WE MAY ONLY be a little over halfway through the qualifying campaign for next summer’s European Championships but Ireland’s path to the 2018 World Cup will become a whole lot clearer come this evening.
Billed as the day 141 countries from all over the world discover their destiny by Fifa, the draw for the qualifying stage of the 2018 World Cup will take place in St Petersburg this weekend.
Martin O’Neill’s side face an uphill task to book their ticket for Euro 2016 in France and an underwhelming qualification campaign for that tournament has had a knock-on effect on Ireland’s chances of securing a favourable draw.
For the first time since 1990, the Boys in Green will be fourth seeds for a World Cup qualifying draw and subsequently face the prospect of being paired with three of Europe’s heavyweights.
The build-up to the draw has been somewhat overshadowed by the enduring turmoil engulfing Fifa and it’s expected the beginning of Russia’s staging of football’s flagship event will be to a backdrop of further protests.
Nonetheless, there’s important business to be done and here’s everything you need to know about the draw.
When and where is it?
The 2018 World Cup qualifying draw takes place in Konstantin Palace, St Petersburg at 4pm Irish time.
It will be presented by Natalia Vodianova – a Russian supermodel – and television presenter Dmitry Shepelev.
There will be some familiar faces on hand throughout with Ronaldo, Fabio Cannavaro, Diego Forlan, Samuel Eto’o, Madjer, Oliver Bierhoff and Hulk among the ‘draw assistants’.
How does it work?
The draw will determine who plays who in the various qualifying competitions for the next World Cup. 141 teams from the five confederations (Africa, Asia, Europe, North, Central America and Caribbean, Oceania and South America) will all be anxiously waiting to discover their fate as the road to Russia begins in earnest.
Here’s the breakdown of qualification berths on offer in each region.
- Africa: 5
- Asia: 4.5
- Europe: 13
- North, Central America and Caribbean: 3.5
- Oceania: 0.5
- South America: 4.5
Regions with half a place will see one of their countries enter an intercontinental play-off at the final stage of qualifying to determine the final make-up of the 32 teams who will be in Russia in three years time.
What about Europe?
Right, let’s cut to the chase.
Ireland are one of 52 Uefa associations in the European draw. Russia, as holders, are automatically guaranteed a place at the World Cup while Gibraltar – who are in Ireland’s current Euro 2016 qualifying group – aren’t eligible as they’re not a member of Fifa.
So it all means there will be seven groups of six and two groups of five.
Uefa have requested that England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands are each drawn in a six-team group because of broadcasting and television deals.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan and Armenia cannot be drawn alongside each other because of the current political climate between the two countries.
Not to be getting ahead of ourselves but the nine group winners will automatically qualify while eight runners-up will earn a place in the play-offs. The one runner-up to miss out will be determined by a sides’ record against the teams that finish first, third, fourth and fifth in their group.
Who can Ireland be drawn with?
As mentioned above, Ireland’s free fall down the Fifa world rankings has had a significant bearing on their seeding for the draw.
Pot one: Germany, Belgium, Holland, Romania, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Croatia.
Pot two: Italy, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Iceland, Denmark, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Pot three: Poland, Ukraine, Scotland, Hungary, Sweden, Albania, Northern Ireland, Serbia, Greece.
Pot four: Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Estonia.
Pot five: Cyprus, Latvia, Armenia, Finland, Belarus, Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Moldova.
Pot six: Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Georgia, Malta, San Marino, Andorra.
Where can I watch the draw?
Live coverage of the draw is available on RTÉ 2 from 3.55pm but, as you can imagine, it will be a tedious affair. The European draw is scheduled to take place after Africa so should begin relatively soon after proceedings get underway.
When does qualifying actually start?
The European group stages take place between September 2016 and October 2017 with each team playing each other home and away. The playoffs will then be played in November 2017.
This guy is completely overratted
@jay bernard: don’t know how he warrants a contract of that size given his achievements in the game. He needs to start scoring regularly especially if the Wissam Ben Yedder rumours are true. WBY is a real fox in the box, Deschamps really rates him.
Best goal tally for 21 and under in the EPL, La Liga & Seria A in what was a shocking season under two different managers. 200k going to 300k based on incentives. Manchester born and bred. He’ll turn out to be some player yet
An absolute joke.
It’s 200k a week max as per Simon Stone – reliable United journo
@Brian: and you think that even £200,000 is acceptable for a player that scored 10 league goals last season. He’s English!!! He has been overhyped and overrated since they Day he broke into the first team by the British press, £200,000 per week for a very average player that would be more suited to playing for a team like Newcastle, Everton or Southampton. Mid table player at best, that shouldn’t be earning anything over 100,000 never mind 200,000 or 300,000.
@Devilsavocado: And eventually he will be destroyed by the British press too, I wish Utd would sell him on now
Beans Beans Beans
@Alan Brazil: is all you eat. Stand well back!
The club is a circus. Run by clowns who aren’t football men
@munsterman: and if you look at the nonsense that ich bin Brendan has been scribbling up there, it seems they are supported by a few clowns as well…..
@Devilsavocado: haha! G!mp
@Ich bin brendan: come on,, seriously mate, you really don’t believe the nonsense that you were writing in your previous posts do you?? There isn’t a club that finished in the top 5 above Utd that the lad would get into as a first team player. Not a single club that will be in the champions league next year had a bit of interest in buying him, he’s at best a bench player for Utd, but a 200,000 a week bench player??? WTF is going on at Utd that they offered that much money to him?? Where else was he going to go, they easily could have halved that and even then he should still consider himself lucky to be wearing the Utd jersey,, come on, I can’t be the only one who sees this….
@Devilsavocado: quit looking for validation. I’ll correct myself in that he didn’t score v pool in their 3-1 spanking but everything stated is fact inc. turning the best rb inside out and scoring in every debut. Barcelona were being touted as making an official approach, how much of that is being true is as truthful to say not a single team were, it would take a team of that stature to pull a local lad away from his local team. Apart from Kane for Spurs there isn’t a top 5 team that would produce an academy player like him. 200,000K is daft money but that’s the state of the club atm, not many want the Glazers there but that’s what they’re working with. I’m delighted he’s there for another 4 yrs, he’s got the wage now it’s upto him to start earning it, I believe he will.
@Ich bin brendan: ok fair enough, you have your opinion on the matter and people that actually know a bit about football have there’s. Let’s be honest here, I doesn’t matter that your opinion is obviously that of a delusional fan that can’t look at things without your fan glasses on but that’s ok,, we will leave it there and I’ll let you get back to your colouring book and crayons, there’s a good boy,, don’t stay up to late… :) validate myself, ha ha ha ha ha..
@Devilsavocado: “that actually know a bit about football” you have me stumped, you’ve trouble validating your opinionated drivel. “Ha ha ha” like I said before, G!mp
He’s got to start delivering on his promise . A lot of cash for a man still not scoring regularly but he does have the potential to be an absolute world class player I just hope he does start getting 30 odd goals a season .
On his debut he’s scored 2 in the EPL, same in his Europa, 1 Champions league and on his derby debut. Also turned the best rb in the country inside out to score against their biggest rivals, with the golden glove winner in goal!
@Ich bin brendan: can throw in his debut in the EFL & FA Cup as well. So every cup comp available to him. Calling him over rated is being bias, he’s proven he’s capable, needs consistency with age.
Reminds me of Ian Rush
His nose is offside
Even as a man utd fan, I think he doesn’t deserve this, prove your worth then get the money, he didn’t prove anything last season to deserve half this money.