The groups are set, now the 233-day countdown to kick-off in Qatar begins.
Actor Idris Elba and broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury opened the show before a slick draw proceeded without a hitch at the Doha Exhibition Center.
Coaches, players, and fans alike will now have seven months to scout the opposition before hosts Qatar face Ecuador in the curtain raiser on November 21.
The most optimistic can even start plotting routes to the final on December 18, with corresponding fixtures for the knockout stages pre-set.
England, the Netherlands, Argentina, and France will all find themselves on the same side of the draw should they progress from their groups, while the other half could see matchups between footballing powerhouses such as Spain, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, and Portugal.
Domestic seasons around the world will have concluded and then restarted by the time the World Cup rolls around in November but at that point, it’s all eyes on Qatar for the tournament’s first ever winter edition.
Spare a thought for Costa Rica and New Zealand, set to battle it out on June 14 for a place in Qatar knowing victory will reward them with a group featuring two of the last three World Cup winners.
Group E promises a tantalizing fixture between four-time winners Germany – whose most recent triumph came in 2014 – and Spain, champion for the first time in their history four years prior in South Africa.
Germany will be out to correct a disastrous defense of their crown in 2018, having crashed out in spectacular fashion by finishing bottom of a group featuring Sweden, Mexico, and South Korea.
A regenerating Spain side, fronted by Barcelona’s teenage sensation Pedri, will also be keen to reseal old wounds after suffering a round-of-16 exit to hosts Russia four years ago.
Japan complete group E, appearing at their seventh consecutive World Cup.
There might not be a traditional ‘group of death’ from Friday’s draw, but there is definitely the possibility for some huge local rivalries to be renewed in Qatar.
In group B, 2018 semifinalists England have been drawn alongside the US, Iran and the winner of the last playoff spot from Europe, which will be one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine.?
Wales have already advanced to the final of the playoff branch, while Scotland and Ukraine’s semifinal has been postponed to June because of Russia’s invasion.
But if either Wales or Scotland advance to the World Cup in Qatar, it will be a huge game for either nations, playing against their big rivals England.
Wales last qualified for a World Cup way back in 1958 while Scotland’s last appearance came in 1998.
The football gods served up a revenge script fit for Hollywood screenwriters when they pitted Ghana against Uruguay in Group H in Friday’s World Cup draw.
July 2 will mark the 12-year anniversary of the night in South Africa that Luis Suarez broke a nation’s hearts.
The then-Ajax forward deliberately batted the ball away with his hand to prevent Ghana from scoring a certain goal that would have seen the Black Stars become the first African side to reach a World Cup semifinal.
Seconds from a penalt shootout, Suarez received a red card for his offence and Ghana were awarded a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan fizzed his spot-kick over via the crossbar.
Suarez celebrated wildly on his way to the changing rooms, salt rubbed even deeper into Ghanaian wounds as Uruguay proceeded to win the penalty shootout and progress to the semifinals.
Barring an injury, it is likely that Suarez will be in the line-up to face Ghana in Qatar. At 35, it looks set to be his final World Cup.
And so tees up the perfect opportunity for Ghana to have the last laugh, or a former tormentor to play the villain one last time.
Canada’s repayment for qualifying for its first World Cup in 36 years? Some juicy matches against some well-established footballing nations.
The Maple Leafs were drawn in a group alongside No. 2 in the FIFA rankings, Belgium, Morocco and 2018 finalists, Croatia.
Canada’s trip to Qatar in November will be the first one they have undertaken to a World Cup since 1986 after an emphatic 4-0 defeat of Jamaica saw the Canadians fly through as CONCACAF group leaders.
But the North Americans will have to be at their best if they want to qualify from their group, with star-studded Belgium – led by Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne and Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku – standing in the way.
While Croatia might not be as the same level as the 2018 edition, midfield maestro Luca Modric is still capable of unlocking any side – just ask Paris Saint-Germain.
And Morocco’s squad also includes some stand-out players, including Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi.
All nations now know their opponents for the 2022 World Cup group stage.
The opening match of the 22nd edition of the tournament will be hosts Qatar against Ecuador on November 21.?
Also in Qatar’s group are the Netherlands and Africa Cup of Nations winners Senegal.
Elsewhere, there is the possibility of a British derby in Group B after England – semifinalists in 2018 – was drawn against the winner of the last playoff spot from Europe, which will be one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine.
The US make up the last team in the group.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina was drawn in Group C with Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, while reigning champion France was drawn in Group D with one of the UAE, Australia or Peru, Denmark and Tunisia.
Few Americans will remember the country’s best ever World Cup run – a third place finish at the inaugural tournament in Uruguay, 92 years ago in 1930.
Though stunning England at the 1950 tournament in Brazil with a famous 1-0 win, the English had the last laugh as the US subsequently endured a 40-year absence from football’s premium international competition.
Since that return at Italia 90’, the US have enjoyed a consistent place at the table, failing to qualify only once for Russia in 2018.
A stunning run at the South Korea and Japan edition of the tournament in 2002 saw the US topple Portugal in the group stage, winning 3-2 against a side featuring legendary icons like Rui Costa and Luis Figo before pipping them to a knockout stage spot.
Goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan fired USMNT past Mexico and into the quarter-finals, wherein the team’s greatest run since 1930 was ended by Germany.
A 1-1 group stage draw against England in 2010 will live long in the memory for all except English goalkeeper Rob Green, who fumbled Clint Dempsey’s shot, with the US bowing out at the knockout stage.
They met the same fate at their most recent World Cup appearance in Brazil four years later, but now back for Qatar, the US will be hoping a new generation of stars can lead them into uncharted territory.
Chelsea star Christian Pulisic – affectionally dubbed ‘Captain America’ – will shoulder great expectations, though in Juventus’ Weston McKennie, Borussia Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna, and Barcelona’s Sergino Dest, the USMNT boast an array of stars with top-level European experience to share the burden.
At the very least the pressure is on to go further than Canada, their North American rivals at their first World Cup in 36 years.
After three years at the summit, Belgium have finally been knocked off their perch atop the FIFA rankings, with Brazil returning to claim their crown.
The Sele??o hold the record for longest total time on top of the rankings with 4,731 days, but had been chasing the shadow of the European nation since 2019.
Emphatic wins for Brazil over Chile and Bolivia in March coincided with a 2-2 draw for Belgium against the Republic of Ireland, results that were enough to see the South Americans nudge ahead before the draw.
Such a reign of dominance was a hugely impressive feat for a country of just 11 million, though time is running out for the Red Devils’ golden generation to reap silverware from their undoubted array of star quality.
Read more about Belgium’s meteoric rise in this interactive piece here.
When the World Cup starts, there will be 64 games over 28 days in eight stadiums – all within 50 kilometers of Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Far from the continental tour of the multi-nationally hosted Euro 2020, fans at this year’s World Cup can look forward to shorter travel times and the opportunity to attend more than one match a day during the tournament’s early stages.
CNN took to the skies to scout out the stadia on offer.
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The first middle eastern host in the World Cup’s 92 year history, Qatar will be become the center of the footballing world when the tournament kicks off in December.
But what is a Qatari matchday experience like? In 2019, CNN were pitch-side for the Asian Champions League semi-final at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium to find out.
With 140 international caps between them, Clarence Seedorf and Michel Salgado know a thing or two about international football.
Legendary Dutch midfielder Seedorf reached the semifinal of the 1998 World Cup in France, while Real Madrid hero Salgado was part of the Spain squad that fell to the French at the knockout stages of the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Both then, have somewhat painful memories of France, but that hasn’t stopped them from tipping the 2018 winners to defend their title – in no small part due to the presence of one Kylian Mbappé.
“France is the team that, if they are able to perform, have the perfect mix between experience and young players,” Salgado told CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“They have Mbappé, right now making the big change in football. They have a great squad with [Karim] Benzema at front as well, [Antoine] Griezmann … [Paul] Pogba.
“They won the World Cup, they know how to do it. So I think they are the favorites.”
Rumors continue to swirl of Mbappé moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Salgado and Seedorf’s former club Real Madrid, a move that would see the 23-year-old reunited with compatriot Benzema.
Having lauded the French team’s “firepower,” Seedorf described Benzema as one of the world’s best forwards.
“They [Real Madrid] still one of the best strikers in the world, which is Benzema,” Seedorf said.
“I wonder where he [Mbappé] will be playing,” he added, speculating on Mbappé’s potential move to Madrid, “He is an amazing player, but … what are you going to do with him?”
With Benzema and Mbappé set to pair up in Qatar, December will further test that theory on the international stage.
The final round of matches to decide the five African teams that would head to Qatar were decided in hugely controversial circumstances on Tuesday.
A month on from pipping them to the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on penalties, Senegal again proved to be the bane of Egypt by winning in identical circumstances in their CAF (Confederation of African Football) qualifier.
A 1-1 draw over two legs saw the sides’ fates hinge on penalties, with widespread criticism emerging online regarding lasers shone at Egyptian players from the Senegalese crowd.
TV pictures showed Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah swarmed with green lasers before he subsequently missed his penalty, the Liverpool star escorted away as fans ran onto the pitch at full-time.
After the game, the Egyptian FA said its players, particularly Salah, were targeted with racist abuse from Senegalese fans. It also accused Senegal supporters of attacking and damaging the team bus.
READ: Egypt FA accuses Senegal fans of racism after dramatic World Cup playoff
Elsewhere, supporters in Nigeria stormed the field at the final whistle after a 1-1 draw saw Ghana secure a spot in Qatar at their expense.
Thomas Partey’s goal was enough to send Ghana through on away goals, condemning Nigeria to only its second failed qualification since 1994.
According to Reuters, fans threw objects at Ghana’s supporters and players, who had to battle to the tunnel to leave the pitch.
READ: Fans storm onto the pitch as Ghana earns World Cup berth over Nigeria
Seconds from a penalty shootout, a goal in the fourth minute of added time in extra-time from Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi saw Cameroon edge past Algeria on away goals.
They will be joined in Qatar by Morocco and Tunisia, who saw off DR Congo and Mali respectively.
Ahead of the draw, worldwide players’ union FIFPro and global trade union federation Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) issued an open letter asking Qatar to create a Migrant Workers Center.
Human rights issues in the host country have been a continuous point of interest in the run-up to the World Cup, with migrant workers conditions a notable subject.
The Guardian reported last year that 6,500 migrant workers have died in the country since Qatar won its bid to host the tournament in 2010, most of whom were involved in low-wage, dangerous labor, often undertaken in extreme heat.
The report – “categorically” denied by tournament organizer chief executive Nasser Al Khater – did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN.
Though acknowledging “encouraging signs of progress”, the unions’ letter stated that the build-up to the tournament “has been filled with human rights scandals and poor worker conditions.”
“Workers continue to be subjected to abusive practices,” the statement from FIFPro and BWI general secretaries Jonas Baer-Hoffman and Ambet Yuson read.
In order to prevent progress from being halted once the “spotlight” on the World Cup has dimmed, the statement called for the creation of a Qatari Migrant Workers Centre to operate as a self-governed “safe space” for expatriate workers.
The center would allow workers to “develop skills, learn and get advice about their employment rights … and allow them to effectively co-operate with Qatari authorities on pressing issues.”
Qatar and FIFA have not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
“Remember, we owe the migrant workers,” the statement concluded, “it was they who toiled in scorching heat to build the infrastructure and stadiums.
“They endured cramped and inhospitable accommodation. Sometimes, they risked their lives to?send money home to their families. Some of them lost their lives.
“They are the ones who made this tournament happen … let’s make sure that we do not forget them.”
Viewing figures for today’s draw may be unusually low in Italy, the four-time World Cup winners still reeling from a catastrophic qualifying exit at the hands of North Macedonia.
A dramatic 92nd-minute winner from Aleksandar Trajkovski in the playoff qualifier semifinal condemned the reigning European champions to a second-straight World Cup absence.
It means Chelsea’s Jorginho, who finished third in 2021’s Ballon d’Or awards, as well as PSG pair Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti, will all miss out.
Egypt met an equally painful end to their qualifying campaign, suffering their second penalty shoot out defeat to Senegal in a matter of months.
With Liverpool star Mohamed Salah missing one of the penalties, Egypt’s failure to make the tournament means one of the world’s best players will be watching from home in December.
Ditto Salah’s Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz, after Colombia could only finish sixth in South American qualifying.
Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez is another absentee after Algeria suffered a heartbreaking last-gasp defeat by Cameroon.
Qatar will also be missing one of the world’s best strikers in Erling Haaland, the 21-year-old sensation forced to wait at least another four years for his World Cup debut after Norway endured a disappointing qualifying campaign.
Meanwhile veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahmovic may have played his last World Cup after Sweden lost their playoff qualifier against Poland.
The 40-year-old was substituted on with 10 minutes remaining, but could not reverse the damage inflicted by Robert Lewandowski and co.
Typically, qualification for European countries would have concluded with Tuesday’s playoff qualifiers, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had huge implications for the resolution of Europe’s last remaining spot for Qatar.
Initially scheduled to take place on March 24 in Glasgow, Scotland, the game was postponed by FIFA to June following the invasion.
With the winner set to play Wales to decide the final qualifier, earlier this week Ukrainian national team coach Oleksandr Petrakov cast doubts over whether the Scotland game can go ahead in three months time.
“We still have April and May to come, and we will see what happens then, but we are supposed to playing Scotland in June as well as Nations League games.
“But we can’t think about them at the moment given the current situation,” added Petrakov.
READ: Ukraine football coach casts doubt over 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff against Scotland
With the world watching and millions of eyes on them, the World Cup is a place for the biggest players to step up.
Take France star Kylian Mbappe.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, aged just 19, he scored four goals – including one in the final – and was voted the tournament’s best young player as his nation lifted the famous trophy.
Now arguably one of the most sought after talents in world football – with his contract running down at Paris Saint-Germain – he will be hoping to lead France to back-to-back success in Qatar in November.
Alongside PSG teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar, the world’s brightest stars will be looking to light up the tournament.
Paris-native Mbappe admitted earlier this season it is quite something to regularly share a pitch with legends such as Argentina star Messi.
“It’s a big pleasure for me to say to my kids, to my friends, I play with him [Messi],” Mbappe told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “We have to enjoy seeing him in Paris … It’s an amazing moment in the history of the game.”
Viewing figures for the draw in Canada will likely hit a 36-year peak after the Maple Leafs qualified for their first World Cup since 1986.
An emphatic 4-0 defeat of Jamaica saw the Canadians fly through as CONCACAF group leaders, pipping Mexico on goal difference.
“I told these boys right at the beginning, we’ve got to give this country something to believe in,” said coach John Herdman.
“They lost hope, they lost faith, but we’re a football country now and they all know it.”
Born in the north east of England, Herdman could well find himself facing off against his country of both, with England and Canada in pots one and four respectively.
A stellar line-up has been assembled to help with Friday’s draw in Doha, including World Cup winners and national heroes.
2,000 guests are expected to attend the draw, to be led by former USWNT international and two-time World Cup winner Carli Lloyd, pundit and former England player Jermaine Jenas, and sports anchor Samantha Johnson.
Brazil’s Cafu and Germany’s Lothar Matth?us headline the assistants, both of whom captained their countries to World Cup glory.
Victorious in 1994 and 2002, Cafu remains the only player to have featured in three straight finals, while Matth?us’ efforts in leading Germany to the title in 1990 saw the midfielder rewarded with the Ballon d’Or trophy.
They are joined by Jay-Jay Okocha and Tim Cahill, icons in Nigeria and Australia respectively, as well as Serbian Bora Milutinovic, the only coach to have managed five different teams at five consecutive tournaments.
The remaining assistants are a trio of former international stars: Qatar’s Adel Ahmed MalAllah, Algeria’s Rabah Madjer and Iran’s Ali Daei.
Daei is famed for having been the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football with 109 goals, a record he held until he was leapfrogged by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo last year.
To help prepare and gain experience for their first World Cup appearance Qatar have been invited guests into major international tournaments such as the Copa America and the CONCACAF Gold Cup over the last few years.
The team is managed by former Barcelona youth coach Felix Sanchez. He moved to Qatar in 2006 to work at their famed Aspire sports academy and moved up the Qatari youth teams to finally take the national team job in 2017. Under his leadership, the World Cup hosts surprised many when they won the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE.
Since then, their build up has provided mixed results with the Arab nation particularly struggling against the bigger European sides.
Their squad is unique in that they all play their football in Qatar. Their star player is Akram Afif, a forward who plays for champions Al Sadd. Due to his hair and swagger on the pitch, he can be quickly compared to Mo Salah. The 2019 Asian men’s player of the year is one of the few Qataris who has spent time playing in Europe, with spells in Spain and Belgium.
People in Qatar love their football, but not necessarily their local team. Instead, they passionately support the most famous and successful European clubs. Barcelona and Real Madrid shirts are worn on football pitches and in cafes and bars across the country. With Qatar’s investment in Paris Saint-Germain, many football fans keep a keen eye on the exploits of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League.
The big English Premier League sides such as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City are also popular. Former Spain International Santi Cazorla now plays for the country’s most decorated club Al Sadd. The midfielder says he is recognized daily by fans across the Gulf nation but they only ever want to talk to him about his former club Arsenal.
Anyone who has been in Doha for their national day on December 18th, the day of this year’s final, will have seen how deeply patriotic Qataris are. Many head to the seaside corniche, beeping their car horns and waving their flags.
But a typical Qatar friendly match will have very few fans. Tuesday’s game against Slovenia had barely 5,000 people in a World Cup stadium that holds 43,000. However, they are expected to come out in their numbers for the tournament, with organizers quoting the success of the recent Arab Cup as an example. The bulk of the 500,000 tickets sold were purchased by Qatar residents. There was also a record crowd for a national team match with 64,439 in their quarterfinal against the UAE.
It might make a great host for beach volleyball, but on paper, miles and miles of sand doesn’t look like the ideal setting for a football tournament.
Qatar’s solution is over a million square meters of grass turf, fine-tuned over six years, ready to fill out eight stadiums and a further 48 training pitches.
CNN went on site to find out more.
In the past two decades, FIFA have taken their prized possession the World Cup to new frontiers. From South Korea and Japan to Germany, South Africa to Russia. Now it’s time for the first ever Middle Eastern World Cup in Qatar.
Compactness. It will be the most compact World Cup in history. For the first time four matches will be played a day, across eight different stadiums (seven of them brand new). Fans will be able to travel to games using a newly constructed metro and the local taxi company Karwa (Uber also operates).
Heat. With average lows of 66°F and highs of 75°F, fans will need to not only remember sunscreen but a sweater as well. Especially if the hosts still plan on using the air conditioning systems they have devised for the competition. Initially conceptualized for the summer, even though the event is now being played in the winter they will likely still use it – and it can get chilly!
Noise. But if the atmosphere at the recent Arab Cup at the end of last year is anything to go by, it showed supporters in this region are ready to bring plenty of noise and color to the proceedings.
Protests? In such a small area it will be interesting to see how fans supporting 32 nations will interact and how they will be policed. Qatar has been constantly criticized for their poor human rights record. Will there be protests off and on the pitch during the tournament?
They are three words that send shivers down the spine of every delegate attending any major draw, but what could this year’s ‘Group of Death’ be?
The presence of footballing powerhouse Germany in pot two stands out as a mine that the rest will be desperate to avoid, with the four-time winners joined by the Netherlands and 2018 finalists Croatia in a daunting second pot.
AFCON winners Senegal – buoyed by Premier League excellence in Sadio Mane and Edouard Mendy, and assured by Napoli’s defensive stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly – will be tipped by many as a dark horse to emerge from pot three.
African pair Cameroon and Ghana both boast an array of stars from across the major European leagues, while the mercurial talents of Gareth Bale would be enough to worry any opponent should Wales beat the winner of Ukraine versus Scotland.
Potential group of death A
Potential group of death B
Potential group of death C
All 29 teams to have qualified have been split into four pots, to be assigned to eight World Cup groups. Six other teams are in the draw given they are still involved in World Cup playoffs. The winners of those matches will proceed to Qatar 2022.
Pots are drawn from in ascending order, from one to four, with each pot seeded based on the FIFA rankings as of March 31st.
Qatar are automatically assigned to pot one as hosts of the tournament, while pot four features teams yet to officially qualify via the upcoming intercontinental playoffs and final UEFA play-off game.
RULE: Teams from the same confederation cannot be grouped together (Ie. USA and Canada from CONCACAF), except UEFA teams from Europe, as there are 13 nations present.
Pot 1
Pot 2
Pot 3
Pot 4
Welcome to CNN’s live coverage of the 2022 World Cup draw in Doha, Qatar.
Today is the day that all competing nations find out their group stage fate – and they will all be hoping to avoid the dreaded ‘Group of Death.’
We’ll bring you the draw as it happens and take you behind the scenes of an unprecedented World Cup, set to be played in November and December for the first time in its 92-year history.
The World Cup in 2018 attracted a record 3.572 billion viewers – more than half the world’s population – according to a FIFA audit. This year’s could be even bigger.
