World Cup squads 2022: full list of 26-man teams selected for Qatar

Olivier Giroud, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, was selected again by coach Didier Deschamps for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Getty Images

A list of players who have been called up by their respective teams for the November 20-December 18 World Cup in Qatar.

ARGENTINA

Injured forward Paulo Dybala has not played for his club Roma since early October but has been named in the squad, while Lionel Messi will lead the side.

Goalkeepers:

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate) and Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal)

Defenders:

Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla)

Midfielders:

Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Forwards:

Paulo Dybala (AS Roma), Lionel Messi (Paris St Germain), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)

Lionel Messi leads the Argentina squad, which includes Paulo Dybala, left, who is recovering from injury. EPA

AUSTRALIA

Experienced central defender Trent Sainsbury was a surprise omission while teenage supersub Garang Kuol and former Scotland international Jason Cummings were included.

Goalkeepers:

Mat Ryan (FC Copenhagen), Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners), Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC)

Defenders:

Harry Souttar (Stoke City), Milos Degenek (Columbus Crew), Bailey Wright (Sunderland), Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata), Fran Karacic (Brescia), Nathaniel Atkinson (Heart of Midlothian), Aziz Behich (Dundee United), Kye Rowles (Heart of Midlothian), Joel King (Odense Boldklub)

Midfielders:

Aaron Mooy (Celtic), Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli), Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona), Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian), Riley McGree (Middlesbrough), Keanu Baccus (St Mirren)

Forwards:

Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City), Mitchell Duke (Fagiano Okayama), Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners), Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners), Awer Mabil (Cadiz), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City), Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United), Martin Boyle (Hibernian)

Australia qualified for the World Cup by beating Peru in a playoff. Getty

BELGIUM

Romelu Lukaku was named in squad despite fitness worries while Roberto Martinez keeps faith with out-of-favour Real madrid attacker Eden Hazard

Goalkeepers:

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg)

Defenders:

Jan Vertonghen (Benfica), Toby Alderweireld (Royal Antwerp), Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Wout Faes (Leicester), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Timothy Castagne (Leicester)

Midfielders:

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Amadou Onana (Everton), Youri Tielemans (Belgium), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards:

Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Lois Openda (Lens), Leandro Trossard (Brighton)

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  HOW BELGIUM QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group E) March 24, 2021. Belgium 3 (De Bruyne 22', T Hazard 28', Lukaku pen 73') Wales 1 (Wilson 10'): The world's No 1-ranked side recovered from falling a goal down to start their campaign with a win, with Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne among the scorers. Belgium manager Roberto Martinez said: "We knew it was going to be a tough game and it became even harder in the moment we conceded the first goal. I'm pleased with the style of the performance." EPA

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  March 27, 2021. Czech Republic 1 (Provod 50') Belgium 1 (Lukaku 60'): Romelu Lukaku rescued a point for Belgium to make it 36 goals in his past 31 international appearances. Martinez said: "We didn't find our rhythm, or our level that we are used to. We needed to defend our box frequently. We created some good chances, but the draw is a fair result." Reuters

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  March 30, 2021. Belgium 8 (Batshuayi 14', Vanaken 17', 89'), Trossard 38', 75', Doku 42', Praet 49' Benteke 70') Belarus 0: Brighton's Leandro Trossard and Leicester's Dennis Praet scored their first Belgium goals in a crushing victory. The hosts had 21 attempts on goal. Martinez said: "I'm delighted with what I've seen from every player. I've seen players taking decisive roles, I was very pleased with the performance of the young guys and how this group works together." Getty

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  September 2, 2021. Estonia 2 (Kait 2', Sorga 83') Belgium 5 (Vanaken 22', Lukaku 29', 52', Witsel 64', Foket 76'): Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku moved up to 66 goals in 99 games for Belgium with a double as they came from behind to seal three points. "With the first goal, all credit should go to Estonia," said Martinez. "It was a great shot. That happens in football. But I'm pleased that we remained calm." AP

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  September 5, 2021. Belgium 3 (Lukaku 8', E Hazard 41', Saelemaekers 65') Czech Republic 0: Romelu Lukaku marked his 100th cap with an early goal that put Belgium on the way to an impressive win. Martinez said: "This game, having possession in the 'Belgian way', playing fast but smart, having the ball circulating a lot, was what I wanted to see. The players did exactly what I asked of them." AFP

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  September 8, 2021. Belarus 0 Belgium 1 (Praet 33'): No repeat of the eight-goal battering Belgium dealt out to Belarus this time, with Dennis Praet's first-half goal sealing a narrow win. Martinez on injury-hit Eden Hazard's appearance as a substitute: “The fact that Eden wanted to come here, that he wanted to travel this far, knowing he couldn't play 90 minutes, shows that Eden is back on every level," AFP

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  November 13, 2021. Belgium 3 (Benteke 11', Carrasco 53', T Hazard 74') Estonia 1 (Sorga 70'): Belgium sealed their spot in Qatar with a game to spare. Striker Christian Benteke, in for the injured Lukaku, scored the opener and hit the woodwork. Martinez said: "We did what we had to do. I would have liked to have scored the second goal in the first half. Apart from that, I am happy with the performance." AFP

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  November 16, 2021. Wales 1 (Moore 31') Belgium 1 (De Bruyne 12'): De Bruyne's stylish early goal put Belgium ahead only for Kieffer Moore to equalise and seal a point that would take Wales into the play-offs in front of a jumping Cardiff City Stadium. Martinez said: "We congratulate Wales, they finished second. A fantastic atmosphere. We all wish that you have a fantastic draw in the play-offs." AP

BRAZIL

Roberto Firmino left out, but Dani Alves makes the squad.

Goalkeepers:

Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras)

Defenders:

Bremer (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid) Marquinhos (Paris St Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Danilo (Juventus), Dani Alves (UNAM Pumas), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla)

Midfielders:

Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United)

Forwards:

Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar Jr. (Paris St Germain), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)

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  HOW BRAZIL QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: October 9, 2020. Brazil 5 (Marquinhos 16', Firmino 30', 49', Carrasco og 66', Coutinho 73') Bolivia 0: Brazil were up and running in style with Roberto Firmino and Phillipe Coutinho among the scorers in a rout of Bolivia. "There's always room for improvement, what's important is getting used to playing together," Brazil captain Casemiro said. "We'll adapt better as we play more games. That's what is important. We deserve congratulations today." Getty

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  October 13, 2020. Peru 2 (Carrillo 6', Tapia 59') Brazil 4 (Neymar pen 28', pen 83', 90 + 2', Richarlison 64'): Neymar hit a hat-trick to reach 64 goals for Brazil and move second behind Pele in their all-time top goalscorer list, moving ahead of Ronaldo in a match that saw two Peru players sent off late on. Manager Tite said of Neymar: "He's a player who both makes and takes chances. And he gets better and better, and more mature." Getty

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  November 13, 2020. Brazil 1 (Firmino 66') Venezuela 0: Three wins on the spin for Brazil but a far from convincing performance in Sao Paulo, with a team missing the likes of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Fabinho. "We were able to compete and do them damage for a while,” said Venezuelan midfielder Luis Mago. “We made one mistake and paid a heavy price for it." AFP

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  November 17, 2020. Uruguay 0 Brazil 2 (Arthur 33', Richarlison 45'): First-half goals from Arthur and Richarlison maintained Covid and injury-hit Brazil's 100 per cent record against a Uruguay team they had not lost against since 2001. Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani was shown a straight red for a challenge on Richarlison following a VAR review. EPA

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  June 4, 2021. Brazil 2 (Richarlison 65' Neymar pen 90+4') Ecuador 0: Brazil made it five wins from five in a comfortable victory. The match was overshadowed by players and manager Tite being unhappy about Brazil hosting the upcoming Copa America as people were being killed by Covid in large numbers. Asked whether he could leave the job, Tite said: "You can raise any hypothesis, I only ask you to be careful. I will express it when it matters. Not now. This was a tough match against Ecuador." Getty

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  June 8, 2021. Paraguay 0 Brazil 2 (Neymar 4' Paqueta 90+3'): Brazil had not beaten Paraguay away from home since 1985 but an early goal from Neymar and a late one from Paqueta ended that run to make it six wins from six. “We knew how hard it is to come here,” defender Marquinhos said. “We’re delighted to open up a gap with the second-placed team in the table.” EPA

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  September 2, 2021. Chile 0 Brazil 1 (Ribeiro 64'): Everton Ribeiro came off the bench to secure a barely deserved victory for Tite's men, who had Gabriel Jesus sent off for an atrocious kung-fu-style challenge on Eugenio Mena. Neymar said: "Chile are a good team, they have great players and it is very difficult with a man less. Everyone deserves praise, the defence, the midfield, the forwards. It was a big test for us." AP

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  September 5, 2021. Brazil v Argentina (match abandoned): Chaotic scenes as the match was called-off after five minutes when Brazilian health officials invaded the pitch to stop Argentina's England-based players from playing, saying they had breached the country's Covid-19 quarantine rules. “They had 72 hours before the match. They had to do it at the time of the match.” Tite shouted at officials on the pitch. Reuters

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  September 9, 2021. Brazil 2 (Ribeiro 15', Neymar 40') Peru 0: The ninth home qualifier in a row in which Brazil kept a clean sheet, and their eighth win from eight Qatar 2022 qualifiers. "These three games we lacked a lot of players that meant others had a chance and they stepped up," said captain Casemiro. "I think we are on the right track." AFP

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  October 7, 2021. Venezuela 1 (Ramirez 11') Brazil 3 (Marquinhos 71', Barbosa pen 85', Antony 90 + 5'): Three second-half goals saw Brazil recover from a goal down and maintain their 100 per cent record, extending their lead at the top of qualifying to eight points. "It was a complicated match, we started well below [the level] we are accustomed to," Marquinhos said. "It's hard to get a result but results are what count." Reuters

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  October 10, 2021. Colombia 0 Brazil 0: The winning run comes to an end but Brazil remain on track for Qatar. Tite came to the defence of Neymar after the game. "He is an exceptional player because he makes exceptional plays, he does it exceptionally and not ordinarily," Brazil's coach said. "He is a special player, we know it. And he was also well marked, sometimes by two players." EPA

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  October 14, 2021. Brazil 4 (Neymar 10', Raphinha 18', 58', Barbosa 83') Uruguay 1 (Suarez 77'): Leeds winger Raphinha grabbed a double as Brazil cruised to an impressive victory. "This couldn't be more memorable for me," Raphinha said. "This is me fulfilling my childhood dream. It's so gratifying to score. It's going to be very difficult to forget this night." AFP

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  November 11, 2021. Brazil 1 (Paqueta 72') Colombia 0: Three points for Brazil saw them become the first South American team to qualify for Qatar. The game also marked their 10th consecutive home qualifier without conceding a goal. “I cried of happiness [after scoring] because of this moment I am living at the national team and at my club Lyon. This came from a lot of joy, joy for this work well done," Lucas Paqueta said.

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  November 16, 2021. Argentina 0 Brazil 0: Argentina joined Brazil in Qatar after this draw. Brazil coach Tite felt Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi should have been punished for elbowing winger Raphinha. "It is impossible not to see Otamendi's elbow on Raphinha. A high quality VAR official cannot work this way," he said. "It's inconceivable. Inconceivable is not the word I want to use. I am using that word because I am polite." AFP

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  January 27, 2022. Ecuador 1 (Torres 75') Brazil 1 (Casemiro 6'): Goalkeeper Alisson Becker was sent off twice only for the VAR to rescind both red cards in this draw. Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez was dismissed, though, as was Brazil full-back Emerson Royal. Alisson said: "If there was no VAR, today we would be unfairly penalised for several situations on the pitch. I touched the ball, that's evident to everyone." Getty

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  February 1, 2022. Brazil 4 (Raphinha 28', Coutinho 62', Antony 86', Rodrygo 88') Paraguay 0: Brazil scored twice in the last four minutes, including a first international goal for Real Madrid striker Rodrygo, to seal an easy win. The win extended to 61 matches their unbeaten home record in World Cup qualifiers and ended Paraguay's hopes of reaching Qatar. AFP

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  March 24, 2022. Brazil 4 (Neymar pen 44', Vinicius Junior 45'+1', Coutinho pen 72', Richarlison 90'+1') Chile 0: Former Flamengo player Vinicius Junior celebrated a return to the Maracana stadium with his first international goal. "At the Maracana with my family, there was nowhere better to score my first international goal," he said. "I'm very happy. It's our last game in Brazil before the World Cup and we are going to thank the fans." AFP

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  Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Bolivia 0 Brazil 4 (Paqueta 24', Richarlison 45', 90'+1', Guimaraes 66'): A superb performance from Brazil meant Tite's team reached 45 points, a new World Cup qualifying record. "Yes, [the team exceeded] any expectations I could have on the performance, in both qualitative and quantitative terms," Tite said. AP

CAMEROON

Centre-back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui misses out.

Goalkeepers:

Devis Epassy (Abha Club), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Olympique de Marseille), Andre Onana (Inter Milan)

Defenders:

Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes), Enzo Ebosse (Udinese), Collins Fai (Al Tai), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union), Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris Salonika), Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders), Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennes)

Midfielders:

Martin Hongla (Verona), Pierre Kunde (Olympiakos), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City), Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96), Samuel Oum Gouet (Mechelen), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli)

Forwards:

Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua), Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting (Bayern Munich), Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys Berne), Jerome Ngom (Colombe Dja), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys Berne), Karl Toko Ekambi (Olympique Lyonnais)

Cameroon will be led by captain Vincent Aboubakar, centre. AP

CANADA

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is included after a recent injury scare.

Goalkeepers:

Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United), James Pantemis (CF Montreal)

Defenders:

Steven Vitoria (Chaves), Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal), Richie Laryea (Nottingham Forest/Toronto FC on loan), Kamal Miller (CF Montreal), Sam Adekugbe (Hatayspor), Joel Waterman (CF Montreal), Derek Cornelius (Panetolikos)

Midfielders:

Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Stephen Eustaquio (FC Porto), Liam Fraser (Deinze), Samuel Piette (CF Montreal), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto FC), Ismael Kone (CF Montreal), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone FC)

Forwards:

Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Jonathan David (Lille), Cyle Larin (Club Brugge), Ike Ugbo (Troyes), Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps), Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge), Junior Hoilett (Reading), Liam Millar (Basel)

Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies is a key player for Canada. AP

COSTA RICA

No major omissions.

Goalkeepers:

Keylor Navas (Paris St Germain), Esteban Alvarado (Herediano), Patrick Sequeira (CD Lugo)

Defenders:

Francisco Calvo (Konyaspor), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios FC), Kendall Waston (Saprissa), Oscar Duarte (Al-Wehda), Daniel Chacon (Colorado Rapids), Keysher Fuller (Herediano), Carlos Martinez (San Carlos), Bryan Oviedo (Real Salt Lake), Ronald Matarrita (Cincinnati)

Midfielders:

Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano), Celso Borges (Alajuelense), Youstin Salas (Saprissa), Roan Wilson (Grecia), Gerson Torres (Herediano), Douglas Lopez (Herediano) Jewisson Bennette (Sunderland), Alvaro Zamora (Saprissa), Anthony Hernandez (Puntarenas FC), Brandon Aguilera (Nottingham Forest), Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense)

Forwards:

Joel Campbell (Leon), Anthony Contreras (Herediano) Johan Venegas (Alajuelense)

Joel Campbell is a key player for Costa Rica. AFP

CROATIA

The 2018 runners-up will be led by veteran captain Luka Modric, who will be heading to his fourth World Cup, with Tottenham Hotspur's Ivan Perisic and Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic also included in the squad.

Goalkeepers:

Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Ivusic (NK Osijek), Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid)

Defenders:

Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens), Dejan Lovren (Zenit St Petersburg), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Josip Juranovic (Celtic), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Borna Sosa (VfB Stuttgart), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Martin Erlic (Sassuolo), Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb)

Midfielders:

Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Lovro Majer (Stade Rennais), Kristijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Luka Sucic (Salzburg)

Forwards:

Ivan Perisic (Tottenham Hotspur), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim ), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split)

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  HOW CROATIA QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group H): March 24, 2021. Slovenia 1 (Lovric 15') Croatia 0: A surprise defeat for the 2018 World Cup runners-up as Sandi Lovric's early goal proved the match-winner. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said: "Congratulations to the home team. We didn't look good. We were trying to do something, but at the end, we didn't deserve anything but a defeat here." Getty

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  March 27, 2021. Croatia 1 (Pasalic 40') Cyprus 0: Luka Modric became Croatia's most-capped player (135 appearances) as the home side sealed three points through Mario Pasalic's header. Dalic said: "It wasn't as convincing as I expected, but three points are the most important thing. It was a tough game ... but, Croatia have to be much, much better when we play against teams like this." Getty

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  March 30, 2021. Croatia 3 (Perisic 62', Modric pen 76', Brekalo 90') Malta 0: It took Croatia more than an hour to make breakthrough with second-half substitutes Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric and Josip Brekalo finally doing the damage. Dalic said: "Seven days, three matches, it's not easy for anyone. But we know what our goal is. We will finish first in our group and we will go to the World Cup." Getty

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  September 1, 2021. Russia 0 Croatia 0: Both teams stay on course for Qatar after a dull game short in Moscow. "Strategy-wise it might be OK to get a point away in Moscow but I still expected more," said Dalic. "We are going through a tough schedule with the Slovakia game coming just a few days after and we didn't play to our full strength." AFP

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  September 4, 2021. Slovakia 0 Croatia 1 (Brozovic 86') Marcelo Brozovic vollyed home the winner four minutes from time to move Croatia joint top of Group H alongside Russia. “Congratulations to my side for the effort and for not giving up and fighting," Dalic said. "The pitch was very bad and it hindered us but the three points was the most important." Reuters

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  September 7, 2021. Croatia 3 (Livaja 33', Pasalic 66', Vlasic 90'+4) Slovenia 0: Croatia gained revenge for their opening defeat with midfielder Mario Pasalic scoring one goal and setting up another. "We have not conceded a goal in the last five games in qualifying which is excellent. We have taken a big step to qualifying for Qatar," said Dalic. Reuters

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  October 8, 2021. Cyprus 0 Croatia 3 (Perisic 45+2', Gvardiol 80', Livaja 90+2'): Croatia remained top of the group on goal difference over Russia but needed two late goals from Josko Gvardiol and Marko Livaja to finish off Cyprus in Larnaca. EPA

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  October 11, 2021. Croatia 2 (Kramaric 25', Modric 71') Slovakia 2 (Schranz 20', Haraslin 45'): Veteran midfielder Luka Modric earned his team a point after Slovakia threatened to produce a shock in Osijek. "We controlled the match and had possession," Dalic said. "We conceded two soft goals when we didn't react well. I really don't have anything to complain about to the players." Reuters

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  November 11, 2021: Malta 1 (Brozovic og 31') Croatia 7 (Perisic 6', Caleta-Car 22', Pasalic 39', Modric 45+1', Majer 47', 64', Kramarić 53'): Croatia's crushing win sets up final match decider against Russia to decide who automatically qualifies for Qatar. AFP

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  November 14, 2021. Croatia 1 (Kudryashov 81') Russia 0: A late own goal from Fyodor Kudryashov earned Croatia a deserved win and automatic spot in Qatar after a string of saves by Russia goalkeeper Matvei Safonov threatened to keep them at bay. Croatia captain Modric said: "It was a difficult match from the beginning because of the rain. We never gave up, we were patient and I think we won deservedly. We are the best team in this group." Reuters

DENMARK

Christian Eriksen made the list of 21 players before the remaining five names will be revealed after the last rounds of European fixtures.

Goalkeepers:

Kasper Schmeichel (Nice), Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin)

Defenders:

Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brondby)

Midfielders:

Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards:

Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Bruges), Jesper Lindstrom (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Cornelius (FC Copenhagen), Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Jonas Wind (VfL Wolfsburg)

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  HOW DENMARK QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group F): March 25, 2021. Israel 0 Denmark 2 (Braithwaite 13', Wind 67'): The Danes cruised to a comfortable win in their opening match thanks to goals from Martin Braithwaite and Jonas Wind. "We got what we came for - three points, and that's the most important," said Wind. "We scored two goals and stood up well defensively." Reuters

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  March 28, 2021. Denmark 8 (Dolberg pen 19', 48', Damsgaard 22', 29', Stryger Larsen 35', Jensen 39', Skov 81', Ingvartsen 89'). Moldova 0: Denmark turn on the style, scoring four in each half to smash hapless Moldova despite making 10 changes from the side that defeated Israel. "It's hard not to be satisfied after a game like this," said manager Kasper Hjulmand. "I'm a little strange, so I will probably find something" to complain about. Reuters

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  March 31, 2021. Austria 0 Denmark 4 (Skov Olsen 58', 74', Maehle 63', Hojbjerg 67'): Four second-half goals in 16 minutes - with substitute Andreas Skov Olsen scoring twice - saw Denmark demolish Austria in Vienna. "We played a brilliant second half. We created chances. Scored beautiful goals," said Hjulmand. " We have played three matches, and the biggest save Kasper [Schmeichel] has had was against Moldova. He didn't have a single one here or in Israel." Reuters

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  September 1, 2021. Denmark 2 (Wass 14', Maehle 15') Scotland 0. September 4, 2021. Faroe Islands 0 Denmark 1 (Wind 85'). Denmark outclass Scotland in Copenhagen thanks to two goals in 93 seconds from Daniel Wass and Joakim Maehle, while Jonas Wind's late finish earned them three points three days later against the Faroes. PA

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  September 7, 2021. Denmark 5 (Poulsen 28', Kjaer 31', Skov Olsen 41', Delaney 58', Cornelius 90'+1) Israel 0: A man-of-the-match display from Mikkel Damsgaard helped Denmark make it six wins out of six and take them seven-points clear of second-placed Scotland. AFP

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  October 9, 2021. Moldova 0 Denmark 4 (Skov Olsen 23', Kjaer pen 34', Norgaard 39', Maehle 44'): Denmark made it a 12-0 aggregate score against the Moldovans over two group games after scoring four first-half goals in Chisinau. The win left the Danes top of Group F with seven wins from seven games and no goals conceded. Reuters

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  October 12, 2021. Denmark 1 (Maehle 53') Austria 0: Denmark became the second European nation to reach the finals in Qatar after Joakim Maehle's second-half goal made it eight wins from eight group games. "We built up a crew and a mentality that is incredibly healthy and we have been eager to improve all the time," said captain Simon Kjaer. "We have come a long way already but we have only become hungrier." AP

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  November 12, 2021. Denmark 3 (Skov Olsen 18', Bruun Larsen 63', Maehle 90'+3) Faroe Islands 1 (K Olsen 89'): With their place in Qatar already safely in the bag, Denmark maintained their 100 per cent record with a comfortable win in Copenhagen, although their eight-match run without conceding a goal was ended by Klaemint Olsen's late finish. EPA

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  November 15, 2021. Scotland 2 (Souttar 35', Adams 86') Denmark 0: Denmark drop points for the first time in their final group game as Scotland seal a play-off place thanks to a deserved win in Glasgow. Denmark defender Andreas Christensen said: “There wasn’t that much motivation, though that’s a bad excuse. But they had more to play for than we did, and you could see that." AFP

ECUADOR

Coach Gustavo Alfaro did not name Byron Castillo, the defender whom Chile claimed was ineligible to play during the qualifiers but was deemed an Ecuadorean national, in his 26-man squad.

Goalkeepers:

Alexander Dominguez (Liga de Quito), Hernan Galindez (Aucas), Moises Ramirez (Independiente del Valle)

Defenders:

Pervis Estupinan (Brighton & Hove Albion), Angelo Preciado (Gent), Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Diego Palacios (Los Angeles FC), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Felix Torres (Santos Laguna), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp FC)

Midfielders:

Moises Caicedo (Brighton), Jose Cifuentes (Los Angeles FC), Alan Franco (Talleres), Jhegson Mendez (Los Angeles FC), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), Gonzalo Plata (Valladolid), Angel Mena (Leon), Ayrton Preciado (Santos Laguna), Romario Ibarra (Pachuca), Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton)

Strikers:

Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce), Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul), Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell's Old Boys), Kevin Rodriguez (Imbabura SC)

Ecuador will contest the first match of the World Cup against hosts Qatar. AFP

ENGLAND

Gareth Southgate calls-up Leicester City attacker James Maddison and Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson as well as bringing Manchester United forward Marecus Rashford back into the fold.

Goalkeepers:

Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders:

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Coady (Everton, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal)

Midfielders:

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham United)

Forwards:

Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), James Maddison (Leicester City), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)

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  HOW ENGLAND QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group I) March 25, 2021. England 5 (Ward Prowse 14', Calvert-Lewin 21', 53', Sterling 31', Watkins 83'): England began their qualification campaign by brushing aside San Marino at Wembley with substitute Ollie Watkins scoring on his debut. Manager Gareth Southgate said: "Of course, it's an opponent we should beat, but I thought they went about the job really well." Reuters

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  March 28, 2021. Albania 0 England 2 (Kane 38', Mount 63'): Two out of two for Southgate's men who stretched their unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers to 23 games after Harry Kane scored one and supplied the other. Southgate said: "We had opportunities to make it three and should have killed the game off. I didn’t like the way we managed the game in the last 15 minutes, charging forwards when we didn’t need to." Reuters

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  March 31, 2021. England 2 (Kane pen 19', Maguire 85') Poland 1 (Moder 58'): England overcame a dreadful error from defender John Stones that led to Poland - who were without Robert Lewandowski up front - scoring to make it three wins out of three. Southgate said: "We need to play top opponents and you could see tonight we still have a lot of improvements to make. That’s not anything I didn’t know." Reuters

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  September 2, 2021. Hungary 0 England 4 (Sterling 55', Kane 63', Maguire 69', Rice 87'): Impressive England destroyed Hungary with four second-half goals in Budapest in a match where England players had objects thrown at them while some players suffered racist abuse from the home crowd. Southgate said: "We showed great maturity and kept the ball well. The attacking play was really exciting in the second half and we could have had more." Reuters

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  September 5, 2021. England 4 (Lingard 18', 78', Kane pen 72'), Saka 85') Andorra 0: Three late goals made it five wins out of five for England, who made 11 changes from the side that won 4-0 in Hungary. Southgate said: "It was difficult for the players picked who didn't have as much games together. You have to keep moving the ball, keep being patient. It wasn't an easy task." AFP

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  September 8, 2021. Poland 1 (Szymanski 90+2') England 1 (Kane 72'). An injury-time leveller ended England's 100 per cent record but still found themselves four points clear at the top of Group I with four games left. Southgate said: "It was no surprise that this was the hardest game in the group. Early in the game, we were a little slow to move the ball ... in the second half we controlled the game." AFP

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  October 9, 2021. Andorra 0 England 5 (Chilwell 17', Saka 40', Abraham 59', Ward-Prowse 79', Grealish 86'): A stroll for England against a country ranked 156th in the world. Manchester City forward Phil Foden was the star of the show as Jack Grealish scored his first England goal. Grealish said: "In the back of my mind there has been that feeling that I've just wanted to score, just to get off the mark. Obviously I've done that tonight, I'm delighted." Reuters

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  October 12, 2021. England 1 (Stones 37') Hungary 1 (Sallai pen 24'): A stumble in England's quest for Qatar as Southgate's side produced a disjointed display at Wembley with an out-of-form Harry Kane taken off despite the Three Lions still searching for a winner. Southgate said: "I don't think we played at the level we have done and Hungary defended very well. We didn't do enough to win the game." EPA

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  November 12, 2021. England 5 (Maguire 9', Kane 18', 33', 45'+1), Henderson (28') Albania 0: Harry Kane was back in the scoring groove, hitting a hat-trick that left England needing only a point from their final qualifier in San Marino to qualify. Southgate said: "The first-half performance in the main was outstanding. Harry gave a fantastic centre-forward's performance ... I thought his all-round game was excellent." Getty

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  November 15, 2021. San Marino 0 England 10 (Maguire 6', Fabbri og 15'), Kane pen 27', 31', pen 39', 42'), Smith Rowe 58', Mings 69', Abraham 78', Saka 79'): England reached double figures for the first time since 1964 and secured their spot in Qatar. Southgate said: "We gave a performance that was enjoyable for the supporters that travelled, was clinical in the way we went about it, and then showed some exciting young players coming through." Reuters

FRANCE

Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema is set for his first World Cup appearance since 2014, while defenders Raphael Varanae and Presnel Kimpembe included in 25-man squad despite injury fears.

Goalkeepers:

Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes)

Defenders:

Lucas Hernardez (Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamencano (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Manchester United)

Midfielders:

Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Jordan Veretout (Marseille)

Forwards:

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kinglsey Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)

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  HOW FRANCE QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group D) March 24, 2021. France 1 (Griezmann 19') Ukraine 1 (Sydorchuk 57'): The world champions took a deserved lead courtesy of a fine Antoine Griezmann finish, only for the Ukraine to equalise via a big deflection that wrong-footed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. France attacker Olivier Giroud said: "When you don't score the second goal against a team defending very well with determination ... then it's hard." AFP

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  March 28, 2021. Kazakhstan 0 France 2 (Dembele 19', Malyy og 44'): Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele put France on their way to a first victory of the campaign following good work from Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial. A headed own goal completed the victory. Manager Didier Deschamps said: “It’s a good result even if we could have won by more goals ... the only regret here was that we didn’t take our chances in the second half." AFP

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  March 31, 2021. Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 France 1 (Griezmann 60'): Hugo Lloris produced several key saves as France secured a narrow win thanks to Antoine Griezmann's second-half goal. Griezmann said: "It was a difficult game. We had a bit of fatigue and a bit of trouble playing against five at the back. We know people expect things from us in every game." EPA

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  September 1, 2021. France 1 (Griezmann 39') Bosnia 1 (Dzeko 36'): Another Griezmann goal earned 10-man France a point after Inter Milan's Edin Dzeko had put Bosnia in front. Griezmann had re-joined Atletico Madrid from Barcelona less than 24 hours earlier, while Jules Kounde was sent off for the hosts. Deschamps said: " It is obviously harder with 10 men. We had some chances but it is not the result we were looking for." AFP

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  September 4, 2021 Ukraine 1 (Shaparenko 44') France 1 (Martial 50'): Anthony Martial bundled in a close-range equaliser for only his second international goal - and first since 2016 - as the world champions' stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign continued. "It was much better in the second half and we have regrets in the first as we conceded the goal just after missing a chance," said Deschamps. Reuters

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  September 7, 2021. France 2 (Griezmann 25, 53') Finland 0: A Griezmann double took the striker level with Michel Platini on 41 goals for his country, leaving him 10 behind all-time top scorer Thierry Henry and five short of Olivier Giroud. Captain Lloris said: “It’s not easy to stay at the top level and Antoine has done it for many years now. He’s in the top three scorers of all-time for France and soon will have 100 caps." Reuters

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  November 13, 2021. France 8 (Mbappe 6', 12', 32', 87', Benzema 55', 59', Rabiot 75', Griezmann pen 84') Kazakhstan 0: Kylian Mbappe notched his first hat-trick for France as the reigning world champions secured their place at next year's World Cup in Qatar in style. It was the first hat-trick by a France player in a competitive international since Dominique Rocheteau in 1985. "A World Cup is a dream, an aim, it's everything and ... We're going over there to win it," Mbappe said. AFP

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  November 16, 2021. Finland 0 France 2 (Benzema 66', Mbappe 76'): Substitute Karim Benzema combined with Mbappe for the opening goal while the prolific PSG striker followed on from his four against Kazakhstan with another in Helsinki. "We wanted to finish on a high and we're happy we did it," said Benzema. "Now we're looking forward to the World Cup. With the team we have it's natural to think about [winning] it." AFP

GERMANY

Teenager Youssoufa Moukoko was a surprise pick while 2014 World Cup winner Mario Gotze returned to the national team set up after five years.

Goalkeepers:

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Defenders:

Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Antonio Ruediger (Real Madrid), Niklas Suele (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Lukas Klostermann, Armel Bella Kotchap (Southampton), Christian Guenter (Freiburg)

Midfielders:

Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Mueller (all Bayern Munich), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Goetze (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Strikers:

Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Niklas Fuellkrug (Werder Bremen), Karim Adeyemi Borussia Dortmund)

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  HOW GERMANY QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group J) March 25, 2021. Germany 3 (Goretzka 3', Havertz 7', Gundogan 56') Iceland 0: A comfortable start to the campaign for Joachim Low's men with Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan continuing his hot streak in front of goal with his 15th goal in 24 games for club and country. Low said: "It wasn’t our most incredible performance, but it was very important to make a positive start to the new year and that’s what we’ve done tonight." Getty

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  March 28, 2021. Romania 0 Germany 1 (Gnabry 17'): Serge Gnabry's first-half strike made it two wins on the spin for Germany with a hard-fought victory in Bucharest. Germany captain Manuel Neuer said: "We should have scored the second goal, so we would not have been in danger of losing two points. We are lacking coolness, cleverness, maybe a bit of will inside the box. But their goalkeeper also had a few good stops, so kudos to him." Getty

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  March 31, 2021. Germany 1 (Gundogan pen 63') North Macedonia 2 (Pandev 45'+2', Elmas 85'): Germany’s 35-match unbeaten run in World Cup qualifying ended with a shock home defeat. Their last loss had been a 5-1 home thrashing by England in September 2001. "This is bitterly disappointing," Low said. "We were not fresh enough, we made mistakes. When we played quickly we were dangerous but we did not find the tools to be really threatening." AP

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  September 2, 2021. Liechtenstein 0 Germany 2 (Werner 41', Sane 77'): New manager Hansi Flick enjoyed a winning start to his reign against the minnows in Switzerland. Germany had 30 attempts at goal and 85 per cent of the possession. Flick said: "It took us too long to get our first goal, but it's a process. I won't let this first game ruffle my feathers, there's a long road ahead and we will make our way down it." EPA

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  September 5, 2021. Germany 6 (Gnabry 6'&15', Reus 35', Werner 44', Hofmann 52', Adeyemi 90'+1') Armenia 0: An early double from Serge Gnabry put Germany on the road to an impressive rout of the Armenians in Stuttgart that could easily have been even more. Midfielder Leon Goretzka said: "The atmosphere was extraordinary. I felt lots of joy in the stands and we wanted to display the same kind of joy on the pitch. I think it worked out." AFP

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  September 8, 2021. Iceland 0 Germany 4 (Gnabry 4', Rudiger 24', Sane 56'), Werner 88'): Flick's team sit top of the group four points clear of Armenia thanks to goals from Chelsea pair Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner, plus Bayern Munich duo Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane. Flick said: "We only had a few training sessions. Our goal was to win the three games, and we achieved that. We have taken a step forward. We're not at 100 per cent yet, but the team is on the right track." Getty

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  October 8, 2021. Germany 2 (Gnabry 52', Muller 81') Romania 1 (Hagi 9'): Germany fought back from a goal down as Thomas Muller scored a first competitive goal for his country since March 2017, having been exiled for two years under previous manager Joachim Low. Flick said: "Conceding goals always annoys me. We were about to get a penalty and then we suffered. It wasn't easy for us to put up with it. In the end, we deserved to win against a team that defended very deep." EPA

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  October 11, 2021. North Macedonia 0 Germany 4 (Havertz 50', Werner 70', 73', Musiala, 83'): A memorable night for Germany. Revenge for their shock defeat earlier in the campaign and, most importantly, qualification for Qatar secured in style. Flick said: "From the result it was perfect. We got what we wanted, qualified as quickly as possible and we now have five wins in a row. Again the attitude was right. Compliments to the team." EPA

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  November 11, 2021. Germany 9 (Gundogan pen 11', Kaufmann og 20', Sane 22', 49', Reus 23', Muller 76', 86', Baku 80', Goppel og 89') Liechtenstein 0: Hansi Flick became the first Germany coach to win his first six games in charge as his Covid-hit team thrashed Liechtenstein, who had a man sent off inside 10 minutes. Forward Thomas Muller said: "We have to put things into perspective a little. We didn't have a really strong opponent in our group." AFP

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  November 14, 2021. Armenia 1 (Mkhitaryan pen 59') Germany 4 (Havertz 15', Gundogan pen 45'+4', 50', Hofmann 64'): Hansi Flick extended his winning streak to seven matches in a row as Germany finished top of the group with 27 points out of a possible 30. Flick said: "It wasn't all brilliant, but the way we try to play football is great. You can see that the team always wants to attack and create chances. We know what we need to improve on; we've got time for that." AFP

GHANA

Uncapped striker Kamal Sowah and midfielder Salis Abdul Samed earned surprise call-ups.

Goalkeepers:

Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko), Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen)

Defenders:

Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Abdul-Rahman Baba (Reading), Alexander Djiku (Racing Strasbourg), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton & Hove Albion), Gideon Mensah (AJ Auxerre), Denis Odoi (Club Brugge), Mohammed Salisu (Southampton), Alidu Seidu (Clermont Foot)

Midfielders:

Andre Ayew (Al Sadd), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (SC Freiburg), Elisha Owusu (Gent), Thomas Partey (Arsenal), Salis Abdul Samed (Racing Lens)

Forwards:

Daniel Afriyie (Hearts of Oak), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Issahaku Abdul Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon), Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City), Kamal Sowah (Club Brugge), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Stade Rennes), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)

Ghana qualified for the World Cup be beating Nigeria in a playoff. AP

IRAN

Omid Ebrahimi was left out after picking up a groin injury in a friendly.

Goalkeepers:

Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Amir Abedzadeh (Ponferradina), Seyed Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan)

Defenders:

Ehsan Hajsafi (AEK Athens), Morteza Pouraliganji (Persepolis), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan), Milad Mohammadi (AEK Athens), Hossein Kanaanizadegan (Al Ahli), Shojae Khalilzadeh (Al Ahli), Sadegh Moharrami (Dinamo Zagreb), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Abolfazl Jalali (Esteghlal)

Midfielders:

Ahmad Noorollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Saman Ghoddos (Brentford), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis), Saeid Ezatolahi (Vejle), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis), Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi), Ali Karimi (Kayserispor)

Forwards:

Karim Ansarifard (Omonia Nicosia), Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen), Mehdi Taremi (Porto)

Iran begin their World Cup campaign against England. AFP

JAPAN

Defender Yuta Nakayama was called up but will miss the World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury. Striker Shuto Machino took his place in the squad.

Goalkeepers:

Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truidense)

Defenders:

Yuto Nagatomo (Tokyo), Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart)

Midfielders:

Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Junya Ito (Reims), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)

Forwards:

Takuma Asano (Bochum), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Shuto Machino (Shonan Bellmare)

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  Japan's Kaoru Mitoma celebrates after scoring against Australia in the World Cup qualifier at Accor Stadium in Sydney, on March 24, 2022. Japan qualified for the finals in Qatar after the 2-0 victory. Getty

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  Kaoru Mitoma prepares to shoot and scores Japan's second goal. EPA

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  Takumi Minamino of Japan celebrates after the match. Getty

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  Japan celebrate after qualifying for the Qatar World Cup. Getty

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  Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu celebrates after beating Australia. EPA

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  Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan cannot stop Kaoru Mitoma scoring for Japan. Getty

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  Kaoru Mitoma celebrates with teammates after scoring against Australia. EPA

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  Japan's Kaoru Mitoma scores their second goal. Reuters

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  Japan's Junya Ito has his shirt pulled by Rhyan Grant of Australia. Getty

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  Japan's Kaoru Mitoma celebrates after scoring. AFP

MEXICO

Injured striker Raul Jimenez was called up, all-time leading scorer Javier Hernandez left out.

Goalkeepers:

Guillermo Ochoa (America), Alfredo Talavera (Juarez), Rodolfo Cota (Leon)

Defenders:

Jorge Sanchez (Ajax Amsterdam), Kevin Alvarez (Pachuca), Nestor Araujo (America), Johan Vasquez (US Cremonese), Gerardo Arteaga (KRC Genk), Hector Moreno, Cesar Montes, Jesus Gallardo (all Monterrey)

Midfielders:

Erick Gutierrez (PSV), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Edson Alvarez (Ajax Amsterdam), Luis Chavez (Pachuca), Luis Romo (Monterrey), Carlos Rodriguez, Uriel Antuna (both Cruz Azul)

Forwards:

Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey), Henry Martin (America), Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Alexis Vega (Guadalajara)

Raul Jimenez, second right, has been included in the Mexico squad despite a long-term injury. Reuters

MOROCCO

Hakim Ziyech was included despite his lack of game time at Chelsea.

Goalkeepers:

Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca)

Defenders:

Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United), Yahia Attiat Allah (Wydad Casablanca), Badr Benoun (Qatar SC), Achraf Dari (Stade Brest), Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid), Achraf Hakimi (Paris St Germain), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Romain Saiss (Besiktas)

Midfielders:

Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Selim Amallah (Standard Liege), Bilal El Khannouss (Racing Genk), Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria)

Forwards:

Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Soufiane Boufal (Angers), Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers), Walid Cheddira (Bari), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al Ittihad), Amine Harit (Olympique Marseille), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)

Hakim Ziyech has returned to the Morocco setup ahead of the World Cup. AFP

NETHERLANDS

Injured Barcelona forward Memphis Depay and uncapped teenager Xavi Simons were included in the squad but veteran goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was left out.

Goalkeepers:

Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord), Andries Noppert (Heerenveen), Remko Pasveer (Ajax Amsterdam)

Defenders:

Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munchen), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United), Jurrien Timber (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij (Internazionale)

Midfielders:

Steven Berghuis (Ajax), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta Bergamo), Marten de Roon (Atalanta Bergamo), Xavi Simons (PSV Eindhoven), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax)

Forwards:

Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Memphis Depay (Barcelona), Cody Gakpo (PSV), Vincent Janssen (Antwerp), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Noah Lang (Club Brugge), Wout Weghorst (Besiktas)

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  HOW THE NETHERLANDS QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group G): March 24, 2021. Turkey 4 (Yilmaz (15', pen 34', 81'), Calhanoglu 46') Netherlands 2 (Klaassen 75', De Jong 76'): A disastrous start to the campaign for the Dutch as a Burak Yilmaz hat-trick condemned Frank de Boer's team to defeat, with Memphis Depay also missing a penalty. De Boer said: “Very disappointing result, and also the way that result came about. Our tempo should have been higher, especially before the break.” AFP

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  March 27, 2021. Netherlands 2 (Berghuis 32', L de Jong 69') Latvia 0. A much-needed pick-me-up for the Dutch after the Turkey defeat with Frank de Boer's side creating a remarkable 37 chances - although only finding the net twice - to kick-start their campaign. “I'm very happy with it and proud,” said Steven Berghuis, who scored his first international goal. “It's what you work hard for. I want to be important for Oranje. It's unbelievable it was [only] 1-0 after the first half.” Getty

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  March 30, 2021. Gibraltar 0 Netherlands 7 (Berghuis 41', L de Jong 55', Depay 61', 88', Wijnaldum 62', Malen 64', Van de Beek 85'): Mission achieved for manager Frank de Boer who had said before the game that he wanted to win by at least five goals, although it took more than 40 minutes for the floodgates to open. De Boer said: “The first 20 minutes were difficult. After that we started creating chances, but we couldn’t convert them and ... it started to get frustrating. But we knew that eventually things would fall into place.” Getty

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  September 1, 2021. Norway 1 (Haaland 20') Netherlands (Klaassen 37'): Davy Klaassen scored for the Dutch after Erling Haaland had put Norway into an early lead to earn a point for returning manager Louis van Gaal, who had replaced Frank de Boer who left the role after a disappointing Euro 2020. Van Gaal said: “I told the players that we had been careless. But that’s also because of the way Norway played. We can think that this Dutch national team is world-class, but it is not." AFP

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  September 4, 2021. Netherlands 4 (Depay pen 38', 62', Wijnaldum 70', Gakpo 76') Montenegro 0. Memphis Depay reached 30 goals for his country with a double as manager Louis van Gaal earned the first win of his third reign in charge. Van Gaal said: "We started very badly – in the first 15 minutes, we seemed to have stress. But after 15-to-20 minutes we picked ourselves up ... I think that is very good in itself." EPA

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  September 7, 2021. Netherlands 6 (Klaassen 1', Depay 16', 38' pen 54', Til 80', Malen 90') Turkey 1 (Under 90+2'): Sweet revenge for the Dutch after their defeat back in March. Memphis Depay grabbed a hat-trick to send Van Gaal's team top of the group. “I enjoy playing," Depay said. "I’m having a great time and I’m in great shape. I’m 27. I had a serious injury, which was now a while back, but I don’t forget it easily. I worked hard, but now I’m back." EPA

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  October 8, 2021. Latvia 0 Netherlands 1 (Klaassen 19'): Davy Klaassen grabbed the only goal of the game to make it three victories on the spin for manager Louis van Gaal with the Dutch sitting top of the group by two points. "We should have been better. But three points are very important for qualification,” captain Virgil van Dijk said. AP

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  October 11, 2021. Netherlands 6 (Van Dijk 9', Depay 21', pen 45+3'), Dumfries 48', Danjuma 75', Malen 86') Gibraltar 0: Memphis Depay was back in the goals with a double - while also missing a penalty - as the Dutch coasted to an easy victory to maintain their two-point lead at the top over Norway. Van Gaal said: "Aside from the six goals we created an incredible amount of chances and hardly gave any away. I complimented the team on the way they executed the plan, because it was nice to watch." AFP

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  November 13, 2021. Montenegro 2 (Vukotic 82', Vujnovic 86') Netherlands 2 (Depay pen 25', 54'): Louis van Gaal's side had looked set to secure progress to Qatar with a game to spare until two goals in the final 10 minutes earned Montenegro a point. Van Gaal said: “We have not performed well, at a stage when we have had it in our hands. I cannot explain it ... we were 2-0 up, and all we had to do was play the ball around. We lost the ball at times when we shouldn't have.” Reuters

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  November 16, 2021. Netherlands 2 (Bergwijn 84', Depay 90+1') Norway 0: Two late goals from Steven Bergwijn and Memphis Depay sealed the Dutch a place in Qatar after a drab game with neither team prepared to take too many attacking risks. "It's actually been a fantastic week because we got to know each other in lows, but also in highs," said Van Gaal. "I really think they executed the plan brilliantly today." EPA

POLAND

Manager Czeslaw Michniewicz left out Torino midfielder Karol Linetty from his squad, despite the 27-year-old midfielder earning 42 caps since making his debut in 2014.

Other experienced players missing include Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder, who is out with an injury, and defender Maciej Rybus, who was dropped after joining Russian club Spartak Moscow in June.

Goalkeepers:

Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus), Bartlomiej Dragowski (Spezia), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna)

Defenders:

Jan Bednarek (Aston Villa), Kamil Glik (Benevento), Robert Gumny (FC Augsburg), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Legia Warsaw), Jakub Kiwior (Spezia), Mateusz Wieteska (Clermont), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Matty Cash (Aston Villa), Nicola Zalewski (AS Roma)

Midfielders:

Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City), Przemyslaw Frankowski (Lens), Kamil Grosicki (Pogon Szczecin), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Al-Shabab), Jakub Kaminski (VfL Wolfsburg), Michal Skoras (Lech Poznan), Damian Szymanski (AEK Athens), Sebastian Szymanski (Feyenoord), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli), Szymon Zurkowski (Fiorentina)

Forwards:

Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona), Arkadiusz Milik (Juventus), Krzysztof Piatek (Salernitana), Karol Swiderski (Charlotte FC) (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk)

Poland's Karol Swiderski celebrates scoring with Kamil Glik and Robert Lewandowski. Reuters

PORTUGAL

Cristiano Ronaldo will head to his fifth World Cup and lead a squad which also includes Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix, with Diogo Jota missing out through injury.

Goalkeepers:

Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Rui Patricio (AS Roma)

Defenders:

Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Danilo Pereira (Paris St Germain), Pepe (FC Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Antonio Silva (SL Benfica), Nuno Mendes (Paris St Germain), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfielders:

Joao Palhinha (Fulham FC), Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Mario (SL Benfica), Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Vitinha (Paris St Germain), William Carvalho (Real Betis), Otavio (FC Porto)

Forwards:

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Goncalo Ramos (FC Benfica), Andre Silva (RB Leipzig)

Portugal's route to Qatar 2022

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  HOW PORTUGAL QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group A) March 24, 2021. Portugal 1 (Medvedev og 36') Azerbaijan 0. The then reigning European champions begun their World Cup qualifying campaign with a narrow win but it was a frustrating night for Portugal, who had 29 attempts on goal but needed an own goal to seal the points. Portugal manager Fernando Santos said: "We had some difficulties, some problems, it's undeniable. In the second half, the team lacked inspiration and fluidity." AFP

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  Match 27, 2021. Serbia 2 (Mitrovic 46', Kostic 60') Portugal 2 (Jota 11', 36'): Cristiano Ronaldo was denied an injury-time winner in Belgrade when his shot was ruled not to have crossed the line - and there was no goalline technology available for the match. Santos said: "The referee apologised to me straight after the game and we now have to move on. It was a clear goal but there is nothing we can do now. We controlled the first half but lost our focus in the second." EPA

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  March 30, 2021. Luxembourg 1 (Rodrigues 30') Portugal 3 (Jota 45+2', Ronaldo 51', Palinha 80'): A Gerson Rodrigues header put Luxembourg into a shock first-half lead but Portugal recovered to secure victory but failed to convince against a team that had won away to Republic of Ireland three days earlier. Santos said: "We started really slow. We spent 30 minutes playing like it was a friendly game, with no intensity. The technical quality is not enough, I told the players that." AFP

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  September 1, 2021. Portugal 2 (Ronaldo 89', 90'+6') Republic of Ireland 1 (Egan 45'): A last-gasp headed double from Cristiano Ronaldo rescued Portugal from a shock home defeat - and took the veteran striker past Ali Daei's record tally of 109 international goals. Ronaldo also missed a penalty in the first half. He said: "I'm so happy, not just because I beat the record, but for the special moment that we had. I have to appreciate what the team did, we believed until the end. I'm so glad." EPA

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  September 7, 2021. Azerbaijan 0 Portugal 3 (B Silva 26', A Silva 31', Jota 75'): Ronaldo was suspended for the comfertable win in Baku that took Portual top of of the group after Serbia drew with Ireland. Late in the game, fans invaded the pitch and took photos with Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Santos said: “We could have scored more goals, we created several chances. If we had been more efficient in front of the goal, the score would have been even better.” EPA

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  October 12, 2021. Portugal 5 (Ronaldo pen 8', pen 13', 87', Fernandes 17', Palhinha 69') Luxembourg 0: Ronaldo scored his 58th hat-trick for club and country, taking his international tally to 115 goals, to leave Portugal a point behind group leaders Serbia who had played a game more. Santos said: "We knew that Luxembourg, as time went by, would close themselves back and we had to start strong. That's what we did. I think we had a complete game overall and the most important thing was the result." AFP

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  November 11, 2021. Ireland 0 Portugal 0: A below-par performance from Portugal, who had Pepe sent off late on for two bookable offences, ahead of their crunch clash with Serbia. Portugal rested Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Diogo Jota in Dublin. Santos said: “Am I happy with the result? Naturally. In terms of our position, winning 5-0 or drawing here was the same thing. Of course I’d prefer to win 5-0, but it’s a positive result. Serbia has to play in our stadium to win. I’m convinced we’ll qualify.”

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  November 14, 2021. Portugal 1 (Sanches 2') Serbia 2 (Tadic 33', Mitrovic 90'). Needling only a draw to qualify, Portugal were condemded to the play-offs after Aleksandar Mitrovic's late winner. The result ended Portugal's unbroken winning run in home World Cup qualifiers which had stretched back to October 2013. Santos said: “We have to apologise. The Portuguese people are disappointed, but they are not more disappointed than us. But my team will be at the World Cup in Qatar, that is a guarantee." Reuters

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  (World Cup play-off semi-final) March 24, 2022. Portugal 3 (Otavio 15'), Jota 42', Nunes 90'+) Turkey 1 (Yilmaz 65'): Only North Macedonia stood between Portugal and the Qatar finals after Turkey were beaten in Porto. The visitors could have made life very nervy for Portugal, though, had Burak Yilmaz not missed a second-half penalty. Santos said: "These games are finals. Finals are always complicated. We won the first one and now we have to win the second. That's what we're going to focus on." Getty

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  (World Cup play-off final) March 29, 2022. Portugal 2 (Fernandes 32', 65') North Macedonia 0: A brace from Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes booked Portugal's spot in the finals against a team that had beaten European champions Italy in their previous match. Santos said: "It was a deserved and fair victory. We created opportunities to score and I don't remember any great goalscoring situations for them. We are in the World Cup with full merit."

QATAR

Qatar's all-time top scorer Almoez Ali and Akram Afif are set to lead the attack for the World Cup hosts.

Goalkeepers:

Saad Alsheeb (Al Sadd), Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Yousef Hassan (Al Gharafa)

Defenders:

Pedro Miguel (Al Sadd), Musaab Khidir (Al Sadd), Tarek Salman (Al Sadd), Bassam Al-Rawi (Al Duhail), Boualem Khoukhi (Al Sadd), Abdelkarim Hassan (Al Sadd), Homam Ahmed (Al Gharafa), Jassem Gaber (Al Arabi)

Midfielders:

Ali Asad (Al Sadd), Assim Modibo (Al Duhail), Mohammed Waad (Al Sadd), Salem Al-Hajri (Al Sadd), Moustafa Tarek (Al Sadd), Karim Boudiaf (Al Duhail), Abdelaziz Hatim (Al Rayyan), Ismail Mohamad (Al Duhail)

Forwards:

Naif Alhadhrami (Al Rayyan), Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al Gharafa), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al Sadd), Khalid Muneer (Al Wakrah), Akram Afif (Al Sadd), Almoez Ali (Al Duhail), Mohamed Muntari (Al Duhail)

Qatar will take on Ecuador in their first match as hosts of the 2022 World Cup. EPA

SAUDI ARABIA

Captain Salman Al-Faraj was named in the squad sustaining a shoulder injury in a friendly on Sunday.

Goalkeepers:

Mohamed Al-Owais (Al-Hilal), Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Al-Yami (Al-Ahly)

Defenders:

Yasser Al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal), Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Amri (Al-Nassr), Abdullah Madu (Al-Nassr), Hassan Tambakti (Al-Shabab), Sultan Al-Ghanam (Al-Nassr), Mohammed Al-Breik (Al-Hilal), Saud Abdulhamid (Al-Hilal)

Midfielders:

Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), Riyadh Sharahili (Abha), Ali Al-Hassan (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Malki (Al-Hilal), Sami Al-Najei (Al-Nassr), Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal), Nasser Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Abdulrahman Al-Aboud (Ittihad), Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab)

Forwards:

Fahad Al-Muwallad (Al-Shabab), Haitham Asiri (Al-Ahly), Saleh Al-Shehri (Al-Hilal) Firas Al-Buraikan (Al-Fateh)

Salman Al Faraj, front centre with the armband, is expected to be fit for Saudi Arabia's first World Cup game against Argentina. EPA

SENEGAL

Sadio Mane was named in Senegal's squad despite suffering an injury playing for Bayern Munich, with coach Aliou Cisse saying he was confident the striker could recover in time to play at the tournament.

Goalkeepers:

Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Stade Rennes), Eduoard Mendy (Chelsea)

Defenders:

Fode Ballo Toure (AC Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis)

Midfielders:

Pathe Ismael Ciss (Rayo Vallecano) Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamdou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos FC), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards:

Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Ilimane Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford)

Sadio Mane's fitness is a major focus for Senegal. Reuters

SOUTH KOREA

Son Heung-min was included in the squad despite suffering a fractured eye socket while playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Goalkeepers:

Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors)

Defenders:

Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors), Hong Chul (Daegu FC), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors), Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul), Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Cho Yu-min (Daejon Citizen)

Midfielders:

Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan), Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors), Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg), Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca)

Forwards:

Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos), Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors)

Son Heung-min is in a race against time to be fit for the start of the World Cup. AFP

SPAIN

Barcelona's Ansu Fati was included but coach Luis Enrique but left out Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.

Goalkeepers:

Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), Robert Sanchez (Brighton & Hove Albion), David Raya (Brentford)

Defenders:

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Hugo Guillamon (Valencia), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Jose Gaya (Valencia)

Midfielders:

Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri Hernandez (Manchester City), Gavi (Barcelona), Carlos Soler (Paris St Germain), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona), Koke Resurreccion (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards:

Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Yeremi Pino (Villarreal), Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Pablo Sarabia (Paris St Germain), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Ansu Fati (Barcelona)

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  HOW SPAIN QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group B) March 25, 2021. Spain 1 (Morata 33') Greece 1 (Baksetas pen 57'): A frustrating start to the campaign for Luis Enrique's side with Greece scoring from their only attempt on goal after substitute Inigo Martinez conceded a penalty for a rash tackle. Luis Enrique said: "I don't like the result and we weren't inspired either. But I did like our attitude and the tempo of play that the team tried to produce. Whenever we got near the Greek penalty area, however, we lacked sharpness and efficacy." AFP

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  March 28, 2021. Georgia 1 (Kvaratskhelia 44') Spain 2 (Torres 56', Olmo 90'+2'): An injury-time goal from striker Dani Olmo secured an unconvincing victory for Spain, who recovered after falling behind just before half-time. Luis Enrique said: "Georgia surprised me because of how well they did. But I think we deserved the win and even if we didn't deserve it, I really couldn't care right now." AFP

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  March 31, 2021. Spain 3 (Olmo 34', Torres 36', Moreno 75') Kosovo 1 (Halimi 70'): Two wins on the spin for a dominant Spain with Dani Olmo back among the goals and Manchester City's Ferran Torres also on target. Spain midfielder Koke said: "We produced a great game. We were decisive in finding the key goals today. We have to keep working, because there is a lot of room for improvement." AFP

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  September 2, 2021. Sweden 2 (Isak 5', Claesson 57') Spain 1 (Soler 4'): A remarkable 66-game run was over as Spain fell to their first World Cup qualifying defeat since losing to Denmark in 1993. Spain had won 52 World Cup qualifiers and drawn the other 14 since that loss. Spain defender Jordi Alba said: "We have no margin for error now. We need to improve things. There's still a lot to play for, difficult matches - and we need to win them.” AFP

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  September 5, 2021. Spain 4 (Gaya 14', Soler 25', Torres 41', Sarabia 63') Georgia 0: A return to winning ways for Spain who produced an entertaining performance in Badajoz. Torres, who impressied again in a central attacking role, said: "We came into this game following a defeat that hurt us a lot and we managed to bounce back. A result like this spurs us on and it was important to keep a clean sheet because goal difference could be key at the business end."

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  September 8, 2021. Kosovo 0 Spain 2 (Fornals 32', Torres 88'): Spain opened up a four-point lead at the top, having played two more than second-placed Sweden, with Torres back among the goals and West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals scoring on his full debut. Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon said: "It was the most difficult match in the group. It is a team with a lot of personality that has deserved better luck in this qualifying phase." EPA

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  November 11, 2021. Greece 0 Spain 1 (Sarabia pen 26'): A scoreline that flattered the home side in Athens as Pablo Sarabia's first-half penalty sealed a win that left Spain needing a point from their final group game against Sweden to qualify. Luis Enrique said: "We are playing against a good side [in Sweden] that, in theory, is going to attack us more. We will not aim to draw, but to win. As we do always." AFP

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  November 14, 2021. Spain 1 (Morata 86') Sweden 0: Alvaro Morata's late goal secured Spain's spot in the Qatar finals and condemned Sweden to what would be a doomed bid to qualify via the play-offs. The Spaniards maintained their run of reaching every World Cup since 1974. Luis Enrique said: "I’ve felt much more pressure in this last few games than in the Euros or Nations League. It’s taken a 100 kilo rucksack off my back." Reuters

SERBIA

All-time top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is nursing an ankle injury, headlines the squad and will be expected to lead the line in Qatar along witand Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Goalkeepers:

Marko Dmitrovic, Predrag Rajkovic, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

Defenders:

Stefan Mitrovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Milos Veljkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Strahinja Erakovic, Srdjan Babic

Midfielders:

Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Marko Grujic, Filip Kostic, Uros Racic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Ivan Ilic, Andrija Zivkovic, Darko Lazovic

Forwards:

Dusan Tadic (captain), Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Filip Duricic, Luka Jovic, Nemanja Radonjic

All-time top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic will lead the line for Serbia at the 2022 World Cup. AP

SWITZERLAND

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka will lead Switzerland in his third World Cup, while Xherdan Shaqiri will head to his fourth at the age of 31.

Goalkeepers:

Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jonas Omlin (Montpellier), Philipp Kohn (Salzburg)

Defenders:

Manuel Akanji (Manchester City), Eray Comert (Valencia), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Fabian Schar (Newcastle United), Silvan Widmer (Mainz), Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino), Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz)

Midfielders:

Michel Aebischer (Bologna), Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire), Renato Steffen (Lugano), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Denis Zakaria (Chelsea, on loan from Juventus), Fabian Frei (Basel), Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest), Noah Okafor (Salzburg), Fabian Rieder (Young Boys), Ardon Jashari (Lucerne)

Forwards:

Breel Embolo Monaco), Ruben Vargas (Augsburg), Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt), Haris Seferovic (Galatasaray, on loan from Benfica), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys)

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  HOW SWITZERLAND QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group C): March 25, 2021. Bulgaria 1 (Despodov 46') Switzerland 3 (Embolo 7', Seferovic 10', Zuber 13'): Three goals in the first 13 minutes sealed the Swiss win with Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic and Steven Zuber scoring in quick succession. Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic said: “It was a tremendous start from us. Scoring three goals so early was fantastic. We could relax a bit.” EPA

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  March 28, 2021. Switzerland 1 (Shaqiri 2') Lithuania 0: An early goal from then Liverpool player Xherdan Shaqiri was enough to make it two wins from two matches for the Swiss. “If you don’t make the most of your chances you could end up in trouble.," said Petkovic. "I was pleased with our energy but we had enough opportunities to win by a bigger margin.” Getty

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  September 5, 2021. Switzerland 0 Italy 0: A good point in the end for the Swiss as Jorginho missed a second-half penalty for the Euro 2020 winners who had now gone 36 games unbeaten. "We played as a real team tonight and with great solidity against a strong opponent," said Murat Yakin, who had replaced Petkovic as Swiss manager. "Every player pushed himself beyond his limits." AP

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  September 8, 2021. Northern Ireland 0 Switzerland 0: Haris Seferovic saw a weak first-half penalty saved for the visitors in Belfast as Switzerland had to settle for a second goalless draw in successive games. They were now second in the table, six points behind leaders Italy but with two games in hand. AP

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  October 9, 2021. Switzerland 2 (Zuber 45+3' Fassnacht 90+1') Northern Ireland 0: Two injury-time goals at the end of each half earned Switzerland a vital three points against opponents who were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Switzerland attacker Xherdan Shaqiri said: "We knew it was going to be a tough game because Northern Ireland are defensively a good team. After the red card the game opened up and it was more simple for us to play and create chances." PA

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  October 12, 2021. Lithuania 0 Switzerland 4 (Embolo 31', 45', Steffen 42', Gavranovic 90+4'): A first-half double from Breel Embolo put Switzerland on the way to a comfortable victory in Vilnius that left them level on points at the top of table with Italy after playing six games each. Reuters

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  November 12, 2021. Italy 1 (Di Lorenzo 36') Switzerland 1 (Widmer 11'): A Silvan Widmer piledriver put the visitors in front before Giovanni Di Lorenzo headed home. Jorginho blazed a last-minute penalty over the bar for Italy - his second miss from the spot in a row against the Swiss. "I think we were better in the first half, while Italy were better in the second, so the result is fair," said Shaqiri. EPA

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  November 15, 2021. Switzerland 4 (Okafor 48', Vargas 57', Itten 72', Freuler 90+1') Bulgaria 0: An unforgettable night for the Swiss after they trounce Bulgaria and Italy can only draw at Northern Ireland, meaning automatic qualification for Murat Yakin's side. "After we went 1-0 up, it was like an assembly line. And now we're celebrating," said goalscorer Noah Okafor. "I'm incredibly proud of everyone here.” AP

TUNISIA

Tunisia dropped French-based winger Saif-Eddine Khaoui but coach Jalel Kadri made no other major changes.

Goalkeepers:

Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir), Mouez Hassen (Club Africain), Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile Sahel)

Defenders:

Ali Abdi (Caen), Dylan Bronn (Salernitana), Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern), Nader Ghandri (Club Africain), Bilel Ifa (Kuwait SC), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly), Yassine Meriah (Esperance), Montassar Talbi (Lorient)

Midfielders:

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Ghaylane Chaalali (both Esperance), Aissa Laidouni (Ferencvaros), Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City), Ferjani Sassi (Al Duhail), Elyas Skhiri (FC Cologne)

Forwards:

Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby), Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek), Issam Jebali (Odense), Wahbi Khazri (Montpellier), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Kuwait SC), Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi), Naim Sliti (Al Ittifaq)

Tunisia face Denmark in their opening World Cup match. Getty

UNITED STATES

Christian Pulisic headlines squad, while goalkeeper Zack Steffen misses out.

Goalkeepers:

Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Matt Turner (Arsenal)

Defenders:

Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Sergiño Dest (AC Milan), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Tim Ream (Fulham), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

Midfielders:

Brenden Aaronson (Leeds), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), Tyler Adams (Leeds), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC)

Forwards:

Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Lille), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)

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  Christian Pulisic celebrates after scoring during the United States' 5-1 win over Panama in the World Cup qualifier at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on March 27, 2022. AFP

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  United States players celebrate after the match that all but confirmed their place in the finals in Qatar. AFP

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  USA's Jesus Ferreira goes for the spectacular against Panama. AFP

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  Christian Pulisic scores from the spot for the United States. AFP

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  USA's Christian Pulisic celebrates with teammates after scoring. AFP

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  Paul Arriola heads home the United States' second goal.

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  Walker Zimmerman celebrates after after teammate Paul Arriola's goal for the US.

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  USA's Gio Reyna shoots for goal. AFP

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  Referee shows Christian Pulisic a yellow card. AFP

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  United States' Christian Pulisic celebrates his third goal. AP

URUGUAY

Ronald Araujo, Edinson Cavani called up despite recent injury scares.

Goalkeepers:

Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Sergio Rochet (Nacional), Sebastian Sosa (Independiente)

Defenders:

Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Sporting CP), Diego Godin (Velez Sarsfield), Martin Caceres (LA Galaxy), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Jose Luis Rodriguez (Nacional), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Matias Vina (Roma)

Midfielders:

Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray), Manuel Ugarte (Sporting CP), Matias Vecino (Lazio), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Nicolas De La Cruz (River Plate)

Forwards:

Agustin Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense), Facundo Torres (Orlando City), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Maxi Gomez (Trabzonspor), Luis Suarez (Nacional), Edinson Cavani (Valencia), Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez will lead Uruguay's attack at the World Cup. AFP

WALES

Veterans Gareth Bale and Joe Allen called up despite fitness concerns.

Goalkeepers:

Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Sheffield United)

Defenders:

Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Mephan (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (Wimbledon), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Connor Roberts (Burnley)

Midfielders:

Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Matthew Smith (Milton Keynes Dons), Dylan Levitt (Dundee United), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Jonny Williams (Swindon Town), Aaron Ramsey (Nice), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City)

Forwards:

Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff City), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds United)

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  HOW WALES QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group E): 24 March 2021. Belgium 3 (De Bruyne 22', T. Hazard 28', Lukaku pen 73') Wales 1 (Wilson 11'): The toughest start possible for Wales, who took a shock early lead through Harry Wilson before succumbing to the world's top-ranked team. "We knew coming into it they're number one in the world for a reason," said caretaker manager Robert Page. "If you give quality teams like this half a chance, inevitably the ball ends up in the back of the net." EPA

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  March 30, 2021. Wales 1 (James 82') Czech Republic 0: A late Daniel James header earned Wales a vital win in a match that saw each team reduced to 10 men after Patrik Schick and Connor Roberts were sent off. "We're disappointed with aspects of our performance, but it's a win," said Page. "What we've done in recent times is found a way to win." AFP

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  September 5, 2021. Belarus 2 (V. Lisakovich pen 29', Sedko 31') Wales 3 (Bale pen 6', pen 69', 90+3'): A Gareth Bale hat-trick, with the winner coming deep into injury time, earned Wales three points after going in at half time 2-1 down. "A few years ago we might not have won that game," said Page. "But now we’ve got a team who will fight and can find ways to win." Reuters

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  September 8, 2021. Wales 0 Estonia 0: Wales's qualification hopes took a severe blow when they were held to a frustrating goalless draw against a team who had lost all three of their previous qualifiers and conceded 15 goals along the way. "It feels like a defeat playing against a team bottom of the table," said Page. "We've got to build on it, be more clinical and get a different result." Reuters

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  October 8, 2021. Czech Republic 2 (Pesek 38', Ward og 49') Wales 2 (Ramsey 36', James 69'): An exciting game in Prague ended all square, a result that ensured Wales remained third in Group E, trailing the Czech Republic on goal difference, albeit with a game in hand. "I thought the lads were outstanding, we've created enough to win four games of football," said Page. "To take the game to them in the manner we did, they deserve full credit." PA

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  October 11, 2021. Estonia 0 Wales 1 (Moore 12'): Kieffer Moore's close range finish early in the game earned the Welsh an unconvincing win in a match where the home side could count themselves unfortunate not to have grabbed at least a point. "We knew we weren't going to dominate and we knew it was going to be an ugly game," said Page. "In the second half, we had to dig a trench and defend resolutely." AFP

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  November 13, 2021. Wales 5 (Ramsey 3', pen 50', N. Williams 20', B.Davies 77', C.Roberts 89') Belarus 1 (Kontsevoy 87'): Wales marked Bale's 100th cap with a thumping victory over Belarus to move up to second place in the group. "I'm really pleased with the performance," said Page. "When we had opportunities we were clinical, to a man I thought they were all magnificent." AFP

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  November 16, 2021 Wales 1 (Moore 32') Belgium 1 (De Bruyne 12'): Bale was unavailable for the draw that secured them a home play-off semi-final match. Kevin de Bruyne's stylish finish put Belgium ahead, only for Kieffer Moore to level. "I thought some of our play was outstanding at times and we thoroughly deserved the point," said Page. "When this place is rocking with the fans behind us, we don't fear anybody." EPA

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  (Play-off semi-final) Wales 2 (Bale 25', 51') Austria 1 (Sabitzer 65'): A brilliant Bale double took Wales a step closer to their first World Cup since 1958 and set-up a play-off final against Ukraine. “I don’t think it’s sunk in properly yet. What a game, what a night, what an occasion, said Page. “The star man turns up – I have just said to him that’s the best free-kick I have ever seen in my life." Reuters

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  (Play-off final) June 5, 2022. Wales 1 (Bale 34') Ukraine 0: It was that man once again as Wales' captain and talisman Bale scored the winning goal to break Ukraine hearts at a delirious Cardiff City Stadium. "It's the greatest result in history for Welsh football," Bale said. "It means everything. It's what dreams are made of. I'm speechless because I'm so happy." Reuters