Where is World Cup draw being held? When does the World Cup 2022 start? Qatar draw takes place today

The eyes of the world will turn towards Qatar later today as the draw for the World Cup Finals takes place.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

29 of the 32 finalists have been confirmed and they will all take their place in the draw for the tournament that gets underway in November.

National World takes a look at what to expect this afternoon.

Where and when is the World Cup draw?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The draw takes place at 5pm BST on Friday afternoon and it will be held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, which is an event venue in Doha, Qatar.

When do the World Cup Finals take place?

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the tournament will take place during November and December.

The first group stage game will get underway on Monday 21st November at the Al Bayt Stadium, with the final taking place at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on Sunday 18th December.

How many countries have qualified so far?

A total of 32 countries will feature at this year’s World Cup Finals - although only 29 of them have officially been confirmed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Of those three countries, one will come from Europe with the winner of the play-off semi-final between Scotland and Ukraine set to face Wales in June for the right to take their place in Qatar.

The other two spots will come from intercontinental play-offs with Australia or the UAE facing Peru and New Zealand taking on Costa Rica.

Which pot have each of the home nations been allocated?

England will join the hosts Qatar, holders France, Belgium, Argentina, Spain and Portugal in pot one.

Scotland and Wales have been allocated Pot 4 as they are yet to officially confirm their place at the tournament.

The rest of the pots are allocated as follows:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pot 2 - Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, Croatia.

Pot 3 - Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia.

Pot 4 - Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, New Zealand or Costa Rica, Scotland or Ukraine or Wales , Australia or UAE or Peru.

How will the World Cup draw work?

There will be eight groups made up of four different countries.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Two European countries can be drawn in the same group, but countries from other continents will be kept apart in each group.

The top two countries in each group will progress into the first knockout round of the tournament.

Where can I watch the World Cup draw live?

Viewers in the UK can watch the draw via the BBC from 4.45pm onwards.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.