phase, the ten group winners will participate in play-offs in the form of two-way matches which will determine the five qualifiers for Qatar. Mali, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, Ghana and DR Congo are already guaranteed to participate in the dams.
Asia
Competitive teams: 46 Qualifying places: 4 or 5
Qatar, host country, already has his ticket in his pocket. Twelve teams are currently participating in the third and final round of qualifying which will end in March 2022. They are split into two groups of six and face each other in home and away matches. The first two from each group (currently, after five of the 10 matches, Iran and South Korea for group A, Saudi Arabia and Australia for group B) will go to Qatar. The two thirds then face each other in a two-way match, with the winner taking part in a two-way intercontinental jump-off against a representative of Oceania, Asia or Concacaf.
South America
Competitive teams: 10 Qualifying places: 4 or 5
Brasil, who has never missed a World Cup finals, validated his ticket to Qatar by beating Colombia on November 12. At the end of the 18-day mini-championship, in March 2022, the three other top 4 teams (currently Argentina, Ecuador and Chile) will accompany him to Qatar. The 5th ranked team (currently Colombia) will play in an intercontinental jump-off.
Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean)
Competitive teams: 35 Qualifying places: 3 or 4
Eight teams compete in the final round, a 14-day mini-championship that ends on March 30. The first three (currently, after six days, Mexico, United States and Canada) will go to Qatar. The 4th ranked team will play in an intercontinental jump-off.
Oceania
Competitive teams: 11 Qualifying places: 0 or 1
Due to the Covid-19, the qualifications which were to start in September 2020 could not take place. OFC, the body that oversees football in this area, announced in September that it will organize, in agreement with Fifa, a qualifying tournament in March 2022 in Qatar. Its winner will participate in an intercontinental jump-off.