Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

What you need to know about the Qatar World Cup draw

What you need to know about the Qatar World Cup draw

Twenty-nine participants, including the hosts, have already been confirmed, while the remaining three will be finalised by June this year.

The final draw for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will take place in Doha on Friday.

The 32-team football event will kick off in Qatar on November 21, with the final taking place on December 18.

Twenty-nine participants, including the hosts, have already been confirmed, while the remaining three will be finalised by June this year.

Which teams have already qualified for the World Cup?


*  Argentina
*  Belgium
*  Brazil
*  Cameroon
*  Canada
*  Croatia
*  Denmark
*  Ecuador
*  England
*  France
*  Germany
*  Ghana
*  Iran
*  Japan
*  Mexico
*  Morocco
*  Netherlands
*  Poland
*  Portugal
*  Qatar
*  Saudi Arabia
*  Senegal
*  Serbia
*  South Korea
*  Spain
*  Switzerland
*  Tunisia
*  Uruguay
*  USA


How does the seeding and pots work?


Qatar, as hosts, will take position A1 from Pot 1.

The other 28 already qualified teams are allocated pots based on the FIFA rankings released on Thursday.

In Pot 1, Qatar will be joined by the seven highest-ranked teams.

The teams ranked eight to 15 will be allocated Pot 2, 16 to 23 will be in Pot 3 while Pot 4 will include the qualified teams in positions 24 to 28 as well as placeholders for the remaining three slots – two winners of the intercontinental playoffs and the remaining UEFA playoff winner.

Which team is in which pot?


Pot 1: Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal
Pot 2: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, Croatia
Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia
Pot 4: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine, Peru/Australia/UAE, Costa Rica/New Zealand


What is the draw procedure?


In each team pot, there are eight balls bearing country names for each qualified team as well as three placeholders.

There are also eight pots representing the groups and are labelled A to H. In each group pot, there are four balls number one to four representing the position in each group.

A ball is drawn from the team pot and then from one of the group pots to determine the team’s position in that group.

Who are the notable omissions?


Italy, current European champions, have missed out on their second World Cup in a row.

Russia will also not be part of the draw after the team was disqualified from the playoffs due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Also absent will be Egypt, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Algeria who all fell at various hurdles in qualifying.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×