How Will World Cup Play-offs Be Determined?

The tie for nan World Cup play-offs takes spot connected Thursday, and nan results connected Monday and Tuesday are important for Wales, Northern Ireland, nan Republic of Ireland and, potentially, Scotland.

We cognize 8 of nan 16 teams who will beryllium successful nan play-offs, but who fills nan remaining places will find nan tie pots - and who gets location advantage successful nan semi-finals.

The 12 teams who vanished runners-up successful their group will beryllium seeded into 3 pots by their world ranking. The 4th cookware will incorporate nan 4 teams who were awarded a play-off done capacity successful nan Uefa Nations League.

Here's really nan tie is shaping up, and really nan 4 nations could beryllium affected...

There are 4 places to beryllium won, done 4 play-off paths each containing 4 teams pinch one-legged semi-finals and finals.

The tie takes spot astatine 12:00 GMT connected Thursday, which will create nan individual paths.

In nan semi-finals, nan seeded teams will beryllium astatine home:

Pot 1 vs. Pot 4

Pot 2 vs. Pot 3

The location advantage successful each of nan finals will beryllium wished by tie connected Thursday.

So, is being successful Pot 1 much favourable than Pot 2? It doesn't make excessively overmuch difference.

While Pot 4 has teams who grounded to make nan apical 2 of their World Cup groups, location are nations wrong it who will person a higher world ranking that immoderate successful Pot 3.

The different statement is that nan teams successful Pot 3 person amended caller form, truthful should beryllium seen arsenic stronger opponents.

What's astir important is being successful Pot 1 aliases Pot 2, and guaranteeing a location semi-final.

Albania, nan Czech Republic, Italy, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Sweden and Ukraine are decidedly in.

Kosovo and Turkey will beryllium successful barring immense victories against Switzerland and Spain respectively, while Poland would request nan Netherlands to suffer heavy to Lithuania to debar nan play-offs.

One of North Macedonia aliases Wales will feature, and astir apt both.

So, what do we cognize for certain? Not excessively overmuch yet:

Pot 1: Italy

Pot 2:

Pot 3: Albania, positive Kosovo unless they hit Switzerland by six goals.

Pot 4: Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland

Turkey and Ukraine are apt to beryllium Pot 1.

Scotland will suffice automatically pinch a triumph complete Denmark connected Tuesday. If they neglect to get nan win, they will beryllium successful nan play-offs.

The Scots cannot beryllium successful Pot 1, but are looking bully for Pot 2 and that location semi-final.

However, location are 2 sets of results which would put Scotland successful Pot 3 and lead to an distant semi-final.

One:

Scotland lose

Bosnia triumph successful Austria

Wales triumph astatine location against North Macedonia

Czech Republic hit Gibraltar

Two:

Scotland draw

Slovakia triumph aliases tie successful Germany

Bosnia triumph successful Austria

Wales triumph astatine location against North Macedonia

Czech Republic hit Gibraltar

Wales are guaranteed astatine slightest a play-off, and could technically still suffice automatically if they were to triumph and Belgium mislaid astatine location to Liechtenstein.

Really, it's conscionable a mobility of which play-off cookware they will beryllium in. If they suffer aliases tie astatine location to North Macedonia, they will beryllium successful Pot 4 arsenic a Uefa Nations League group winner.

If Wales win, they are each but guaranteed to beryllium successful Pot 2 pinch a location semi-final.

There is simply a mini chance of being successful Pot 1, but that would require nan pursuing group of results:

Slovakia suffer aliases tie successful Germany

Bosnia suffer aliases tie successful Austria

Scotland suffer aliases tie astatine location against Denmark

Poland neglect to triumph successful Malta

Republic of Ireland's stunning precocious triumph successful Hungary connected Sunday gave them an improbable play-off route.

It's astir probable they will beryllium successful Pot 3 for nan draw, but location is simply a chance of being successful Pot 2 and getting that location semi-final.

To get into Pot 2, Republic of Ireland request some these results, which aren't beyond nan realms of possibility:

Bosnia tie aliases suffer successful Austria

North Macedonia triumph aliases tie successful Wales

These are nan play-offs successful March which group retired nan last 2 places and don't impact immoderate countries from Europe. The tie besides takes spot connected Thursday.

Six nations will return part, successful 2 paths pinch a semi-final and a final.

However, world ranking is moreover much important arsenic nan 2 countries pinch nan champion ranking spell nonstop to nan final.

Asia: Iraq aliases United Arab Emirates

Africa: DR Congo

Concacaf: Two places TBC

CONMEBOL: Bolivia

OFC: New Caledonia

All we cognize for definite is that Bolivia and New Caledonia will beryllium successful nan semi-finals.

The scope of world rankings which could return up nan 2 Concacaf slots is from 31 to 126 and who slots into those (the last matches are overnight into Wednesday) will find nan 2 apical seeds.