FIFA, Qatar put together for unprecedented World Cup finals draw

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A World Cup like no different in its 92-year historical past will take form this week at an unprecedented event draw.

When FIFA and host nation Qatar stage the draw ceremony present Friday, three of the 32 entries will probably be placeholders as a result of the three-year qualifying program was delayed and remains to be ongoing.

A once-in-a-century world well being disaster and the battle in Ukraine made certain of that.

It means 37 nations will probably be concerned on Friday, together with 5 which can in the end not play in November when the primary ‘winter’ World Cup kicks off.

The full lineup won’t be recognized till not less than June 14, when the intercontinental playoff spherical ends in Qatar. That is 74 days after the draw and the identical date the 2018 event began in Russia, which was thrown out of the ultimate phases of qualifying this time over the invasion of Ukraine.

Maybe FIFA obtained fortunate seven years in the past by shifting the 2022 event to November and December to keep away from the searing desert warmth of Qatar’s summer time.

The later begin created wiggle room to clear the match backlog after the COVID-19 pandemic worn out nearly each national-team recreation outdoors Europe in 2020.

It has additionally put uncertainty on stage on the Doha Exhibition & Convention Center, the place the present Friday begins at 7 pm (1600 GMT) and lasts one hour.

One of the balls being drawn from pot 4 of low-ranked groups will symbolize ‘Peru or Australia or the United Arab Emirates.’

Another is ‘Ukraine or Wales or Scotland.’

So it goes at this main World Cup milestone, in maybe its very unlikely host nation, on April 1.

Here’s a have a look at this uncommon World Cup draw.

FIRST-TIMER QATAR

One certain factor is Qatar would be the top-seeded staff in Group A, taking place A1 within the schedule of 64 matches in simply 28 days.

The privilege is given to all host nations even when ranked No. 65 on the earth, as Russia was. Qatar is presently No. 52.

Still, the 2019 Asian Cup winner is the exception amongst trendy World Cup hosts, having by no means earlier than certified for the finals. Qatar’s debut opens the event on Monday, Nov. 21 at Al Bayt Stadium.

It means within the group stage Qatar avoids the world’s top-ranked groups, from Nos. 1 to 7 – Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain and Portugal.

Those nations would be the subsequent seven drawn out of top-seeded pot 1 and allotted in flip to Groups B by H.

HOW THE SEEDING WORKS

Seeding pots are crammed in keeping with FIFA rankings which weigh outcomes over a number of years and are formally up to date Thursday.

The subsequent eight highest-ranked qualifiers go into pot 2, which is the second to be drawn. It contains Germany and sure the United States and Mexico after Wednesday’s qualifying video games.

Next is pot 3 with groups ranked within the 20s by FIFA and at last pot 4 together with Canada, again within the World Cup after a 36-year hole. Canada is in pot 4 regardless of main the North American qualifying group.

The easy format is now difficult by the three playoff entries delayed to June: The European bracket containing Ukraine, which can not presently put together a staff, and the 2 intercontinental playoffs.

FIFA weighted these entries downward into pot 4 in keeping with the lowest-ranked potential qualifiers, reminiscent of Scotland, New Zealand and the UAE.

Higher-ranked playoff groups Peru and Wales face being seeded under their true degree.

GEOGRAPHY LESSON

Geography additionally limits potential matchups. Teams from the identical continent typically cannot go in the identical group, aside from some Europeans. Europe has 13 of the 31 qualifying slots and so they can not all keep away from one another.

Five teams get two European groups, and the opposite three teams every get one. It means 2014 winner Germany from pot 2 can land with defending champion France.

FIXTURE SCHEDULE

Each four-team group is a round-robin of six video games in whole. The order every staff performs the opposite is determined by one other draw throughout the ceremony.

After every staff is drawn, a subsequent ball – numbered 1, 2, 3 or 4 – is picked to put that nation within the fixture grid.

This unpredictability means the 2 highest-ranked groups in a bunch might meet in any of the three rounds.

KNOCKOUT STAGE

The 32-team lineup is the proper quantity for a knockout bracket. The prime two groups in every group – the place aim distinction is the primary tiebreaker – advance to the spherical of 16.

A staff’s path by to the quarterfinals, semifinals and remaining is about within the bracket. If Qatar advances because the Group A winner, it should then play the Group B runner-up.

Teams which advance from the identical group can not meet once more till the ultimate.

GOOD DRAW, BAD DRAW?

Is there a ‘good’ or ‘unhealthy’ part of the draw to land in?

Maybe sure at this congested event, which will probably be 4 days shorter than the 2018 version in Russia.

Landing in Group B means beginning on Nov. 21 as an alternative of Nov. 24 in Group G or H. That means three additional relaxation days.

The Group G winner must play seven video games in simply 25 days to win the title. That staff additionally will get simply two full days off earlier than a spherical of 16 recreation on Dec. 5.

Why is the schedule so tight? This World Cup is jammed into an enforced break in home league seasons in Europe.

Reluctant to lose profitable weekend broadcast slots, Europe’s prime leagues ensured they are going to play by Nov. 13 – simply eight days earlier than kickoff in Qatar.

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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS

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