The 32 countries that will compete in the 2022 World Cup have been determined, and it was not easy for many countries to qualify. For the first time, Japan failed to qualify for the worldcup22 and South Korea, Iran, Japan, and Saudi Arabia snatched up the slots. Then, Australia and Canada made it through a playoff, which gave them a chance to compete in their region. The United States and Costa Rica also made it. As for the South American countries, the United States and Uruguay were dragged down by their nation, Argentina.
32 countries qualify for the 2022 World Cup
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will take place in Doha, Qatar, from November 21 to December 18. The qualifying process was conducted on April 1 and the final selections were made on April 14. The host nation will lead the first match and will be the final qualifier, as is Costa Rica, who defeated New Zealand in the play-off. The 32 teams will play in eight groups of four. The winners of the group stages will advance to the finals.
Japan struggled to qualify for the World Cup
While Japan failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, they fared remarkably well at the 2018 tournament. Their opening game resulted in a 2-1 win over Colombia, but they lost 3-1 to Senegal and drew 0-0 with Poland. In Group H, they finished second with four points and faced Belgium in the knockout round. Japan led twice but conceded two late goals to drop points and lose 3-2 on penalties to the Red Devils.
Germany, France and Belgium qualify for the World Cup
Germany, France and Belgium have qualified for the World Cup. The Dutch also qualify as group winners and will be able to call upon Virgil van Dijk after his absence from Euro 2020 due to injury. The Dutch are managed by Louis van Gaal, who has spent the summer riled up his former employers. He recently described FIFA's claim that Qatar is developing football as "bullshit".
Argentina, Qatar and Argentina qualify for the World Cup
In South America, the three teams that have qualified for the World Cup are Qatar, Brazil and the hosts, Argentina. Brazil qualified automatically, while the host nation is not sure about its fate. Argentina, however, qualified for the World Cup after winning the Copa America, finishing behind Brazil in the South American qualification group. Both teams are aiming to reach the finals, with Argentina expected to be the most successful.
Costa Rica return to the finals after a playoff with New Zealand
A 1-0 win over New Zealand in the 2022 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF-OFC playoff is enough to secure Costa Rica's place in the finals of the competition. Costa Rica finished fourth in the confederation's qualifying campaign, level on points with the United States but behind on goal difference. New Zealand dominated possession and shots throughout the first half, but failed to score a single goal. While it's possible that New Zealand can qualify for the finals for the first time since 2010, this is their fourth appearance in intercontinental playoffs.
Portugal qualify for the World Cup after beating New Zealand in a playoff
Portugal will be making their fifth World Cup appearance, after beating North Macedonia 2-0 on Tuesday in a European playoff. Portugal will be seeded eighth in the Friday World Cup draw, after qualifying for their fifth straight tournament. Portugal will face Costa Rica in the final, a team ranked fourth in the CONCACAF region. The winner will meet Portugal in the World Cup on Nov. 21.
Switzerland return to the finals after a playoff with New Zealand
Switzerland have qualified for the World Cup for a second time, after they thwarted a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand in the playoff round. The match was a goalless draw, and both teams had chances to score but both sides could not find the winning goal. The match was delayed by a goalkeeping error by New Zealand's Keylor Navas, who was forced off after a yellow card was converted to a red.
