The draw for this year's World Cup takes place in the shadow of Doha's skyscrapers on Friday, with the focus for the evening on the actual football after a build-up dominated by the many off-field issues surrounding the awarding of the tournament. Friday's event at Doha's Exhibition and Convention Center, with former World Cup winners such as Cafu and Lothar Matthaeus among the draw assistants, will have holders France among the top seeds in Pot One. Yet while fans of the 29 qualified nations from around the world will eagerly tune in for the draw, three spots have still to be decided in the last 32-team World Cup before it expands to 48 teams in 2026.
Teams qualified so far for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ahead of Friday's draw in Doha:
EUROPE
Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay
ASIA
Qatar (hosts), Iran, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia
AFRICA
Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon
NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
Canada, Mexico, United States
-- 29 qualifying berths out of 32 decided
-- Play-offs still to be decided with one team from each to make the finals:
EUROPEAN PLAY-OFF
Wales v Scotland or Ukraine
INTER-CONTINENTAL PLAY-OFFS
Peru v United Arab Emirates or Australia
New Zealand v Costa Rica