European playoff draw for 2022 World Cup set for Friday

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - The 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff draw for the European teams will be held on Friday in Zurich, Switzerland.

Twelve teams, including Turkey, will join the draw, set to start at 1600GMT.

European qualifiers Group G runners-up Turkey are in Pot 2 and will face off with one of the teams in Pot 1.

Pot 1 includes Italy, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales.

Turkey are in the same pot as Austria, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Poland, and Ukraine.

Ten teams who each completed the European qualifying groups in the second spot will be joined by two nations in the World Cup playoff: Austria and the Czech Republic.

These two were picked by UEFA on the basis of their overall Nations League 2020-21 season rankings.

UEFA added that there will be a "prohibited team clash" rule applied, as since 2014 Russia cannot pair with Ukraine due to their political and border disputes.

In 2014, the same year it illegally annexed Crimea, Moscow began to support separatist forces in eastern Ukraine against the central government, a policy it has maintained for the past seven years.

- 12 teams, 3 tickets for 2022 World Cup

There will be a mini playoff tournament among the 12 teams as they will fight for three European slots for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

There are three paths (A, B, and C) in the semifinals. Each path will feature its own two semifinals and a final. The winners of each final will qualify for next year's World Cup.

The matches in the semifinals and finals will be played as single-leg knockout format.

UEFA added that the semifinals will be held next March 24, and the finals will be played on March 29.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is set for Nov. 21 to Dec. 18.

It will be the first World Cup tournament to be held in mid-season, as previous World Cups took place in May, June, or July.