How to watch 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs
As many as 19 of the 32 teams that will compete at the 2022 World Cup have already secured their place at the finals in Qatar next winter.
The first stage of European qualifying wrapped up during the last international break in November and confirmed a list of 10 automatic qualifiers. Upcoming play-off brackets this month will now determine the final three qualifiers from the UEFA confederation.
Meanwhile, Africa has also reached its final stage, where five ‘win and you’re in’ two-legged play-offs will give five countries their passage to Qatar ‘22.
Elsewhere in World Cup qualifiers during this international break, South America, Asia, and North & Central America will continue with their round-robin formats, while Oceania’s qualifying campaign that was long delayed by Covid-19 concerns is also underway.
How to watch World Cup qualifiers – UEFA
The format for the European play-offs has split group phase runners-up into three separate brackets, where countries will contest a semi-final and final for a place at the World Cup. Each bracket – Path A, Path B and Path C – will give one team a ticket to Qatar.
Scotland’s Path A semi-final with Ukraine has been postponed until June due to the invasion by Russia, which has also indefinitely postponed the final. Meanwhile, Russia have been expelled from Path B due to international sanctions, handing Poland a bye to that final.
Path A
Scotland vs Ukraine – TBC June 2022
Wales 2-1 Austria – 24 March 2022
Wales vs Scotland/Ukraine – TBC June 2022
Path B
Sweden 1-0 Czech Republic (AET)– 24 March 2022
Poland vs Sweden – 29 March 2022 (19:45) Sky Sports Football
Path C
Italy 0-1 North Macedonia – 24 March 2022
Portugal 3-1 Turkey – 24 March 2022
Portugal vs North Macedonia – 29 March 2022 (19:45) Sky Sports TBC
How to watch World Cup qualifiers – CAF
Africa has already completed two rounds of World Cup qualifying, with a preliminary first round feeding into a 10-group round-robin second phase. The 10 winners from those groups have now been paired off for one final set of qualifying play-offs.
First Legs
DR Congo 1-1 Morocco – 25 March 2022
Cameroon 0-1 Algeria – 25 March 2022
Mali 0-1 Tunisia – 25 March 2022
Egypt 1-0 Senegal – 25 March 2022
Ghana 0-0 Nigeria – 25 March 2022
Second Legs
Senegal vs Egypt – 29 March 2022 (18:00) Mola TV
Nigeria vs Ghana – 29 March 2022 (18:00) Mola TV
Algeria vs Cameroon – 29 March 2022 (20:30) Mola TV
Morocco vs DR Congo – 29 March 2022 (20:30) Mola TV
Tunisia vs Mali – 29 March 2022 (20:30) Mola TV
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