The 2022 World Cup is just around the corner, but it will differ from previous editions. Instead of being played during the summer window, the World Cup will be held in November and December, owing to the weather in the host country of Qatar. The World Cup is one of the best sporting events in the world and provides ample opportunity to do your soccer betting.
There are still some spots to be claimed, but the majority of the slots have been filled as we wait for the draw to take place before we see any FIFA World Cup betting lines.
The number of teams qualifying hasn’t altered this year, as 32 teams from across the world will compete in the world’s largest single-sport event.
However, the tournament will no longer include 32 teams in 2026. When the North American triad of the United States, Mexico, and Canada will co-host the game in 2026, the field will expand and welcome 48 nations.
After the expansion, you’ll have even more soccer matches to make your soccer betting picks on.
The attention will stay on Qatar until then. Several teams have already booked flights to the Middle East ahead of the March international break, with a few more vying for the remaining seats.
We’ll have a complete picture of the field by the end of June. This year is shaping up to be one of the biggest FIFA World Cups in soccer betting, as online betting has developed over the past four years.
Until then, here are the nations who have already secured their spots and a breakdown of each qualifier for the World Cup in 2022.
Who Has Qualified?
When Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup, they became the first country to qualify automatically as hosts. It is their first appearance in the competition since they have never qualified on their own for the World Cup finals.
After beating North Macedonia in October 2021 and winning Group J, Germany was the second team to qualify for the tournament. At this point, Germany has to be one of the odds on favorites to be a top FIFA World Cup betting pick.
Denmark qualified for the tournament in October with a 1-0 win against Austria, securing their place as Group F champions. After defeating Colombia 1-0, Brazil became the first South American team to qualify, securing their record as the only country to reach every World Cup final.
On the same day, Belgium was confirmed as the Group E winner, while France was declared as the Group D winner.
Croatia won Group H by defeating Russia 1-0 in a winner-takes-all match, while Spain won Group B. Serbia, however, qualified for the tournament in Group A at the cost of Portugal after defeating Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates in the last qualifier.
England qualified for the World Cup on November 15 with a 10-0 win against San Marino in their last qualifying match, in which Harry Kane scored four goals. On the same day as the Group C winners, Switzerland qualified automatically, ahead of Italy.
England will be one of the popular teams in soccer betting, especially as they have been able to cash almost every soccer spread this year.
With a 2-0 win against Norway on November 16, the Netherlands secured the last play-off position in Qatar. Argentina qualified in the evening after a draw with Brazil and a loss to Ecuador by Chile. Iran and South Korea qualified for AFC qualification in 2022 as the top two teams in Group A’s third round.
In late January, Iran secured its spot in the World Cup by finishing at the top of their group in AFC qualifying, while South Korea punched their ticket as the runner-up to Iran on February 1. Japan and Saudi Arabia got the job done in AFC qualifying on March 24 with the two best point totals in their group.
Also qualifying in March of 2022 were a host of countries as the bulk of continental qualifiers were completed at the end of the month. Ecuador and Uruguay finished behind Brazil and Argentina in South America to earn their spots, while Canada, the USA, and Mexico finished top-three in CONCACAF. Portugal and Poland won their playoffs to get in, while Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, and Cameroon won the five African places.
CONCACAF Qualifying
The race to the 2022 World Cup finals is in the books, as the top-three sides in this confederation have booked their trip to Qatar. Canada was one of the biggest surprises of the qualification campaign, finishing at the top of the CONCACAF qualifying ahead of second and third-place finishers Mexico and the United States.
The United States lost their final qualifying match to Costa Rica, but not by enough goals to change their status as automatic qualifiers in third place.
The area’s fourth-place finisher, Costa Rica, will play the winner of the Oceania region, New Zealand, in a playoff. Qatar will host the playoff, which will consist of only one match. The match is slated to take place in June.
Costa Rica should be the favorite in the match according to soccer betting odds, but a match at a neutral site with all of the pressure of World Cup qualification involved could make things difficult on Los Ticos.
El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Jamaica have been eliminated from the final eight teams in qualification. They did not amass enough points to have a chance at qualifying in the final matchday of the campaign, as the top-four nations in this confederation had already separated themselves by enough to leave them in the dust. Those four countries will be forced to look ahead to next year.
As far as the prospects of the top teams from CONCACAF are concerned in the World Cup, Mexico likely has the best chance of making a deep run in this tournament. Canada lacks experience on the World Cup stage, while the United States has lacked consistent quality. Mexico, despite the blemishes on their current roster, has had more success than Canada and the USA in the World Cup and should continue that tradition in Qatar.
AFC Qualifying
The Asian World Cup qualifiers have already produced four teams that are moving onto Qatar. Iran and South Korea finished in the top two in Group A, earning qualification by claiming those spots in the FIFA World Cup Standings. Saudi Arabia and Japan did the same in Group B, with the Saudi Arabian team surprising the world by finishing at the top of a group that featured Japan and Australia.
South Korea will be considered a team to watch at this World Cup, thanks to the presence of Son Heung-min. The Tottenham Hotspur attacker was tied for the lead with four goals in the Asian qualifying campaign and will be the biggest threat that any Asian team brings with them to Qatar. The question is whether Son can deliver against stacked national teams from Europe and South America who will know he is his country’s only real hope.
There are two teams left with a chance to qualify for the World Cup out of Asia, with those teams being Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Those teams finished in third place in their respective groups, affording themselves a second chance to qualify for the World Cup. They will face one another, with the winner moving on to face Peru for a place in Qatar.
CONMEBOL Qualifying
Only one round of World Cup qualification is held by CONMEBOL, with all ten member confederations able to compete. There is a lot to like in this qualification if you are into FIFA World Cup betting.
The top three teams in South America have completely dominated qualifying this cycle. Only four of the ten teams finished the qualifying campaign with a positive goal differential, owing to numerous thrashings by Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador.
Four teams have secured their place in the World Cup out of South America already. Brazil and Argentina secured qualification well ahead of time, finishing over 10 points ahead of the rest of the qualifying field. Uruguay and Ecuador also secured qualification by finishing in third and fourth place, respectively.
As for the fifth place, Peru managed to take that by one point over Colombia, earning Peru an inter-confederation playoff spot. They will play the winner of Australia and United Arab Emirates out of the Asian qualifying group. Peru won a playoff to get into the 2018 World Cup and will look to do so for the second straight campaign here.
UEFA Qualifying
The UEFA qualifying campaign is one of the most brutal in all of the sports, as some of the best soccer nations in the world face one another with World Cup spots on the line. This year’s qualifying campaign was no exception, as some elite nations were left on the cutting room floor at the completion of qualifying.
There have been a total of 12 teams to qualify out of Europe so far, with one spot left to be decided. The teams that qualified by winning their groups were Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, and Netherlands. Poland and Portugal have qualified as well, winning their four-team tournaments to secure their spots.
There is one spot up for grabs out of Europe, as Wales is set to take on the winner of Scotland and Ukraine in June. Ukraine is faced with difficult circumstances right now, given everything going on in their country. But they will have the support of the world on their side as they look to qualify for the World Cup.
Italy is perhaps the most notable team that failed to qualify for the World Cup. The reigning European champions fell in the final playoff tournament, losing in a shocking upset against North Macedonia to be eliminated. Had Italy won that match, they still would have had to face Portugal for a place in the World Cup, but Italy’s failure to give themselves that chance was one of the shocks of this qualifying cycle.
CAF Qualifying
The African Confederation has wrapped up its World Cup qualifying campaign after the final ten teams were whittled down to five. Those ten teams were put against one another in two-legged ties, with five teams advanced to Qatar based on their aggregate scores in those two matches. The five teams to qualify out of Africa are Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Morocco, and Ghana.
The big surprise here was the elimination of Egypt, who has been popular in FIFA World Cup betting picks thanks to the presence of Mo Salah on their team. They were eliminated by Senegal on penalties, with Salah’s Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane helping eliminate his club teammate.
This was arguably the most competitive qualifying round in the entire 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. Of the five playoff matchups in African qualifying, only one was decided by more than one goal, with three of the ties seeing the two teams equal on goals. Now, one of the five teams that have advanced will look to become the first African team to make a World Cup semifinal.
OFC Qualifying
The Oceania qualifying process, which aims to designate a member for the intercontinental playoff, is complete. This process was supposed to have eight teams involved, but the withdrawals of Vanuatu and Cook Islands left just six teams in the Oceania qualifying pool. As is expected in each qualification campaign, New Zealand rewarded those who made soccer betting picks, backing them by earning an inter-confederation playoff spot.
New Zealand won all five of their matches during this qualifying campaign, giving up just one goal and scoring 18 goals of their own. They closed out the campaign with a 5-0 drubbing of Solomon Islands in the OFC qualification final. In that match, Bill Tuiloma scored twice, including the opening goal that set the tone for the match just 23 minutes in.
Now, New Zealand has one more match to win if they want to make it to the group stage of the World Cup. They will face Costa Rica in Qatar in June, with the winner of that match set to claim their place in Qatar. New Zealand failed at the inter-confederation playoff hurdle four years ago and will look for a better result this time around.
Intercontinental Playoffs
The remaining two seats in the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be chosen when everything else is completed, including the World Cup draw on April 3.
Betting on an intercontinental group to win the World Cup would be bold, but I think that they will provide an intriguing FIFA World Cup betting pick.
Two intercontinental playoffs battle those on the verge of qualifying from across the world against each other in winner-take-all contests.
The winner of Australia vs. UAE matchup in Asia will face the fifth-place finisher in South America, which was Peru. Meanwhile, Costa Rica, the fourth-place finisher in North America, will face the winner of the Oceania division in New Zealand.
Each cycle, these playoff allocations alternate in order to maintain a competitive balance among the designated confederations. While this used to be a two-leg event, it has been reduced to just one match for this cycle, with both matches taking place in Qatar, the host of the World Cup finals.
They were initially set to take place in March, but due to modifications to the FIFA calendar due to the COVID-19 epidemic, they will instead take place in June, a few months after the World Cup draw.
Look for a ton of soccer betting to take place here as they will look to finalize the FIFA World Cup betting favorites shortly after.
2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Betting Overview. Feb, 5th
The 2022 World Cup is just around the corner, but it will differ from previous editions. Instead of being played during the summer window, the World Cup will be held in November and December, owing to the weather in the host country of Qatar. The World Cup is one of the best sporting events in the country and provides ample opportunity to do your World Cup qualifying betting.
There are still some spots to be claimed, and what happens over the next few months will significantly impact the FIFA World Cup betting lines.
The number of teams qualifying hasn’t altered this year, as 32 teams from across the world will compete in the world’s largest single-sport event.
However, the tournament will no longer include 32 teams in 2026. When the North American triad of the United States, Mexico, and Canada will co-host the game in 2026, the field will expand and welcome 48 nations.
After the expansion, you’ll have even more soccer matches to make your soccer betting picks on.
The attention will stay on Qatar until then. Several teams have already booked flights to the Middle East ahead of the March international break, with many more vying for the remaining seats.
We’ll have a complete picture of the field by the end of June. This year is shaping up to be one of the biggest FIFA World Cups in soccer betting, as online betting has developed over the past four years.
Until then, here are the nations who have already secured their spots and a breakdown of each qualifier for the World Cup in 2022.
World Cup Qualifiers Betting Overview
Who Has Qualified?
When Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup, they became the first country to qualify automatically as hosts. It is their first appearance in the competition, since they have never qualified on their own for the World Cup finals.
After beating North Macedonia in October 2021 and winning Group J, Germany was the second team to qualify for the tournament. At this point, Germany has to be one of the odds on favorites to be a top FIFA World Cup betting pick.
Denmark qualified for the tournament in October with a 1-0 win against Austria, securing their place as Group F champions. After defeating Colombia 1-0, Brazil became the first South American team to qualify, securing their record as the only country to reach every World Cup final.
On the same day, Belgium was confirmed as the Group E winner, while France was declared as the Group D winner.
Croatia won Group H by defeating Russia 1-0 in a winner-takes-all match, while Spain won Group B. Serbia, however, qualified for the tournament in Group A at the cost of Portugal after defeating Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates in the last qualifier.
England qualified for the World Cup on Nov. 15 with a 10-0 win against San Marino in their last qualifying match, in which Harry Kane scored four goals. On the same day as the Group C winners, Switzerland qualified automatically, ahead of Italy.
England will be one of the popular teams in soccer betting, especially as they have been able to cash almost every soccer spread this year.
With a 2-0 win against Norway on Nov. 16, the Netherlands secured the last play-off position in Qatar. Argentina qualified in the evening after a draw with Brazil and a loss to Ecuador by Chile. Iran and South Korea qualified for AFC qualification in 2022 as the top two teams in Group A’s third round.
Qualified nations:
- Qatar
- Germany
- Denmark
- Brazil
- Belgium
- France
- Croatia
- Spain
- Serbia
- England
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Argentina
- Iran
- South Korea
CONCACAF Qualifying
The race to the 2022 World Cup finals is heating up, with three rounds of games scheduled for March to determine which CONCACAF countries will travel to Qatar in November.
The area’s fourth-place finisher will play the winner of the Oceania region, most likely New Zealand, in a playoff. Qatar will host the playoff, which will consist of only one match. The match is slated to take place in June.
El Salvador, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated from the final eight teams in qualification. Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and the United States remain in contention for a place in the finals. The soccer betting line in CONCACAF heavily favors Canada to move on.
Coach John Herdman is almost set to take Canada to the men’s World Cup finals for the first time in nearly two decades. The previous appearance was in 1986, when it lost all three matches without scoring a goal to France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union.
Canada is assured at least fourth place and a spot in the intercontinental playoff after being undefeated in all 11 matches so far in this phase.
Right now, Canada needs two points to qualify for the World Cup automatically, but other outcomes will almost certainly get it through even if it doesn’t. Canada is likely to be one of the top FIFA World Cup betting picks if they make it through.
In addition, if Panama loses against Honduras at home on Mar. 24, Canada simply needs a point versus Costa Rica on the same day to qualify. The United States and Mexico match on Mar. 24 will be essential for any side hoping to advance to the World Cup finals.
The United States took control of its fate with a 3-0 win over Honduras on Feb. 2. Still, it can’t start planning for Qatar yet since it has three more matches against qualifying opponents, including road matches against two of the top CONCACAF nations, Mexico and Costa Rica.
FIFA World Cup Qualifying – CONCACAF Table 2020-21-22
| Country | MP | W | D | L | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 25 |
| USA | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
| Mexico | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
| Panama | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 17 |
| Canada | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 |
| El Salvador | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Jamaica | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Honduras | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
If the USMNT loses in Mexico, the group will be blown wide open.
Panama faces a Honduras club that hasn’t won any of its 11 games; therefore, a win would put Panama only one or two points behind the United States. Costa Rica, if it beats Canada, would be in the mix as well.
The USMNT would then face Panama on Mar. 27 at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando; a loss for the USMNT would leave it facing, at best, the intercontinental playoff.
On the other hand, the US can ease most anxieties with a win over Mexico, which would leave coach Gregg Berhalter with no more than two points from the next two games. The US has easily covered in soccer spread betting this month, so they will be another good pick to move on.
While the objective may appear to be identical for Mexico and the United States, with both teams on 21 points, El Tri coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino has the advantage of, at least on paper, a more advantageous fixture list.
After hosting the United States, Mexico travels to bottom-of-the-table Honduras before finishing its campaign at home against El Salvador, which has already been eliminated.
Failure to win on Mar. 24 may not be as detrimental to Mexico as it may be to the USMNT.
If it beats the United States, Mexico would only need two points to qualify for the finals. Mexico will require four points from the remaining matchups if it draws against the United States. After a loss, it would have to win both games to be guaranteed of advancing to the finals.
Panama’s chances of qualifying for a second consecutive World Cup are bleak, and it will need to beat Honduras at home on Mar. 24 to have any realistic chance of qualifying. With a victory over Honduras at home, Panama will be within striking distance of either Mexico or the United States, depending on the outcome of the draw.
Its last two qualifiers are against the group’s top two teams, and it would need at least a point against the US before playing Canada on Mar. 30. Its best chance appears to be a USMNT defeat in Mexico, followed by a win in Orlando to go to the final day.
If the USMNT loses in Costa Rica, a win for Canada at home might send Panama to the World Cup.
Costa Rica, which has appeared in four of the last five World Cup finals, faces a tough task and will need to win all three games to have a realistic chance of qualifying automatically. Costa Rica could provide a really nice soccer betting pick if they can move on.
It has a chance with three victories and a total of 25 points, but it will also require one of Mexico or the United States to perform poorly in the three matches. Costa Rica can only win its matches against Canada and El Salvador and expect to remain within striking distance of the USMNT when the two teams meet in the last qualifier on Mar. 30.
Panama, of course, would have a voice in what Costa Rica may need if the qualifiers reached the final round.
ACF Qualifying
Two groups of six teams will compete in the last Asian World Cup qualification round. The top two teams in each group advance directly, while the third-place finishers will compete in a one-game playoff to select Asia’s representative in the intercontinental tournament.
Vietnam, China, and Syria have mathematically been ruled out of the World Cup, while Lebanon, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman can only qualify through the intercontinental playoffs.
Iran and South Korea have already qualified from Group A, leaving a huge margin at the top. The third slot is considerably hazier, with three countries still in contention.
Things are a little less obvious in Group B. Saudi Arabia and Japan appear to be on their way to confirming a spot.
In contrast, Australia appears to be destined for the intercontinental playoff decider, despite having games against both of the teams above it in the final March international window, a pair of games that could determine the Australians’ fate.
Japan is the nation that is the soccer betting favorite to move on here.
CONMEBOL Qualifying
Only one round of World Cup qualification is held by CONMEBOL, with all ten member confederations able to compete. There is a lot to like in this qualification if you are into FIFA World Cup betting.
The top three teams in South America have completely dominated qualifying this cycle. Only three of the ten teams presently have a positive goal differential, owing to numerous thrashings by Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador.
It has gotten to the point where Brazil and Argentina have already secured places in the 2022 World Cup, and Ecuador might be close after clinching a position in the intercontinental qualification. Brazil is the odds on soccer betting favorite to come out of here on top.
The remainder of the table is in shambles, and anarchy reigns supreme.
It’s shocking to see Chile and Colombia so far down the table this late in qualifying, and Uruguay hasn’t been impressive either. Bolivia, Paraguay, and Venezuela are all in the dust, with the latter two mathematically eliminated and Bolivia on the verge of being eliminated.
A few more teams will come out of here, so make sure to dive into your soccer betting tips to find good value.
FIFA World Cup Qualifying – CONMEBOL Table 2020-21-22
| Country | MP | W | D | L | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 39 |
| Argentina | 15 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 35 |
| Ecuador | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 25 |
| Uruguay | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 22 |
| Peru | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 21 |
| Chile | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 19 |
| Colombia | 16 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 17 |
| Bolivia | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 15 |
| Paraguay | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 13 |
| Venezuela | 16 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 10 |
UEFA Qualifying
Despite the fact that ten of the possible 13 European spots for the 2022 World Cup have been guaranteed, there is still plenty more drama to come.
Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, and Switzerland are first in their respective groups. There was a ton of soccer betting on these ten nations as well.
Each of the remaining 12 countries in contention will compete in a tiny four-nation tournament, with a victor securing a spot in this winter’s competition. Each match will consist of one game, with the winner moving on to the next round. There are some intriguing FIFA World Cup betting picks in the remaining teams.
Surprisingly, both Italy and Portugal were put in the same bracket, ensuring that at least one of them will lose out on a place in the World Cup.
Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Scotland, and others who finished second in their groups in the previous round are also competing. Portugal is the soccer betting favorite at this time to move on to the World Cup.
CAF Qualifying
The African Confederation is currently competing in the African Cup of Nations, taking a break from World Cup qualifying. This is a good time to watch them compete and look to do some future soccer betting on the teams that are playing.
As the draw for the last round has just begun, no African teams have entirely qualified. The top ten teams from the previous round have advanced to the final round, where they will be matched with another country to participate in a two-leg competition, with the winner gaining a berth.
The betting favorite here is a little murky as all of them are very tight. Egypt is the favorite to come out on top here.
The last round of CAF qualification features high-profile matches like Egypt vs. Senegal, Nigeria vs. Ghana, and Cameroon vs. Algeria. Ivory Coast, South Africa, Gabon, and Burkina Faso, among many other minor countries, have already been removed from contention.
There are no surprises here as none of the FIFA World Cup betting picks with good odds have been eliminated.
OFC Qualifying
The Oceania qualifying process, which aims to designate a member for the intercontinental playoff, is a little behind schedule, with a qualifier scheduled for mid-March between Tonga and the Cook Islands before a tiny group stage. This is the qualifier with the most amount of matches left and should be ripe for soccer spread betting.
Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, as well as the winner of the aforementioned qualifying, are the remaining nations. Each nation will play three matches in the group stage, which will occur in mid-March. The top two teams proceed to a four-team knockout bracket, with the final on Mar. 30.
The winner will go to the intercontinental playoffs.
Since Australia switched to the AFC, New Zealand has been widely regarded as the overwhelming favorite among this group of small island nations. New Zealand is the betting favorite in this one to move on to the World Cup and should do so with ease.
Look for soccer betting picks to flow in over the next two months on New Zealand.
Intercontinental Playoffs
The remaining two seats in the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be chosen when everything else is completed, including the World Cup draw on Apr. 3.
Betting on an intercontinental group to win the World Cup would be bold, but I think that they will provide an intriguing FIFA World Cup betting pick.
Two intercontinental playoffs battle those on the verge of qualifying from across the world against each other in winner-take-all contests. The fourth-place finisher in Asia will face the fifth-place finisher in South America, while the fourth-place finisher in North America will face the winner of the Oceania division.
Each cycle, these playoff allocations alternate in order to maintain a competitive balance among the designated confederations. While this used to be a two-leg event, it has been reduced to just one match for this cycle, with both matches taking place in Qatar, the host of the World Cup finals.
They were initially set to take place in March, but due to modifications to the FIFA calendar due to the COVID-19 epidemic, they will instead take place in June, a few months after the World Cup draw.
Look for a ton of soccer betting to take place here as they will look to finalize the FIFA World Cup betting favorites shortly after.
Take a look to our twitter on @InsidersBetDig and stay tune to all our betting information.
Frequently Asked Questions
The FIFA World Cup is starting on November 2022.
32 teams from across the world will compete in the World Cup.
The list of qualified teams is not ready but for the January matchups the list stands like this:
- Qatar
- Germany
- Denmark
- Brazil
- Belgium
- France
- Croatia
- Spain
- Serbia
- England
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Argentina
- Iran
- South Korea
Two groups of six teams will compete in the last Asian World Cup qualification round. The top two teams in each group advance directly, while the third-place finishers will compete in a one-game playoff to select Asia’s representative in the intercontinental tournament.
The United States took control of its fate with a 3-0 win over Honduras on Feb. 2. Still, it can’t start planning for Qatar yet since it has three more matches against qualifying opponents, including road matches against two of the top CONCACAF nations, Mexico and Costa Rica.
If the USMNT loses in Mexico, the group will be blown wide open.
Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, and Switzerland are first in their respective groups.
Two intercontinental playoffs battle those on the verge of qualifying from across the world against each other in winner-take-all contests. The fourth-place finisher in Asia will face the fifth-place finisher in South America, while the fourth-place finisher in North America will face the winner of the Oceania division.
The last round of CAF qualification features high-profile matches like Egypt vs. Senegal, Nigeria vs. Ghana, and Cameroon vs. Algeria. Ivory Coast, South Africa, Gabon, and Burkina Faso, among many other minor countries, have already been removed from contention.
It has gotten to the point where Brazil and Argentina have already secured places in the 2022 World Cup, and Ecuador might be close after clinching a position in the intercontinental qualification. Brazil is the odds on soccer betting favorite to come out of here on top.
Things are a little less obvious in Group B. Saudi Arabia and Japan appear to be on their way to confirm a spot.
