Having won the bid in 2010 and with hosts rewarded with automatic qualification, Qatar has had a decade to prepare for its World Cup debut. In the AFC -- the Asian Football Confederation -- section of qualifying, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan went through to ensure back-to-back World Cup appearances. On Wednesday, the United States ended an eight-year World Cup hiatus, qualifying despite losing 2-0 to Costa Rica in San Jose. The knockout stages begin the following day, running until December 18 when the Lusail Stadium will play host to the World Cup final. This story was first published on CNN.com, "World Cup 2022 draw: Everything you need to know"

Source: CNN April 01, 2022 14:40 UTC