London, ( Parliament Politic Magazine) – The 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar will feature 32 teams before the field expands to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup. The FIFA men’s World Cup has featured 32 teams for the last six editions since France 1998.
After the first round of qualifying, there are three more rounds left to be played in the tournament. As in the past, ten teams will compete for four spots in each group. The top four teams advance to the finals, while the fifth place team will enter the inter-confederation playoffs against a team from the CONCACAF, AFC, or OFC. Brazil leads the group, with 35 points. It is the most successful nation in world soccer, having qualified for every World Cup final since 1930. Argentina and Spain will join Brazil in the finals, while Chile, Paraguay, and Venezuela are also in the mix.
The qualifying stage will involve a single match between the two lowest-ranked OFC nations. The winner would advance to the group stage. The remaining eight teams will be split into two groups of four. The top two teams will advance to the knockout stage, where the winners of each group will face the top two teams from the other group. The winner of each group will go on to play in the inter-confederation play-offs, which will take place in the last week of March.
The table below will be updated as nations clinch:
| No. | Nation (FIFA Ranking) | Region | Date qualified | How qualified | WC apps | Titles (Last) |
| 1 | Qatar (52) | Asia | Dec. 2, 2010 | Hosts | 1 of 22 | — |
| 2 | Germany (11) | Europe | Oct. 11, 2021 | 1st – Grp. J | 20 of 22 | 4 (2014) |
| 3 | Denmark (9) | Europe | Oct. 12, 2021 | 1st – Grp. F | 6 of 22 | — |
| 4 | Brazil (2) | S. America | Nov. 11, 2021 | Top 4 | 22 of 22 | 5 (2002) |
| 5 | France (3) | Europe | Nov. 13, 2021 | 1st – Grp. D | 16 of 22 | 2 (2018) |
| 6 | Belgium (1) | Europe | Nov. 13, 2021 | 1st – Grp. E | 14 of 22 | — |
| 7 | Croatia (15) | Europe | Nov. 14, 2021 | 1st – Grp. H | 6 of 22 | — |
| 8 | Spain (7) | Europe | Nov. 14, 2021 | 1st – Grp. B | 16 of 22 | 1 (2010) |
| 9 | Serbia (25) | Europe | Nov. 14, 2021 | 1st – Grp. A | 4 of 22 | — |
| 10 | England (5) | Europe | Nov. 15, 2021 | 1st – Grp. I | 16 of 22 | 1 (1966) |
| 11 | Switzerland (14) | Europe | Nov. 15, 2021 | 1st – Grp. C | 12 of 22 | — |
| 12 | Netherlands (10) | Europe | Nov. 16, 2021 | 1st – Grp. G | 11 of 22 | — |
| 13 | Argentina (4) | S America | Nov. 16, 2021 | Top 4 | 18 of 22 | 2 (1986) |
| 14 | Iran (21) | Asia | Jan. 27, 2022 | Top 2 – Grp. A | 6 of 22 | — |
| 15 | South Korea (29) | Asia | Feb. 1, 2022 | Top 2 – Grp. A | 11 of 22 | — |
| 16 | Japan (23) | Asia | Mar. 24, 2022 | Top 2 – Grp. B | 7 of 22 | — |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia (53) | Asia | Mar. 24, 2022 | Top 2 – Grp. B | 6 of 22 | — |
| 18 | Ecuador (44) | S. America | Mar. 24 2022 | Top 4 | 4 of 22 | — |
| 19 | Uruguay (16) | S. America | Mar. 24, 2022 | Top 4 | 14 of 22 | 2 (1950) |
| 20 | Canada (33) | N. America | Mar. 27, 2022 | Top 3 | 2 of 22 | — |
| 21 | Ghana (61) | Africa | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 4 of 22 | — |
| 22 | Senegal (18) | Africa | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 3 of 22 | — |
| 23 | Portugal (8) | Europe | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 8 of 22 | — |
| 24 | Poland (28) | Europe | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 9 of 22 | — |
| 25 | Tunisia (36) | Africa | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 6 of 22 | — |
| 26 | Morocco (24) | Africa | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 6 of 22 | — |
| 27 | Cameroon (28) | Africa | Mar. 29, 2022 | Playoff | 8 of 22 | — |
| 28 | N. America | Mar. 30, 2022 | Top 3 | — | ||
| 29 | N. America | Mar. 30, 2022 | Top 3 | — | ||
| 30 | Wales vs. Scotland or Ukraine | Europe | June TBD | Playoff | — | |
| 31 | Australia or UAE vs. Peru | Asia / S. America | June TBD | Intercont’l Playoff | — | |
| 32 | TBD vs. New Zealand or Solomon Islands | N. America / Oceania | June TBD | Intercont’l Playoff | — |
The tournament has also brought Canada to the tournament. The Canadian team will face New Zealand in the final round of qualifying, while the United States will play Costa Rica. The tournament has a large number of upsets. But this is still a good sign for the future of world soccer. The tournament has been a success for the FIFA World Cup. And if you’re a fan of the World Cup, you’ll have to go see this tournament in person.
Teams of North and Central America
The first round of qualifying in North and Central America began in March. Six teams qualified to the second round, where four teams will qualify, and the fifth will compete in the inter-confederation playoff in June. The other nine teams will play each other in home and away games until the top four teams have been selected. The winners of each group will advance to the final. The finals begin in March and last until October, when football will be suspended.
The final round is being played in two groups of six, where a group champion will play against the top-placed team in the other group. In the first round, the top two teams will advance to the next round, and the second and third place teams will face the lowest ranked teams in the group. The tournament is a test of strength, so it will be crucial for each team to reach the final.
The World Cup qualifiers are not yet complete. The top teams are already in place. The Netherlands and Spain will be the first European teams to qualify for the World Cup. France, Italy, and Portugal will join the group as the second-place teams. The other two countries in the playoff round include Norway, England, and Brazil. The remaining 17 spots will be filled in the coming months. So, if you are interested in the World Championship, be sure to follow the tournament closely.