Best & Worse 2022 World Cup Qualifying Draws for England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales

European countries hoping to go to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will learn their fate on 7 December when the UEFA section of the qualifying draw is made by FIFA.

The 55 member associations will be divided into 10 groups (five groups of five and five groups of six), with the 10 group winners qualifying automatically for the finals in 2022. Reaching the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League finals means Belgium, France, Italy and Spain will be in the smaller groups.

The 10 group runners-up will go into the playoffs, where they will be joined by the two best group winners of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League overall ranking that have not already qualified for the tournament directly or qualified for the playoffs.

Those 12 nations will have to battle it out in a mini-tournament for the final three places in Qatar.

As is usually the case, the qualifying draw is seeded and each country has already been assigned to a pot (1-4) based on their position in the FIFA World Rankings at the end of November 2020.

Currently ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, England take their place in pot one. It means Gareth Southgate’s side automatically avoid the toughest opposition in fellow top seeds Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany and Netherlands.

Wales are in pot two thanks to an 18th place world ranking, making them the 12th best European team in FIFA’s eyes, while Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are in pot three.

England

Ideal Group: England, Romania, Iceland, Luxembourg, Andorra, (San Marino)

England have already avoided the very best European teams by virtue of being in pot one, but there a few tough sides in pot two and Romania are the lowest ranked side.

Iceland aren’t the lowest ranked in pot three, but England have recently beaten them home and away in the Nations League, while their golden period appears to have come to an end.

Nightmare Group: England, Wales, Russia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Armenia, (Malta)

The best ranked team in pot two is Switzerland, but Wales could prove a tricky opponent for England and would fancy their chance of an upset.

Shorter away trips are best to minimise travel fatigue, which makes the likes of Russia, Bosnia and Armenia ones to preferably avoid.

England generally will want to avoid any of their most local rivals, with Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland all likely to raise their game in such clashes.

The likes of Wales, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland might all fancy their chances against England, but there are objectively weaker pot one teams they could be drawn with.

Wales

Ideal Group: Denmark, Wales, Greece, Luxembourg, Andorra, (San Marino)

Nightmare Group: Belgium, Wales, Russia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Armenia, (Malta)

Scotland

Ideal Group: Denmark, Romania, Scotland, Luxembourg, Andorra, (San Marino)

Nightmare Group: Belgium, Poland, Scotland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Armenia, (Malta)

Republic of Ireland

Ideal Group: Denmark, Romania, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Andorra, (San Marino)

Nightmare Group: Belgium, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Armenia, (Malta)

Northern Ireland

Ideal Group: Denmark, Romania, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg, Andorra, (San Marino)

Nightmare Group: Belgium, Poland, Northern Ireland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Armenia, (Malta)

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