2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Second Round

The UEFA Second Round of the qualification tournament for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, also known as the UEFA play-offs, will be contested by twelve teams from the UEFA segment of qualifying. The play-offs will determine the final three European teams that will join the group winners at the World Cup in Qatar. The ten runners-up from the UEFA First Round groups will participate in the play-offs, along with two group winners from the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. The teams will be divided into three paths, each containing four teams, with each play-off path featuring two single-leg semi-finals, and one single-leg final. The nine matches will take place in March 2022.

Format

The qualification format was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting in Nyon, Switzerland on 4 December 2019.[1] The play-offs will depend, in part, on results from the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, although to a lesser degree than play-offs of the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying tournament.[2]

Unlike previous editions, the play-offs will not be contested in two-legged ties. Instead, the twelve teams will be split into three play-off paths, each containing four teams. Each play-off path will feature two single-leg semi-finals from 24–25 March, and one single-leg final from 28–29 March 2022. The winner of the final in each play-off path will then qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[2] The semi-finals will be hosted by the six best-ranked runners-up of the qualifying group stage, while the host of the final will be determined by a draw.[3]

The play-offs will be played in single-leg knockout matches. If scores are level at the end of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time is played, where each team is allowed to make a fourth substitution. If the scores remain tied, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner.[4] Following approval from the UEFA Executive Committee in December 2019, the use of the video assistant referee system was approved for the entire World Cup qualification tournament.[2]

Qualified teams

Twelve teams will advance to the play-offs. Unlike previous editions, all participants will not be decided solely on the results of the first round. Two of the twelve spots will be allocated to group winners of the 2020–21 edition of the UEFA Nations League.[2]

Second-placed teams (all ten advance)

The ten runners-up from the UEFA First Round will advance to the play-offs. Based on the results from the qualifying group stage, the six best-ranked teams will be seeded, while the bottom four will be unseeded in the semi-final draw.[3]

Seed Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Seeding
1 A Runner-up Group A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Seeded in semi-final draw
2 B Runner-up Group B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 C Runner-up Group C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 D Runner-up Group D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 E Runner-up Group E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 F Runner-up Group F 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 G Runner-up Group G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Unseeded in semi-final draw
8 H Runner-up Group H 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 I Runner-up Group I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 J Runner-up Group J 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played on 24 March 2021. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Counting only matches against teams ranked first to fifth in the group, 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Lower disciplinary points total; 8) Position in 2020–21 UEFA Nations League access list.[3]

Nations League group winners (best two advance)

Based on the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League overall ranking,[5] the best two Nations League group winners that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group will advance to the play-offs,[2] and will be unseeded in the semi-final draw.[3]

UNL Group winner Rank
A  France 1–4
 Belgium
 Italy
 Spain
B  Wales 17
 Austria 18
 Czech Republic 19
 Hungary 20
C  Slovenia 33
 Montenegro 34
 Albania 35
 Armenia 36
D  Gibraltar 49
 Faroe Islands 50

Draw

Following the completion of the UEFA First Round, the twelve teams that have advanced to the play-offs will be drawn into three paths of four teams in November or December 2021.[2][6] The following procedure will be applied in the draw:[3]

  • The six seeded teams will be allocated to semi-finals 1 to 6 as the host team in the order drawn.
  • The six unseeded teams will be allocated to semi-finals 1 to 6 as the away team in the order drawn.
  • Play-off Path A is formed by semi-finals 1 and 2, with the winners of both semi-finals advancing to final A.
  • Play-off Path B is formed by semi-finals 3 and 4, with the winners of both semi-finals advancing to final B.
  • Play-off Path C is formed by semi-finals 5 and 6, with the winners of both semi-finals advancing to final C.
  • The semi-final winners that will host play-off finals A, B and C will be decided by a draw.

The six best-ranked runners-up will be seeded in the semi-final draw, while the remaining four runners-up and two teams advancing via the Nations League will be unseeded. The seedings are as follows:

Pot 1 (seeded)
TeamRank
1
2
3
4
5
6
Pot 2 (unseeded)
TeamRank
7
8
9
10
NL
NL

Schedule

The semi-finals will take place from 24–25 March, and the final matches from 28–29 March 2022.[7][8]

Times are CET/CEST,[note 1] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

Path A

Bracket
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
24–25 March 2022
 
 
TBD
 
28–29 March 2022
 
TBD
 
Winner semi-final 1/2
 
24–25 March 2022
 
Winner semi-final 1/2
 
TBD
 
 
TBD
 

Summary

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Semi-finals
TBD 24–25 Mar '22 (SF1) TBD
TBD 24–25 Mar '22 (SF2) TBD
Final
Winner semi-final 1/2 28–29 Mar '22 Winner semi-final 1/2

Semi-finals
TBDSemi-final 1TBD
TBDSemi-final 2TBD

Final
Winner semi-final 1/2vWinner semi-final 1/2

Path B

Bracket
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
24–25 March 2022
 
 
TBD
 
28–29 March 2022
 
TBD
 
Winner semi-final 3/4
 
24–25 March 2022
 
Winner semi-final 3/4
 
TBD
 
 
TBD
 

Summary

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Semi-finals
TBD 24–25 Mar '22 (SF3) TBD
TBD 24–25 Mar '22 (SF4) TBD
Final
Winner semi-final 3/4 28–29 Mar '22 Winner semi-final 3/4

Semi-finals
TBDSemi-final 3TBD
TBDSemi-final 4TBD

Final
Winner semi-final 3/4vWinner semi-final 3/4

Path C

Bracket
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
24–25 March 2022
 
 
TBD
 
28–29 March 2022
 
TBD
 
Winner semi-final 5/6
 
24–25 March 2022
 
Winner semi-final 5/6
 
TBD
 
 
TBD
 

Summary

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Semi-finals
TBD 24–25 Mar '22 (SF5) TBD
TBD 24–25 Mar '22 (SF6) TBD
Final
Winner semi-final 5/6 28–29 Mar '22 Winner semi-final 5/6

Semi-finals
TBDSemi-final 5TBD
TBDSemi-final 6TBD

Final
Winner semi-final 5/6vWinner semi-final 5/6

Notes
  1. CET (UTC+1) for the semi-finals (24–25 March), and CEST (UTC+2) for the finals (28–29 March).

References
  1. "UEFA Executive Committee agenda for Nyon meeting". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  2. "Game changer: group stage for UEFA Women's Champions League". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  3. "Regulatory articles for the 2020–2022 European qualifiers play-offs" (PDF). FIFA. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. "Regulations FIFA World Cup 2022 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. "Overall ranking of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League" (PDF). UEFA. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  6. "UEFA preliminary competition format for the FIFA World Cup 2022" (PDF). FIFA. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  7. "Regulations of the UEFA Nations League, 2020/21" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 13 October 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  8. "2022 World Cup qualifying: all you need to know". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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