Can you imagine a FIFA World Cup in Qatar without Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo or Egypt's Mohamed Salah? Or a tournament in which European champions Italy or African champions Senegal fail to qualify? Well the bad news for those mentioned, and fans across the globe, is that some of the game's headline acts will see their Qatar 2022 dreams extinguished in the coming days during the World Cup playoffs.
By the end of this international break, seven nations will have booked their place in this year's World Cup through the playoffs.