Who reached World Cup via play-offs and who missed out – key questions answered
The line-up for this summer’s World Cup in North America is now complete after the conclusion of the play-off tournament on Tuesday night.
Here, the Press Association rounds up what happened and looks ahead to the finals.
The final six slots at the 48-team finals were taken – four of them in Europe and the other two in intercontinental play-offs staged in Mexico.
Four-time world champions Italy failed to qualify for the third successive tournament as they lost on penalties to Wales’ conquerors, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Czech Republic, Turkey and Sweden secured the other European places.
Iraq qualified for the finals for the first time in 40 years as they overcame Bolivia, while DR Congo return after an even longer gap – they last competed as Zaire in 1974.
How will it work?
The 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group plus the eight best runners-up progressing to a new round of 32.
The tournament kicks off with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa on June 11 and runs for a record 39 days, concluding at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19.
Scotland are the first of the British qualifiers into action when they take on Haiti in Boston. The match kicks off at 2am UK time on Sunday, June 14. England’s Group L opener is against Croatia in Dallas on 9pm UK time on Wednesday, June 17.
Scotland remain in Boston for their second match against 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco on Friday, June 19, kicking off at 11pm UK time. England are also in Boston to face Ghana at 9pm UK time on Tuesday, June 23. Scotland conclude the group stage against five-time champions Brazil in Miami the following day in a match kicking off at 11pm UK time, while England take on Panama on Saturday, June 27, kicking off at 10pm UK time.
European champions Spain, along with 2022 runners-up France and Thomas Tuchel’s England, are the three best-fancied teams by bookmakers.
Four teams will be making their first appearances at the finals – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Cape Verde, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, are in a group alongside Spain plus two-time winners Uruguay, while Curacao have been pitched against four-time champions Germany.
What about Iran?
As things stand they are due to compete despite the American and Israeli airstrikes which began on February 28. FIFA president Gianni Infantino even attended Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey on Tuesday and said he was looking forward to seeing the team “deliver a positive message of humanity and togetherness to the world” at the finals. Iran are scheduled to play all three of their group games in the United States, and could even face the US in Dallas in the last 32 if both countries finish second in their groups.
Are tickets still available?
FIFA – which has faced criticism over the high prices it is charging for match tickets and parking, as well as the decision to adopt dynamic pricing – is opening its fourth and final ticket sales window at 4pm UK time on Wednesday, which will remain open until the end of the tournament.