The World Cup play-offs draw takes place in Zurich today and Football Italia takes a look at how it works and Italy’s possible opponents.
The Azzurri failed to qualify by winning their qualification group, so they are now forced to get a spot for Qatar 2022 through the play-offs.
HOW DO THE PLAY-OFFS WORK?
The European play-offs will feature 12 teams, including the ten group runners-up from the first stage of qualifying. The remaining two spots are taken by the best two 2020-21 UEFA Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two in the first round of the Qatar 2022 preliminaries.
The nations will then be split into three four-team paths, with semi-finals and Finals played on a one-leg basis. The three triumphant sides will join the ten group winners from the first round in representing Europe at the World Cup.
WHEN IS THE DRAW? WHEN DO THE PLAY-OFFS TAKE PLACE?
The World Cup play-offs draw will be held today, Friday, November 26 2021 at 16.00 UK time in Zurich.
The semi-finals will take place on March 24 and 25, the Finals on March 28 and 29.
WHO ARE ITALY’S POSSIBLE OPPONENTS?
The best six runners-up are seeded. Each group has two seeded teams that won’t meet in the semis. Italy are among the seeded teams and the same is true of Portugal and Sweden, so Roberto Mancini’s side won’t meet either of them in the first match. The seeded teams will play the semi-final at home. The Finals will be played on a neutral ground.
Seeded: Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Russia, Sweden, Wales.
Unseeded: Turkey, Poland, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Austria (via Nations League), Czech Republic (via Nations League).