Draws: Portugal or Italy are permanently absent from the 2022 Sport World Cup

Of course, both countries could still be absent from the World Cup. The play-offs are played in the form of three mini-tournaments with four countries each. In these tournaments, each country plays a one-match semi-final, after which the winners go head-to-head for the World Cup ticket to the final, also in one match.

Tournament 1:
• Wales – Austria
• Scotland – Ukraine

Tournament 2:
• Russia – Poland
• Sweden – Czech Republic

Tournament 3:
• Portugal – Turkey
• Italy – North Macedonia

The winner of the best game will play at home in the final

Only when Portugal beat Turkey and Italy beat North Macedonia will either of them qualify for the World Cup. The play-offs will be played on March 24-25 (semi-finals) and March 28-29 (final).

In the past, World Cup play-offs often involved two matches. Italy do not have good memories of the draft for their participation in a world final tournament. Sweden proved too strong in the play-offs ahead of the previous World Cup in Russia. As a result, Italy missed a World Cup for the first time since 1958. Portugal qualified for the play-offs at the expense of Sweden for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Four confederations provide a country for the intercontinental playoffs: Africa, South America, North America and Oceania. These countries will distribute the last two tickets for the World Cup in June 2022. A return match will be played.

This is the draw:
• AFC (Asia) – CONMEBOL (North America)
• CONCACAF (South America) – OFC (Oceania)

It is not yet clear which teams have qualified for the intercontinental play-offs, as World Cup qualification on the continents is not yet complete. Oceania does not have a direct ticket for the World Cup, the best country will participate in these play-offs. In the last three World Cup qualifiers, it was New Zealand.

Serbia qualify directly for World Cup in Qatar 2022 at Portugal’s expense