Manager Greg Berhalter and his USA senior national team players have been drawn alongside Euro 2020 finalist and 1966 world champions England for this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar after the draw took place on Friday. The two countries were drawn in Group B alongside Iran and the winner of the playoff route involving Wales, Scotland and Ukraine.
One of Scotland, Ukraine and Wales would be at the World Cup in Qatar via the path A playoff route in the European section of the qualifiers. The team to qualify from path A would have been decided by now if not for the Russian invasion of Ukraine which prompted the postponement of the playoff semifinal tie between hosts Scotland and Ukraine. The one-legged tie initially billed to take place in March has been postponed till June with the winner taking on Wales in a one-legged tie to determine who will face England, USA and Iran in Group B. Wales qualified to face the winner of the Scotland and Ukraine tie for a place in Qatar after seeing off Austria in their playoff semifinal tie thanks to the brilliance of star man Gareth Bale. The Real Madrid star scored a brace with a goal in each half on the way to a 2-1 win over Austria.
While the likes of Wales, Ukraine and Scotland need the playoffs to seal a place in Qatar, USA, Iran and England didn’t need the playoffs.
USA secured their place in this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament on Qatari soil as one of the three teams who qualified automatically at the end of the final round of the qualifiers in the Concacaf region alongside Canada and Mexico. Iran was one of the four teams who qualified automatically from the final round of the Asian qualifiers ahead of Qatar 2022 alongside Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. For England, they won their qualifying group in the European section to make it through to Qatar.