The final picture for the 2022 World Cup is nearly complete. The FIFA World Cup Draw took place on April 1 with 29 of the 32 participating teams already determined. Those final three spots won’t be decided until June.
Due to a schedule impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and a separate crisis unfolding in Ukraine, the FIFA World Cup qualifying field is still yet to be finalized. The two intercontinental playoffs which typically take place before the World Cup draw were pushed to June, as were the final playoff matches for the remaining berth available in Europe.
This post will break down everything you need to know about the intercontinental playoffs which have thrown up some incredible games in recent memory, with nations from different regional confederations pushing for a place at the World Cup. In the past, the playoffs have been played across two legs, but this year, the matches are single, 90-minute affairs played in Qatar, lending to potentially more exciting matchups.
With five teams from four confederations battling for just two World Cup spots, here’s how the intercontinental playoffs will proceed.
MORE WORLD CUP 2022:
Full Draw results | TV schedule | Latest news
Intercontinental playoff schedule
The two intercontinental World Cup play-off matchups in June will pit one nation from four regional confederations — Asia (AFC), North America (CONCACAF), South America (CONMEBOL), and Oceania (OFC) — against another in a one-off game.
The identity of the playoff participants was learned at the end of March, but the AFC representative won’t be decided until June 7 with a playoff game between the two Asian nations who finished third in their groups scheduled for that date. The winner will have a week to prepare for a date with Peru.
| Date | Team 1 | Team 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD (June 13/14) | Australia or UAE (AFC Playoff Winner) | vs. | Peru (CONMEBOL 5th Place) |
| TBD (June 13/14) | Costa Rica (CONCACAF 4th Place) | vs. | New Zealand (OFC Champions) |
World Cup group for playoff winners
The World Cup Draw on April 1 confirmed the groups in which the two intercontinental playoff winners will be allocated.
The South America vs. Asia winner will be slotted in to Group D and can look forward to an opening match against France.
Meanwhile, the North America vs. Oceania winner (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand) will not have it any easier in Group E with the likes of Spain and Germany, and an opener against La Furia Roja.
World Cup Group D table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1: France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D2: AUS/UAE/PER* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D3: Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D4: Tunisia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* = Winner of Intercontinental Playoff (Peru vs. Australia/United Arab Emirates)
Group D match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | Denmark vs. Tunisia | 8 a.m. | Education City |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | France vs. AUS/UAE/PER | 2 p.m. | Al Janoub |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Tunisia vs. AUS/UAE/PER | 5 a.m. | Al Janoub |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | France vs. Denmark | 11 a.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Tunisia vs. France | 10 a.m. | Education City |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | AUS/UAE/PER vs. Denmark | 10 a.m. | Al Janoub |
World Cup Group E table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1: Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E2: CRC/NZ* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E3: Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E4: Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* = Winner of Intercontinental Playoff (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand)
Group E match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Germany vs. Japan | 8 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Spain vs. CRC/NZ | 11 a.m. | Al Thumama |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Japan vs. CRC/NZ | 5 a.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Spain vs. Germany | 2 p.m. | Al Bayt |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Japan vs. Spain | 2 p.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | CRC/NZ vs. Germany | 2 p.m. | Al Bayt |
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoff format
The structure of the FIFA World Cup playoff format has been simplified in recent qualification cycles to bring it into a one-game format.
Based on the amount of cross-continental travel, often mid-domestic season for players, objections were raised with criticisms over unfair advantages to ‘stronger’ confederations.
MORE: Which teams have qualified for the 2022 World Cup?
FIFA confirmed the intercontinental playoffs for 2022 will all be played at neutral venues in Qatar. The governing body also confirmed that since the matches will be played in neutral venues, they will be completed across a single 90-minute game rather than two legs played home and away.
The only regional confederations without a spot in the intercontinental playoff are Europe (UEFA) and Africa (CAF), which both give out only direct berths to the World Cup through their qualification setups.
The matchups are re-drawn every cycle with a special Intercontinental Playoff draw, with the four participating confederations (AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC) all drawn out of a pot and matched up against each other. This cycle’s draw, which took place in Nov. 2021, pitted the South American participant against the Asian participant, while the North American participant will take on the Oceania winner.
Intercontinental playoff qualifiers at the World Cup
The intercontinental playoff structure has offered nations an additional route to the biggest competition in international football.
The majority of sides have bowed out in the group stages after reaching the tournament, but a shot at the World Cup has allowed fans from nations outside of the established elite the chance to be involved in the greatest show on Earth.
| Year | Qualified Nation | Playoff Opponent | Result | World Cup stage reached |
| 1974 | Chile | Soviet Union | 2-0 on agg. | Group Stage |
| 1978 | Hungary | Bolivia | 9-2 on agg. | Group Stage |
| 1982 | — | — | — | — |
| 1986 | Scotland | Australia | 2-0 on agg. | Group Stage |
| 1990 | Colombia | Israel | 1-0 on agg. | Round of 16 |
| 1994 | Argentina | Australia | 2-1 on agg. | Round of 16 |
| 1998 | Iran | Australia | 3-3 on agg. (away goals) |
Group Stage |
| 2002 | Rep of Ireland Uruguay |
Iran Australia |
2-1 on agg. 3-1 on agg. |
Round of 16 Group Stage |
| 2006 | Trinidad & Tobago Australia |
Bahrain Uruguay |
2-1 on agg. 1-1 on agg. (4-2 PKs) |
Group Stage Round of 16 |
| 2010 | New Zealand Uruguay |
Bahrain Costa Rica |
1-0 on agg. 2-1 on agg. |
Group Stage Semifinal |
| 2014 | Uruguay Mexico |
Jordan New Zealand |
5-0 on agg. 9-3 on agg. |
Round of 16 Round of 16 |
| 2018 | Australia Peru |
Honduras New Zealand |
3-1 on agg. 2-0 on agg. |
Group Stage Group Stage |
History of FIFA intercontinental playoffs
FIFA included intercontinental playoffs into World Cup qualification cycles ahead of the 1974 tournament in West Germany.
However, the inaugural game was dogged by political controversy after the Soviet Union side refused to travel to Chile for the return leg in Santiago following a coup d’etat in the country, with the Chileans given a walkover into the competition.
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Since then, the intercontinental playoff structure has been an ever present part of World Cup qualifying with 1982 the only exception. The matchups have changed from 1986 onwnards.
UEFA vs. CONMEBOL was replaced by UEFA vs. OFC or CONMEBOL vs. OFC, before becoming a four-team set up ahead of the 1994 World Cup, only for another temporary reversal ahead of France ’98.