World Cup - Football: All you need to know about the World Cup draw

bet365 News Team Published: Mar 31 2022 14:08

The draw for the World Cup 2022 finals is nearly upon us, with the teams involved now daring to dream of going all the way in Qatar later this year.

England, France and Brazil will be among the names in the draw, as the countdown for the 22nd FIFA World Cup gathers pace.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the draw.

Where and when is the World Cup 2022 draw taking place?

The draw will be held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) in Qatar and it is scheduled to get under way at approximately 16:00 BST.

Can I watch the World Cup 2022 draw live?

The draw will be broadcast around the world and will be available to watch on FIFA's official website, while British viewers will be able to take in the drama on BBC One.

Which countries will be involved in the draw?

So far, 29 of the 32 participants have been confirmed for the tournament, with Qatar set to contest their first World Cup finals after being announced as hosts back in 2010.

Qatar are the only confirmed debutants at the tournament and they will be one of the eight top seeds in Friday's draw, alongside five-time winners Brazil, reigning champions France, as well as Belgium, Argentina, England, Spain and Portugal.

The second seeds will be headed by Mexico, while the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA and Croatia complete Pot Two.

Pot Three contains African champions Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea and Tunisia, while the five teams currently confirmed in Pot Four are Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and Ghana.

The rest of Pot Four is yet to be confirmed, with two of the places going to the intercontinental play-off winners, with Costa Rica and New Zealand set to meet in a one-legged tie, as will Peru and the AFC Fourth Round winner, which will be either the UAE or Australia.

Both those ties will be played in Qatar in June, while the final place in the draw will go to either Wales, Scotland or Ukraine.

Wales are already through to the playoff final and will host the winner of Scotland's match with Ukraine for a place at the finals.

Teams cannot be drawn against each other from the same confederation, with the exception of UEFA, as a minimum of one European team and a maximum of two will be placed into each group.

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Who can England, Scotland and Wales be pitted against?

England will be among the top seeds in the draw, but that does not mean they are guaranteed to earn a favourable group.

The worst-case scenario for Gareth Southgate's side could see them pitted against old foes Germany, Sadio Mane's Senegal and a Canada side still on a high after qualifying for their first World Cup since 1986.

That being said, the Three Lions could also land a more conducive draw, with the perfect scenario arguably seeing them contest a group alongside USA, Tunisia, who they faced at the 2018 World Cup, and Saudi Arabia.

It is a similar story for Scotland and Wales, who will both be in Pot Four for the draw even though one or both could end up missing out on the finals altogether.

A group that contains Brazil, Germany and Senegal would be a daunting one for either Robert Page or Steve Clarke's side, but both would fancy their chances of advancing through to the knockout stages if they were pitted against hosts Qatar, USA and Tunisia.

When will the World Cup take place?

The draw for the World Cup may be taking place on the first day of April, but the finals will not get under way until 21st November, with the opening match set to involve the hosts.

The group stage will be concluded on 2nd December, with the knockout rounds commencing the following day.

The final itself is scheduled to take place at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on 18th December.

Who are the favourites to win the World Cup?

Ahead of the draw, the usual suspects can be found at the top of the betting, with Brazil priced at 5/1 to land a sixth world title and first since Ronaldo inspired them to glory in 2002.

Brazil went unbeaten during qualifying, winning 14 of their 17 matches, although they still have one game to play against Argentina, while they returned to the top of the world rankings in March for the first time in five years.

Defending champions France are 6/1 to retain their title, while England are 7/1 to finally end their 66-year wait for another senior success on the global stage.

Spain 7/1, Germany 9/1 and Belgium 10/1, are also among the frontrunners, while Wales are 200/1 to be crowned champions at what would be their first World Cup finals since 1958 and Scotland are available at 500/1.