2022 FIFA World Cup Updates after January-February 2022 Window

North America (CONCACAF):

Matches Played; Wins-Draws-Losses; Goal Differential; Goals For-Goals Against; Points

Third Round/Octagonal Phase: The Top Three nations in the Group Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Fourth Place team advances to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs to play the Oceanian First Place nation in a one-leg playoff in Qatar for one of the last two Qualification Spots at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Tiebreakers:

1. Overall Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
2. Overall Goal Difference
3. Overal Goals For
4. Points in Matches Played between Tied Teams
5. Goal Difference in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
6. Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
7. Away Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
8. Fair Play Points (First Yellow Card: -1 Points; Indirect Red Card (Second Yellow Card): -3 Points; Direct Red Card: -4 Points; Yellow Card and Direct Red Card: -5 Points)
9. Drawing of Lots by the FIFA Organizing Committee

1. Canada: 11; 7-4-0; +14; 19-5; 25 (Assured of at least an Inter-Confederation Playoffs spot)
2. USA: 11; 6-3-2; +9; 16-7; 21
3. Mexico: 11; 6-3-2; +6; 14-8; 21
4. Panama: 11: 5-2-4; +1; 14-13; 17
5. Costa Rica: 11; 4-4-3; +1; 8-7; 16
6. El Salvador: 11; 2-3-6; -7; 6-13; 9 (Can only earn an Inter-Condederation Playoff at most)
7. Jamaica: 1-4-6; -7; 9-16; 7 (Eliminated)
8. Honduras: 0-3-8; -17; 5-22; 3 (Eliminated)

Matches from this Past Window:

Home Team Score Away Team Score:

USA 1 El Salvador 0

Jamaica 1 Mexico 2

Honduras 0 Canada 2

Costa Rica 1 Panama 0

Canada 2 USA 0

Panama 3 Jamaica 2

Mexico 0 Costa Rica 0

Honduras 0 El Salvador 2

Jamaica 0 Costa Rica 1

USA 3 Honduras 0

El Salvador 0 Canada 2

Mexico 1 Panama 0

Analysis:

Canada: Canada has been improving a lot. But, it was not until the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup that this became realized. Canada finished sixth at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and fifth at the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League. Finally, at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Canada broke through into North America’s Top 4, finishing fourth. It was from there that Canada knew they could Qualify for the World Cup. Since then, Canada have not lost a competitive match. Canada is on a six match winning streak. Canada is dominating North America and many see them as the best nation in North America right now. But, Canada needs to come back down to Earth. Canada has earned at the very least, a spot in the Inter-Confederation Playoffs. Plus, Canada is two points away from earning an automatic Qualification spot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup! This would be Canada’s second World Cup Qualification ever. Thus, Canada still has some work to do. Canada finishes with Costa Rica away, Jamaica at home, and Panama away. Canada’s best bet is to win against Jamaica at home. Their other matches will be extremely difficult to get a point in. Canada must also remember that the goal is not merely to Qualify. Canada has the talent to be a knockout round team, and given that Canada is a co-host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the more momentum Canada can have going into it, the more likely Canada will be able to compete at the highest level come 2026. It may have been a long time ago, but Canada did once win Olympic Gold in this sport for the Men’s in 1904. Canada needs to keep reaching higher to fulfill their potential.

USA: USA had a disappointing 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup finishing second place, but has since won the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup to become the best North American team. However, their 1-0 win over El Salvador and 0-2 loss to Canada signaled a decline and change in #1 status in the region. Many people became worried about the lack of attacking ability of the USA. Luckily, the USA won 3-0 over Honduras to keep a healthy 4 point gap between them and fourth place Panama. The USA closes out with Mexico away, Panama at home, and Costa Rica away. Yet, as one can tell here, the USA is far from being safe for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualification. All three matches are against nations that will still need to win, or feel like they need to win, in order to keep their 2022 FIFA World Cup dreams alive. The USA historically loses in Mexico and Costa Rica, but historically wins against Panama at home. USA should only need 3 points for automatic Qualification, and a win over Panama or Costa Rica would guarantee the USA a spot in the Inter-Confederation Playoffs at the very least. But, the USA does have the hardest schedule of any nation left. The USA will need to stay laser focused to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Furthermore, the USA like Mexico, needs to remember the importance of Qualifiers and that is to Qualify! Sure, Canada winning the series in Qualification may hurt USA’s pride, but in the end, all that matters is how well you do at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Plus, the USA beat Canada to trophies in North America. Canada is still without a trophy since the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The USA needs to focus on the bigger picture, which they did against Honduras. Still, the USA should try to win all their matches to receive a high ranking to possibly be the top team in a Group for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico: Mexico won the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, but were still not satisfied as it seemed business as usual. Mexico had just been knocked out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the seventh time in a row! So, was Mexico improving, or simply staying stagnant? Well, Mexico would finish second place at the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League and at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, losing in both finals to their archival, USA. Yet, all still seemed fine given that Mexico had beaten Canada. Usually, the Gold Cup switches hands every other time since the 2000s. It is just that an extra trophy was added into the mix. However, during the Qualification cycle, Canada has since won a series against Mexico, putting Mexican pride on the line. While Mexico is in a better position to Qualify than in 2014, Mexicans will not be happy to see the USA and Canada get the best of them. However, Mexico must remember that a World Cup spot is most important. Mexico has the historical series lead over every nation in CONCACAF by a mile. So, Mexico should be focusing more on what they have not been able to do and that is success in the knockout stages at the World Cup. As Mexico is playing right now, they need to improve their attacking to do so. Other than that, Mexico still would be a favorite in most groups to advance to the Round of 16. But, Mexico needs to Qualify first. Mexico plays the USA at home, Honduras away, and El Salvador at home to finish their Octagonal Round qualifiers. Mexico should be able to earn enough points for direct Qualification into the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

Panama: Panama has had a major set back this window losing twice and only winning once. Panama’s two losses came from 0-1 losses. That is not good. Panama needs to be scoring to be competitive at the highest levels as Panama’s defense is not known for being good. Panama’s remaining matches are Honduras at home, USA away, and Canada at home. Panama’s schedule is slightly easier than Costa Rica’s, but Costa Rica is peeking at the right time, while Panama is not. Panama will need to swing the momentum their way. Panama’s thirty-second place finish at their first World Cup in 2018 showed that any injuries to their squad would decimate their competitiveness. So far, Panama has shown a deeper lineup, but only in the Qualifications for the World Cup. In the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Panama finished seventh and ninth in 2019 and 2021 respectively, while finishing eighth at the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League. Panama, however, is deceptively good because they have tied quality opposition like Serbia and Peru as of the last two years. Panama has the talent, but needs to put it altogether in these final three matches.

Costa Rica: Costa Rica had a successful January-February window winning two matches and drawing once. Their two wins were great as the Costa Ricans defeated Panama, the team currently ahead of them by 1 point, and Jamaica, the nation who many suspected would surpass them if they ever got their team playing up to their highest level. Costa Rica also drew away in Mexico, a very tough match for them indeed. Costa Rica’s last three matches will be tough though. Costa Rica plays Canada at home, El Salvador away, and USA at home. Costa Rica is coming off of a disappointing fourth place 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League finish and fifth place 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup finish. This is also following a 2018 FIFA World Cup Group Stage elimination. And even in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Costa Rica could only finish fifth. Thus, it had appeared that Costa Rica was going to get worse and worse as their players got older and less athletic, and therefore less able to keep up. Yes, that has been true for a lot of this Qualification cycle, but recently, Costa Rica has started to show experience and a right amount of youthful energy. If Costa Rica can finish fourth in the Octagonal, especially with their hard schedule left, this will clearly put Costa Rica as a favorite to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and to potentially get to the knockout rounds. The 2014 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists still have one of the best goalkeepers in the world to make this run, Keylor Navas.

El Salvador: El Salvador had a mixed bag January-Febuary Window. El Salvador has waited too long to start winning, but still has a very small chance to Qualify if El Salvador can win their last three matches and Panama and Costa Rica do not get to 19 points. El Salvador got a much needed win over Honduras, but lost to USA and Canada. El Salvador needed to win most likely two matches to keep within a realistic shot to Qualify, but now, will only have a very unrealistic shot to get an Inter-Confederation Playoff spot. Hugo Pérez’s coaching style is not attacking enough. El Salvador is not scoring at a high enough rate. In tournament play, his style can work as all you need to do is win once, and essentially tie the rest and you are good. But, in this Qualification phase which is practically a league format, you need three points. It would be better to win and lose than tie twice. Furthermore, El Salvador has only won once at home. That is abysmal given their rigorous home field advantage. El Salvador is doing well though to be Top 6. This is an improvement to earlier on in these past four years when El Salvador was knocked out of the Group Stage of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Where they stand currently will be enough to Qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when the USA, Canada, and Mexico should already be automatically qualified, leaving three potential spots for North America. El Salvador will be expected to be this third team. El Salvador is coming off of a sixth place 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup finish and a 2019-2020 Division B CONCACAF Nations League Group first place finish to earn promotion to Division A. El Salvador can continue to improve, but needs to try to score more in the future in order to put up Qualification level performances, and in order to improve. El Salvador plays Jamaica away, Costa Rica at home, and Mexico away to finish their Octagonal qualifiers. Even if Qualification proves to be impossible, it will be extremely important for building a future for El Salvador to finish Top 6. It will give El Salvador an ability to dream to Qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Jamaica: Jamaica’s scoring improved through this window until their last defeat at home to Costa Rica. Jamaica still lost all three matches, each by one goal. Jamaica has the talent to reach the World Cup and be competitive there, but Jamaica seems to not be able to do well in any competition that is not for CONCACAF. Jamaica is coming off of a Quarter-final 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and won their 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League Division B Group to earn promotion to Division A. Jamaica is a team in shambles having not been to a World Cup since 1998, despite getting to the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final in 2015 and 2017. Jamaica is now eliminated. Jamaica plays El Salvador at home, Canada away, and Honduras at home to close out their Qualifiers.

Honduras: Honduras was outscored 0-7 in three matches this past window. Honduras lost by at least two goals to Canada, El Salvador, and the USA. Two of these losses were at home. Honduras must be ashamed of their team’s performance this past window as Honduras showed no ability to win. Honduras is a very capable team, but have been on a downhill streak ever since the last match of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage. Now, Honduras has not won a competitive match since, going 0-3-10. Honduras was considered by many to be the #3 team of CONCACAF in June 2021, but now has pitfalled into the worst of the Top 8. Honduras is still coming off of a third place finish at the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League and a Quarter-final 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup finish. However, Honduras also failed to advance out of their Group in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which should have been seen as a sign of things to come, instead of an anomaly. Honduras last made the 2014 World Cup, having been eliminated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Inter-Confederation Playoff with Australia, and having been eliminated in the Octagonal Final Round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Honduras needs to regroup to try to get one of three potential North American Qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, not reserved for USA, Canada, and Mexico. Honduras will play away to Panama, home to Mexico, and away to Jamaica to close out their Qualifiers. Honduras was first to be eliminated from the Octagonal in this window.

South America (CONMEBOL):

Matches Played; Wins-Draws-Losses; Goal Differential; Goals For-Goals Against; Points

Final Round: The Top Four nations in the Group Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Fifth Place team advances to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs, to play the Asian Fifth Place nation in a one-leg playoff in Qatar for one of the last two Qualification Spots at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Tiebreakers:

Overall Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
Overall Goal Difference
Overal Goals For
Points in Matches Played between Tied Teams
Goal Difference in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
Away Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
Fair Play Points (First Yellow Card: -1 Points; Indirect Red Card (Second Yellow Card): -3 Points; Direct Red Card: -4 Points; Yellow Card and Direct Red Card: -5 Points)
Drawing of Lots by the FIFA Organizing Committee

1. Brazil: 15; 12-3-0; +27; 32-5; 39 (Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup)
2. Argentina: 15; 10-5-0; +16; 23-7; 35 (Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup)
3. Ecuador: 16; 7-4-5; +10; 25-15; 25 (Assured of at a least an Inter-Confederation Playoff spot)
4. Uruguay: 16: 6-4-6; -3; 19-22; 22
5. Peru: 16; 6-3-7; -4; 19-23; 21
6. Chile: 16; 5-4-7; -1; 19-20; 19
7. Colombia: 16; 3-8-5; 16-19; 17
8. Bolivia: 16; 4-3-9; -12; 23-35; 15 (Can only earn an Inter-Confederation Playoff spot at most)
9. Paraguay: 16; 2-7-7; -14; 9-23; 13 (Eliminated)
10. Venezuela: 16; 3-1-12; -16; 14-30; 10 (Eliminated)

Matches from this Past Window:

Home Team Score Away Team Score:

Ecuador 1 Brazil 1

Paraguay 0 Uruguay 1

Chile 1 Argentina 2

Colombia 0 Peru 1

Venezuela 4 Bolivia 1

Bolivia 2 Chile 3

Uruguay 4 Venezuela 1

Argentina 1 Colombia 0

Brazil 4 Paraguay 0

Peru 1 Ecuador 1

Analysis:

Brazil: Brazil has been the best South American national team since 2018. But, their performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and that of their South American compatriots saw a World Cup with no South American representatives in the semi-finals! This was considered a huge disappointment. In 2019, the Brazilians responded by winning the CONMEBOL Copa America, and then in 2021, the Brazilians would dominate only to lose the Final of the CONMEBOL Copa America. This brilliance of form has continued into 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers as Brazil Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, last window, and continued their lead at the top, drawing Ecuador away, and defeating Paraguay at home, this window. Brazil looks poised to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with this form. Brazil plays home to Chile and away to Bolivia next. Brazil will look to keep their momentum and stay undefeated and at the top of CONMEBOL. But, Brazil must be careful not to hurt any of their players in their last match in Bolivia, especially if Bolivia still has an Inter-Confederation spot to play for.

Argentina: Argentina finished their 2018 FIFA World Cup as the sixteenth best team, a major disappointment for a side expected to reach the Final by many pundits. Argentina followed that up by an uninspiring third place finish at the 2019 CONMEBOL Copa America. However, since this, Argentina has been dominating, winning the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America and having been Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup since last window. Argentina continued their dominance defeating Chile and Colombia, showing the depth Argentina now possesses. Argentina will play at home to Venezuela and away to Ecuador next. Like Brazil, they will want to stay undefeated and win this mega group. However, it is important for Argentina to continue to do more rotation, especially against Ecuador who may be playing for a Qualifying spot if Ecuador has not yet Qualified.

Ecuador: Ecuador did well enough to draw twice. Ecuador also has kept a relatively safe distance, with an assurance of achieving the Inter-Confederation playoffs at the very least. Ecuador plays away in Paraguay and home to Argentina next. It will not be easy, but a win for Ecuador should guarantee Ecuador an automatic Qualification spot. Ecuador has been doing a good job winning a lot, instead of drawing all the time. Ecuador should Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Ecuador went through a rough patch, finishing eleventh and eighth in the 2019 and 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America, and not having qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This a chance for Ecuador to be on the world stage for the first time since 2014.

Uruguay: Uruguay was a favorite to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup following their Group Stage results and their brilliant display in the past two World Cups. But, the 2x World Cup Champions and 4x World Champions were not able to defeat the mighty French in the Quarter-finals. The Uruguayans have since been mediocre. Uruguay were knocked out of the 2019 and 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America in the Quarter-finals, and after last window, were on the outside looking in for Qualifiers. But, this past January-February window saw Uruguay win twice outscoring opposition 5-1. Uruguay closes out with Peru at home and Chile away. These two teams are still playing for a World Cup berth so these will not be easy matches. Uruguay really needs to win at least one of these two matches to keep their World Cup dreams alive. A win over Peru would guarantee Uruguay is at the very least, in the Inter-Confederation Playoffs.

Peru: Peru went through the Inter-Confederation Playoffs in 2018 Qualifiers to Qualify for their first World Cup since 1982. It seemed to be a fairytale, but once there, Peru was very competitive winning once and losing twice, in a group which featured France, Denmark, and Australia. Peru followed that performance up with losing in the 2019 CONMEBOL Copa America Final and finishing fourth in the 2021 edition. Peru has been performing well enough to make it to another FIFA World Cup in 2022, but will need to close out strong. Peru plays Uruguay away and Paraguay at home. 3 points should not be too difficult to get from these matches, but Peru may need more depending on how Chile does.

Chile: Two CONMEBOL Copa America Championships, two back to back Top 10 finishes at the FIFA World Cup, and finishing as the FIFA Confederations Cup runners-up in 2017 signaled that Chile was a top nation around the world, a favorite to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup. But, on the last day of Qualifiers, Chile were eliminated! Chile had to sit out while their Golden Generation pondered how good they could have done. Now, Chile is trying to rebuild. Chile finished fourth place in 2019 and seventh place in 2021 at the CONMEBOL Copa America. Chile has since been very mediocre in Qualifiers, but a huge away win in Bolivia made Chile once again believe they could sneak into the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately for Chile though, they sit 2 points behind an Inter-Confederation Playoff spot, and Chile plays away to Brazil and home to Uruguay next. Chile has the hardest schedule remaining, and Chile will most likely need to win both matches to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Colombia: Colombia won their 2018 FIFA World Cup Group and then lost in penalty shootouts to England in the Round of 16. Colombia had a difficult 2019 CONMEBOL Copa America, finishing fifth place, but would finish third place in the 2021 edition. Colombia looked to be cementing their place as the fourth best South American side, and looked to be a shoe in to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, until this Qualifying window. Colombia lost twice, once at home and once away. This puts Colombia’s chances of Qualifying as very slim. They need either Uruguay or Peru, to not garner more than 23 points, which means that only one of them can win next window. Furthermore, Colombia needs two victories. Luckily for Colombia, their next two matches are Bolivia at home, and Venezuela away. It is extremely likely Colombia will win both of these two matches. But, it may not be enough if they do not get help from some others.

Bolivia: Bolivia had a really good opportunity to Qualify for the World Cup. They had Venezuela away and Chile at home, both very winnable matches. Bolivia squandered these matches, and now needs 6 points, plus Peru, Chile, and Colombia not to exceed 21 points. Peru is already at 21 points. Bolivia does play Colombia next, so if Bolivia wins that match, they will not have to worry about Colombia anymore. But, Bolivia’s other match is home to Brazil, meaning that Bolivia will have to be rooting for their own nation and against Peru, as there are basically 12 points needed just for Bolivia to be tied on points with Peru to make it to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs. However, it is even harder than that, because Chile is at 19 points, meaning that Chile cannot win a match either this next window for Bolivia to keep their chances alive. Thus, not only are 12 points on the line, but it is more like 16 points, because Chile may only draw at most, their next two matches. Still, this is significant improvement for Bolivia, considering that Bolivia finished last place in the 2019 and 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America. Bolivia is improving and to carry this momentum, it will be really good for Bolivia to win their next two matches, regardless of if they still have a chance to Qualify.

Paraguay: Paraguay is eliminated once again for the World Cup, this time in 2022. Paraguay has not Qualified for the World Cup since 2010 where Paraguay made it to the Quarter-finals. Paraguay did well in successive CONMEBOL Copa Americas finishing second in 2011 and fourth in 2015, but outside of this, Paraguay has been consistently toward the bottom of South America since their 2010 World Cup Quarter-final trip. Paraguay is coming off of two Quarter-final finishes in the 2019 and 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America and has already been eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Paraguay needs to reevaluate their program or risk getting worse with time.

Venezuela: Venezuela has been playing like the worst nation in South America these whole Qualifiers, and were the first to be eliminated last window. But, Venezuela is still playing and got a big win over Bolivia at home. Venezuela does not see themselves as South America’s worst team, and most people do not. Venezuela finished seventh place and ninth place in the 2019 and 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America respectively. Venezuela had been improving a lot over the years. But, this Qualifying blunder has set back Venezuela many years. Venezuela is still the only CONMEBOL member to have never Qualified for the World Cup.

Teams Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup:

• Brazil
• Argentina

Asia (AFC):

Matches Played; Wins-Draws-Losses; Goal Differential; Goals For-Goals Against; Points

Third Round: The Group Winners and Group Runners-Ups qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Group Third Place teams advance to play each other in a two-leg home and away playoff in the Fourth Round, with the winner advancing to the Inter-Confederation Playoff, to play the South American Fifth Place nation in a one-leg playoff in Qatar for one of the last two Qualification Spots at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Tiebreakers:

1. Overall Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
2. Overall Goal Difference
3. Overal Goals For
4. Points in Matches Played between Tied Teams
5. Goal Difference in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
6. Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
7. Away Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
8. Fair Play Points (First Yellow Card: -1 Points; Indirect Red Card (Second Yellow Card): -3 Points; Direct Red Card: -4 Points; Yellow Card and Direct Red Card: -5 Points)
9. Drawing of Lots by the FIFA Organizing Committee

Group A:

1. IR Iran: 8; 7-1-0; +11; 13-2; 22 (Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup)
2. South Korea: 8; 6-2-0; +9; 11-2; 20 (Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup)
3. UAE: 8; 2-2-3; 0; 6-6; 9 (Can only Advance to the Fourth Round at most)
4. Lebanon: 8; 1-3-4; -3; 5-8; 6 (Can only Advance to the Fourth Round at most)
5. Iraq: 8; 0-5-3; -7; 4-11; 5 (Can only Advance to the Fourth Round at most)
6. Syria: 8; 0-2-6; -10; 5-15; 2 (Eliminated)

Matches from this Past Window:

Home Team Score Away Team Score:

Lebanon 0 South Korea 1

IR Iran 1 Iraq 0

UAE 2 Syria 0

Lebanon 1 Iraq 1

Syria 0 South Korea 2

IR Iran 1 UAE 0

Analysis:

IR Iran: IR Iran Qualified for their third World Cup in a row, and so far, each time, IR Iran has gotten better. In 2014, IR Iran went 0-1-2 and finished last in their Group. In 2018, IR Iran went 1-1-1 finishing in third place in their Group, 1 point away from being tied for first place. IR Iran has looked better this World Cup Qualifiers as they are still defending very well, but are now scoring a lot. IR Iran had a good AFC Asia Cup finishing in third place in 2019. IR Iran looks well equipped to be a side that can reach the knockout rounds in 2022. IR Iran will play South Korea away next, followed by Lebanon at home.

South Korea: South Korea has Qualified for their tenth World Cup in a row! South Korea did not have a good start to these last 4 years, as South Korea finished fifth in the AFC Asia Cup and were not doing very well in Qualifiers. But, South Korea turned that around. South Korea is currently on a 13 match unbeaten run. South Korea finishes with IR Iran at home and UAE away. South Korea finished with an impressive win over Germany in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and will look to get out of the Group Stage for 2022.

UAE: The UAE had a good AFC Asia Cup, earning fourth place. But, they were dominated by Qatar in the semi-finals. In the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, UAE made it to the Quarter-finals, only to be destroyed by Qatar 0-5. The UAE has been doing well in tournaments, outside of playing Qatar. But, the UAE is not doing well against good teams in Qualifiers. The UAE is not winning as much. The UAE revamped their team with new naturalized players for the first time, which helped their attack. But, it still has only produced against teams below them. UAE had a good win over Syria, but followed that up with a shutout defeat against IR Iran. The UAE finishes with Iraq away and South Korea at home. These two matches will not be easy. The UAE is only 3 points ahead of Lebanon for the third place spot in the Group. Most likely, the UAE will need at least 3 points, and a no defeats more than 1 goal, to stay in third place.

Lebanon: Lebanon finished seventeenth in the 2019 AFC Asia Cup and finished tenth in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Lebanon has not been good enough, but they have stayed in contention for the third place spot. Lebanon is still searching for their first World Cup Qualification. Lebanon finishes with Syria at home, and IR Iran away. Lebanon should be able to get at least 3 points from these last two matches, but anything more than 4 points would be unexpected.

Iraq: Iraq finished eleventh at the 2019 AFC Asia Cup, and finished in third place in their Group at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Iraq does not look particularly strong, but are hanging onto a little hope at Qualifying for the World Cup. While Iraq is 4 points back from third place in the Group, Iraq still has a good chance, probably even better than Lebanon. Iraq plays home to the UAE, and away against Syria. Both of these matches are manageable to win. If Iraq wins both of these, most likely, they will finish third place in this Group, as the UAE has a very difficult match at home against South Korea. While the South Koreans may already be Qualified, there is no knowing which South Korea will show up, but FIFA rankings are still on the line, as is pride, and a spot on the 2022 World Cup roster.

Syria: Syria has been eliminated. It has not been good Qualifiers for Syria, especially after advancing to the Fourth Round in the 2018 Qualifiers. Syria has gotten worse, which is not good for what had appeared to be steady improvement. Syria finishes with a home match against Lebanon and an away match against Iraq. Both of these opposition are rivals. Syria had a bad 2019 AFC Asia Cup finishing last in their Group and finished their 2021 FIFA Arab Cup in third place in their Group.

Group B:

1. Saudi Arabia: 8; 6-1-1; +5; 10-5; 19 (Assured of at least a Fourth Round advancement)
2. Japan: 8; 6-0-2; +6; 9-3; 18 (Assured of at least a Fourth Round advancement)
3. Australia: 8; 4-3-1; +9; 15-6; 15 (Assured of at least a Fourth Round advancement)
4. Oman: 8; 2-2-4; -2; 8-10; 8 (Eliminated)
5. PR China: 8; 1-2-5; -8; 8-16; 5 (Eliminated)
6. Vietnam: 8; 1-0-7; -10; 7-17; 3 (Eliminated)

Matches from this Past Window:

Home Team Score Away Team Score:

Australia 4 Vietnam 0

Japan 2 PR China 0

Saudi Arabia 1 Oman 0

Japan 2 Saudi Arabia 0

Vietnam 3 PR China 1

Oman 2 Australia 2

Analysis:

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia may be the best nation in Asia right now. Saudi Arabia is leading the toughest Group at the top. However, Saudi Arabia lost their first match of this round last match, losing 0-2 away in Japan. Saudi Arabia needs 3 points to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Their final two matches are away against PR China and at home against Australia. Neither of these two will be easy, but regardless, Saudi Arabia is guaranteed at least a third place finish in their Group. Saudi Arabia is coming off of a twenty-sixth place 2018 FIFA World Cup, a twelfth place 2019 AFC Asia Cup, and a Group Stage knockout in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Saudi Arabia had not been great in other competitions, except the Qualifiers. Saudi Arabia is expected to get at the very least, two points from their last two matches. A point against Australia will ensure Saudi Arabia Qualifies for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Japan: Japan had a bad start to this round, but have come back strong. Japan is assured a spot in the Fourth Round at the very least, and is currently in a spot to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 3 points ahead of the third place team. Japan had a great January-February window, and is now a favorite to Qualify. Japan plays Australia next in Australia, followed by a home match against Vietnam. Japan’s victory over Saudi Arabia suggests that Japan can close out with a win over both of these nations. The 2019 AFC Asia Cup runners-up only need one point each, from these next two matches to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A win over Australia would also secure this Qualification.

Australia: The Socceroos are assured of at least a third place finish in this Group, meaning they will not have worry about elimination. However, given that the Fourth Round winner in Asia will have to play the Fifth best South American side in the Inter-Confederation Playoffs, Australia will seek to Qualify directly. To do this, Australia has a very good chance. Australia will most likely need to win their next two matches, and if they do, goal difference should secure their spot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Australia has not been the most impressive over the last four years, but has stayed toward the top of Asia, finishing in the Quarter-finals of the 2019 AFC Asia Cup. Australia plays Japan at home and Saudi Arabia away to close out their Third Round.

Oman: Oman did not play well enough these past two windows, and thus have been eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Still, Oman has been building into a better national team over the last four years, and can use these last two Qualifiers for momentum into the 2023 AFC Asia Cup. Oman plays in Vietnam and home to PR China next. Oman is coming off of a Round of 16 2019 AFC Asia Cup appearance and a Quarter-final 2021 FIFA Arab Cup appearance.

PR China: PR China closed out their 2018 World Cup Qualifiers on a very good note. But, PR China have stagnated in these Qualifiers. PR China finished sixth at the 2019 AFC Asia Cup, but besides that, PR China will feel like they have gotten worse. However, PR China can still close out well to achieve a better ranking. PR China plays Saudi Arabia at home and Oman away next.

Vietnam: Vietnam had a big win over PR China to give Vietnam their first win in this Round this Qualifiers. Vietnam looks to be improving, but maybe not quite as fast as their fans would hope. Vietnam made it to the 2019 AFC Asia Cup Quarter-finals. Vietnam closes out with a home match against Oman and an away match against Japan.

Host Nation Update:

Qatar: Qatar did not play any friendlies this window. Their latest competition was in the FIFA Arab Cup where they finished third place. Qatar did not play as well as they should have given that Algeria beat them and was not using their main team. Qatar has been staying competitive, but have not improved this past year much, at least not since the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup where they finished third. They finished tenth at the 2019 CONMEBOL Copa America and won the 2019 AFC Asia Cup.

Teams Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup:

• Qatar (Host Nation)
• IR Iran
• South Korea

Rest of Continental Confederations did not have Qualifying Windows between January and February 2022:

Europe (UEFA):

Second Round:

The Second Round will feature twelve nations divided into three paths. Each path will feature one-leg semi-finals and a one-leg Final. The winners of each Final will Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The venues are already pre-determined.

Home Team Away Team:

Path A:

Wales verse Austria

Scotland verse Ukraine

Final to be played at the winner of the Wales verse Austria match.

Path B:

Russia verse Poland

Sweden verse the Czech Repulic

Final to be played at the winner of the Russia verse Poland match.

Path C:

Portugal verse Turkey

Italy verse North Macedonia

Final to be played at the winner of the Portugal verse Turkey match

Teams Qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup:

• Germany
• Denmark
• Belgium
• France
• Croatia
• Spain
• Serbia
• England
• Switzerland
• Netherlands

Africa (CAF):

Third Round:

The Third Round will feature each team paired with one other team in a two-leg home and away tie. The winners of these ties will Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

1. Overall Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
2. Overall Goal Difference
3. Overal Goals For
4. Points in Matches Played between Tied Teams
5. Goal Difference in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
6. Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
7. Away Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
8. Fair Play Points (First Yellow Card: -1 Points; Indirect Red Card (Second Yellow Card): -3 Points; Direct Red Card: -4 Points; Yellow Card and Direct Red Card: -5 Points)
9. Drawing of Lots by the FIFA Organizing Committee

Second Home Team First Home Team:

Senegal verse Egypt

Algeria verse Cameroon

Nigeria verse Ghana

Morocco verse DR Congo

Tunisia verse Mali

Oceania (OFC):

Final Round:

The Final Round will feature eight nations that have not pulled out of the World Cup Qualifiers yet and are FIFA and OFC members. All matches will be played in Qatar. These eight nations will be divided between two groups of four teams each. Each team will play the other teams in their Group once. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout round. Each Group winner will play the other Group’s second place team in the one-leg semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will meet in the one-leg Final. The winner of the Final will advance to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs to play the North American fourth place nation in a one-leg playoff in Qatar for one of the last two spots at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

1. Overall Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
2. Overall Goal Difference
3. Overal Goals For
4. Points in Matches Played between Tied Teams
5. Goal Difference in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
6. Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
7. Away Goals Scored in Matches Played Between Tied Teams
8. Fair Play Points (First Yellow Card: -1 Points; Indirect Red Card (Second Yellow Card): -3 Points; Direct Red Card: -4 Points; Yellow Card and Direct Red Card: -5 Points)
9. Drawing of Lots by the FIFA Organizing Committee

Group A:

1. Soloman Islands
2. Tahiti (French Polynesia)
3. Vanuatu
4. Cook Islands

Group B:

1. New Zealand
2. New Caledonia
3. Fiji
4. Papua New Guinea

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