WORLD CUP DRAW - AS IT HAPPENED - It's a dream group for England as they face USA, Iran and Scotland, Wales or Ukraine in Qatar!
Here is Sportsmail's live blog for updates on the World Cup draw as England await their group stage fate for Qatar.
That wraps up our live coverage of the World Cup draw.
For a full recap of what's happened, take a look at the link below.
Thank you for joining us.
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Holland
Group B: England, Iran, United States, Wales/Ukraine/Scotland
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Peru/Australia/UAE, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, New Zealand/Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
USA coach Gregg Berhalter said he was relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against Southgate, whom he regards as a "mentor".
Berhalter told BBC Sport: "We go way back - he is a guy that I look up to and he has always been there for me and always given me advice.
"When I first took the job as national team coach I looked at him as something of a mentor and I have a lot of respect for what he's doing.
"I reached out when I got the job and said, 'would you be interested in telling me more about international football?'. And being the guy that Gareth is, he was more than happy to have those conversations and since then we've stayed in touch."
So during the group stage there will be four matches per day in a feast of football.
We don't know all the kick-offs times as yet as FIFA plan to coordinate them to suit different time zones. However, the tournament opener between Qatar and Ecuador will be at 10am UK time.
And then we'll have England vs Iran later in the day and the possibility of either Wales or Scotland taking on the USA as well.
Monday, November 21
Qatar v Ecuador - Al Bayt Stadium, 1000
Senegal v Holland
England v Iran
USA v Wales/Scotland/Ukraine
Former Scotland international James McFadden believes the prospect of facing England at the biggest stage will be a major motivation ahead of the play-offs.
'We have got play-offs that we have to worry about and hopefully we can get through the first one, which sets up an unbelievable encounter against Wales,' the former Motherwell and Everton forward told BBC Sport.
'And then for either side, it's a great incentive. It's a big enough incentive in itself to get to the World Cup, but knowing that you're going into a group again with England is great and I'm sure it will motivate the players going into those play-off games.'
Reflecting on the prospect of facing England, Wales' caretaker manager Rob Page said: 'Of course it whets the appetite.
'We have been waiting years and years for this opportunity so trust me when I say there will be no stone unturned.
'We will prepare right, have a group of lads ready, and throw everything at this opportunity that we have been given.
'Yes, it is a mouth-watering tie, potentially, Scotland will be thinking the same, but out full focus is on getting there.'
A reminder that Wales are already through to their play-off final and await the winner of the Scotland vs Ukraine match which hopefully will be staged in June.
Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has just been speaking to the BBC:
'The first two are obviously teams we have not played for quite a while and the third is a total unknown but throws up a possible British derby. We know what they are all about.
'We are in on day one so it's quite clear what our programme is now with the end of the Premier League and getting here as quickly as possible.
'The first objective is to get out the group regardless of the opposition and go from there.
'I think in this situation all of our thoughts are with Ukraine and the people of Ukraine.
'When that tie is played and how it is played is irrelevant and we will all adjust to enable them to play when they are able to.
'I think when you're seeded, you get the advantage of missing out on those top six or seven teams. For most of the first seeds, they would be pleased with the first group.
'The US is an interesting one, I have met Gregg Berhalter many times and had some long chats. They have some very good players and we know what they are capable of as a nation.'
Australia could face France, Denmark and Tunisia at the 2022 World Cup if they navigate their way past United Arab Emirates and Peru in qualifying playoffs over the summer, Friday's draw has confirmed.
The Socceroos missed out on automatic qualification for this year's showpiece, which gets underway in Qatar on November 21.
Graham Arnold's side finished third in Asian Qualifying Group B after winning just four of their 10 qualifying fixtures, yet that means they are still in with a chance of reaching the tournament.
CLICK BELOW TO READ
The United States have been drawn with England, Iran and one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine in the group-stage phase of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In a repeat of the 2010 World Cup when the US drew 1-1 to England, the two countries face each other again in the group-stage.
In Friday's draw in the Qatari capital of Doha, Gregg Berhalter's side were also drawn with Iran and the winner of June's European play-off between Wales and either Scotland or Ukraine.
CLICK BELOW TO READ
GROUP A
A1 Qatar
A2 Ecuador
A3 Senegal
A4 Netherlands
GROUP B
B1 England
B2 Iran
B3 United States
B4 Scotland/Wales/Ukraine
GROUP C
C1 Argentina
C2 Saudi Arabia
C3 Mexico
C4 Poland
GROUP D
D1 France
D2 Australia/UAE/Peru
D3 Denmark
D4 Tunisia
GROUP E
E1 Spain
E2 Costa Rica/New Zealand
E3 Germany
E4 Japan
GROUP F
F1 Belgium
F2 Canada
F3 Morocco
F4 Croatia
GROUP G
G1 Brazil
G2 Serbia
G3 Switzerland
G4 Cameroon
GROUP H
H1 Portugal
H2 Ghana
H3 Uruguay
H4 South Korea
Who's the manager?
Dragan Skocic - The Croatian coach was appointed in February 2020 as a replacement for former Belgium manager Marc Wilmots and has guided Iran through qualifying and to their sixth World Cup appearances.
Skocic has great experience of the Iranian football system, having worked with domestic clubs Malavana and Foolad. He has a sublime track record so far, winning 15 of the 17 games he has overseen as manager.
Who's the star man?
Sardar Azmoun - Azmoun was once a target for Liverpool in the Brendan Rodgers era at Anfield after impressing in Russia. A move to Anfield never materialised though and instead he stayed and joined Zenit St Petersburg, scoring 62 goals in 104 games.
His big move came in January when German side Bayer Leverkusen opted to bring forward his arrival to the Bundesliga from this summer. The 27-year-old is yet to find the back of the net for his new club but his speed and pressing will be a problem for teams in Qatar.
How did they qualify?
After working their way through the deep qualifying pool in Asia, Iran finished top of the AFC's third round - a round robin system featuring the seven group winners and five best runners-up.
Iran won their group with eight wins from 10 matches, beating Son Heung-min and South Korea to top spot.
Who's the manager?
Gregg Berhalter - Berhalter was handpicked to take over as US coach back in 2018 when he was plucked from MLS franchise Columbus Crew as part of a huge reset following a shambolic 2-1 defeat by Trinidad and Tobago that saw them miss out.
After an uninspiring first year in charge, Berhalter has managed to make the most of the promising crop of American talent springing up across Europe and get a tune out of them. A former defender, the 48-year-old represented the US at two World Cups - 2002 and 2006.
Who's the star man?
Christian Pulisic - The Chelsea winger has been the poster boy for American football for a number of years and had to put up with team-mates that simply just weren't as good as him.
But now he has some back-up in the form of Tyler Adams, Giovanni Reyna, Ricardo Pepi, Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie. With a hat-trick against Panama earlier this week, Pulisic proved he will be their biggest threat in Qatar.
How did they qualify?
It was nerve-shredding but the US sealed their place at Qatar this week by claiming the third and final automatic space in North America behind Canada and Mexico, despite losing to Costa Rica in their final match.
Their place was all but sealed before the game after beating Panama earlier in the week but still, a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica is not exactly how you want to celebrate a World Cup return.
ngland will face the United States, Iran, and either Scotland, Wales or Ukraine in the group stages of the 2022 Qatar World Cup later this year as they were handed a dream draw on Friday.
Gareth Southgate's side will be looking to end 56 years of hurt when they head to the Gulf state this winter.
The Three Lions will play in the group stages between November 21 and December and will play their first match - against Iran on the opening day of the tournament.
CLICK BELOW FOR THE FULL STORY
Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Sport: '(England boss) Gareth (Southgate) will look at that and think it could have been a lot more difficult.
'He will be happy with that and I'm sure his players will be too.'
They've never played Iran full stop.
Of course, England drew 1-1 with the United States in their opening match at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
We also know that the first match of the tournament on November 21 will see the hosts Qatar play Ecuador.
In terms of a group of death, nothing really stands out but the group involving Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon promises to be interesting.
Well, England are going to be satisfied with that draw you would imagine.
They have been paired alongside Iran, the United States and the winner of the European play-off.
So that will be one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine, whose play-offs conclude in June.
The precise times of the games will be confirmed in due course but we now know that England will play Iran in their tournament opener on Monday November 21, the USA on Friday, 25 November and Wales, Scotland or Ukraine on Tuesday, 29 November.
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Holland
Group B: England, Iran, United States, Wales/Ukraine/Scotland
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Peru/Australia/UAE, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, New Zealand/Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
So it will be one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine in with England.
What a game that could be!
Ecuador vs Qatar will open the tournament then
The first of the play-off teams come out and must go into Group D
That's Peru or Australia/UAE
Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Ghana, Saudi Arabia plus the three play off winners
Group A: Qatar, Senegal, Holland
Group B: England, Iran, United States
Group C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland
Group H: Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea
Lots of European teams already drawn out so Serbia skip on a few groups and go into G
It means Brazil's opening game will be against Serbia and Switzerland are also in there.
Senegal next out and so they will join the hosts and Holland in Group A
Iran are first out but can't go into Group A with Qatar and so go into Group B.
And they will be the first opponents for England on November 21 and will also face the US.
Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea and Tunisia
Group A: Qatar, Holland
Group B: England, United States
Group C: Argentina, Mexico
Group D: France, Denmark
Group E: Spain, Germany
Group F: Belgium, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Switzerland
Group H: Portugal, Uruguay
By the process of elimination, that puts Switzerland into Group G along with Brazil.
Uruguay are drawn out next but can't be with Brazil in Group G, so they join Portugal in Group H.
The 2018 World Cup semi-finalists in together in Group F
A rueful smile by Lothar Matthaus as he puts Germany in with Spain in Group E.
All Europe so far in Group D as Denmark go in with the reigning champions France.
Mexico are thrown in with Mexico in Group C
So the United States are drawn into Group B alongside England.
A repeat there of the 2010 World Cup group stage.
The USA get position B3 so will play England on November 25th
The Dutch join the hosts Qatar in Group A and they will doubtless be happy with that
Mexico, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA and Croatia to come here
The final one of the seeded teams to be drawn is Portugal, who will go into Group H.
The five-time champions are into Group G
The defending champions from 2018 will go into Group D.
So we know the group, and will start to fill up the rest of Group B in 5-10 minutes.
And position A1 when the schedule is drawn up later on.
We knew already that Qatar would be in Group A!
It's only taken us 45 minutes to reach the draw but here we go...
A reminder that pot one teams will be drawn out first and allocated into a group each.
Ok, I truly believe we are on the cusp of the draw actually happening now. They are playing a short video on how the draw procedure will work.
Here is Jermaine Jenas, who has the pleasure of being the draw conductor alongside Turkish-based broadcaster Samantha Johnson and American legend Carli Lloyd.
Now we will painstakingly introduce the eight legends who will stand next to the eight pots during the draw. They are as follows:
Cafu (Brazil), Lothar Matthäus (Germany), Adel Ahmed MalAllah (Qatar), Ali Daei (Iran), Bora Milutinović (Serbia/Mexico), Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Rabah Madjer (Algeria) and Tim Cahill (Australia).
Well, Deschamps has dropped off the trophy but we have to sit through another video montage. We are already 33 minutes into the ceremony...
This one appears to be telling us that Qatar is quite excited about having the World Cup.
Here are Idris Elba and Reshmin Choudhury on stage... and finally we may have a draw.
France manager Didier Deschamps carries the World Cup trophy onto the stage
The FIFA president Gianni Infantino has used his speech prior to the draw to call on world leaders to stop conflicts and let peace reign. No mention of anyone in particular...
There's plenty of signing and dancing going on in the draw hall, and plenty of speeches introducing everyone...
But I am assured the draw itself will get started in the next 10 minutes or so.
This World Cup track is Hayya Hayya (Better Together), featuring Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha. See what you think
The hall where the draw ceremony is taking place is filling up now and we shouldn't be too far away from the start of proceedings.
Here's a reminder of the four pots ahead of the draw:
Pot 1: Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal.
Pot 2: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, Croatia.
Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia.
Pot 4: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine, Costa Rica/New Zealand, UAE/Australia/Peru.
Inevitably, this mid-season World Cup will cause quite a lot of disruption to the 2022-23 club season.
The Premier League, for example, which gets underway on August 6 will continue until the weekend of November 12-13 then pause for the World Cup.
Players will begin reporting for World Cup duty with their countries from November 14, giving them just a week to prepare in some cases prior to the first round of matches on Monday November 21.
Through the group phase, we will have four matches on each day through until December 2.
The last-16 begins literally the following day and the final is scheduled for December 18.
The Premier League will then pick up on Boxing Day, offering precious little breathing space for the players.
Rainbow flags could be taken off fans at the World Cup in Qatar to protect them from being attacked for promoting gay rights, a senior leader overseeing security for the tournament has said.
Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansari insisted that LGBTQ couples would be welcomed and accepted in Qatar for the tournament, despite same-sex relations remaining criminalised in the conservative Gulf nation.
But Al Ansari is against the overt promotion of LGBTQ freedoms as symbolised by the rainbow flag that FIFA and World Cup organisers had previously said would be welcome across Qatar's eight stadiums.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE
If you're not quite up to speed with the 29 nations who have already booked their place at the World Cup, fear not...
We have compiled a detailed guide to the teams who have qualified, including information on managers, key players, qualification and our verdict on how likely they are to go all the way and lift the trophy.
Just click on the link below to read our guide.
In just over six months the 2022 FIFA World Cup will get underway in Qatar and the eight stadiums that will play host to the tournament are primed and ready. They are also eye-catching to say the least.
One of the stadiums is designed like a traditional Middle Eastern woven cap, another is made of shipping containers and one venue has infamously been likened to a woman's private parts.
While they are striking in design, the eight venues – the fewest since the 16-team 1978 World Cup in Argentina – pose a logistical relief to the fans attending arguably the most controversial World Cup ever.
That is because the eight stadia are all situated with a 21-mile radius of central Doha and will be linked by a metro and tram system, making it possible to watch more than one game in the same day for any fan wishing to do so.
Each venue, which are powered by solar panel farms, is also equipped with detailed cooling systems to battle the heat, while others have outdoor air-conditioning – even though the fact the tournament has now moved to the winter months has somewhat negated that.
And once the tournament is said and done days before Christmas, only one stadium will be called home to a football team afterwards.
In fact, one stadium will be dismantled altogether while six of the venues will have half their seats taken up and sent to developing countries.
But what can fans expect ahead of the November-December showpiece? Sportsmail takes a look at the eight stadiums and their unique designs.
CLICK BELOW FOR OUR STADIUM SPECIAL
Sami Mokbel: Gareth Southgate has insisted England can win the World Cup later this year and called on his players to live up to their billing as one of the tournament favourites.
England will head into Qatar 2022 with genuine expectation of lifting their first major trophy since 1966 following their fourth-placed finish at the last World Cup and last summer's euphoric run to the Euro 2020 final.
They will discover on Friday who they face in the group stages of the World Cup, and Southgate — who will attend the draw in Doha — believes his team are poised to end 56 years of hurt.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
For our friends in the United States following this coverage, a quick discussion over what would constitute good and bad draws for the USMNT.
The friendliest draw would see them get hosts Qatar from pot one (that's the kindest option in there by a long way!), as well as probably Tunisia and the winner of the Wales/Scotland/Ukraine play-off in Europe.
But a group of death would see the USA paired with Brazil, Poland and Cameroon, which would be a real challenge.
Tonight's draw will be hosted by the award-winning actor Idris Elba and the sports broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury.
FIFA have promised us eye-catching 'live performances inspired by a striking fusion of traditional and modern.'
Then when we finally get to the draw itself, former England star Jermaine Jenas is part of the conducting team.
And with eight different groups to fill, there are eight legends ready to do the honours: Cafu (Brazil), Lothar Matthäus (Germany), Adel Ahmed MalAllah (Qatar), Ali Daei (IR Iran), Bora Milutinović (Serbia/Mexico), Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Rabah Madjer (Algeria) and Tim Cahill (Australia).
Gareth Southgate will be in Doha leading the English delegation this evening.
The Three Lions qualified with relative ease for the tournament but now wait anxiously to see who they will get in their group.
Arguably the easiest draw, on paper at least, would see them play the United States, Iran and Ecuador.
But Southgate and his team could find themselves in a trickier group against Germany, Senegal and Costa Rica.
We analyse England's potential permutations in the article below.
Normally, we know the identity of all 32 World Cup teams by now. However, for various reasons, three positions are yet to be decided this time around.
Two Intercontinental finals will be played in Qatar on June 13/14. Costa Rica play New Zealand in one, while in the other Peru take on the winner of the Australia vs UAE play-off set for June 7, also in Doha.
Those games were moved from March because of the disruptive effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, which put back qualifiers in some parts of the world.
One of the three European play-off routes was delayed because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Scotland had been due to play Ukraine at Hampden Park in March but this was deferred until a date in June in the hope that Ukraine will be able to play the fixture.
The winner of that match is going to play Wales in Cardiff a few days later to determine who gets that World Cup place.
Not right away. In a break with tradition, the match schedule will be decided at a later point.
FIFA say this is because they want to figure out the most beneficial kick-off times for the television audiences around the globe.
When the draw actually gets underway, the teams in pot one will be drawn out one by one.
A second ball will then be drawn out to decide which of the eight groups they go in to.
We will then work through pot two, pot three and pot four in the same way until all the groups are filled up.
However, teams from the same continent will be kept apart with the exception of the European nations.
We won't have more than two European nations in the same group.
There are no changes to the format of the World Cup itself for this edition. There will still be eight groups of four teams, with the top two advancing into the knockout stages.
The teams have been seeded based on the FIFA Rankings released yesterday.
As hosts, Qatar have been assigned a place in pot one, the highest standard of teams, with the position A1.
They are joined in pot one by seven other highly-ranked teams, including the reigning champions France plus England, Brazil, Argentina, Belgium, Portugal and Spain.
Working down those FIFA Rankings, there are then eight nations in each of pot two (including heavyweights Germany and Holland) and pot three.
Pot four, the lowest ranked, features five teams who have already qualified plus the three yet to be determined.
Those play-offs - Wales v Scotland/Ukraine, Costa Rica v New Zealand and UAE/Australia v Peru - will be played in June.
The graphic below tells you who is in which pot for the draw.
So the waiting is finally over. We know the identities of most of the countries who will be at the Qatar World Cup later this year and it's time to find out who will be playing who.
29 of the 32 finalists for this unusual winter tournament in the Middle-East are known, with the remaining three decided by qualification play-offs in June.
Today, however, the draw will tell us the full make-up of the eight groups ready for when the World Cup kicks off on November 21.
It is an odd World Cup in so many ways - all of the stadiums are in and around Doha, with the world descending on essentially one relatively small city.
It's a controversial one, too, with a spotlight being shone on Qatar's human rights record in the build-up to the competition.
But football-wise, today is the day we can begin to plot out group stage matches and potential routes to the final.
The draw ceremony is set to begin at 5pm UK time so we'll have plenty of build-up to bring you beforehand.
The organisers say the whole ceremony will last about one hour with the draw itself taking around 40 minutes.
So welcome along to our live coverage. Stay tuned.
Most watched Sport videos
- Giants fans burn quarterback Daniel Jones' jersey after loss
- Montenegro fans create distraction from football with fireworks
- Las Vegas Raiders fan body slams a woman during brawl
- Awkward moment footy great can't pronounce NRL player's name
- Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith announces she is pregnant
- Moment Miami Dolphin's Tyreek Hill is arrested by police
- Jason Kelce bares all with ex-Eagles teammate in revealing beer ad
- Shocking bodycam of Tyreek Hill arrest released by Miami-Dade PD
- Woman exposes NRL boyfriend for leaving her for another
- Ireland fans mock Queen's death aiming chants at England fans
- John Hunt makes a poignant return to the commentary box at Brighton
- Tyreek Hill speeds by police before cops aggressively pull him over
Host commentator