What are the options for the barrage for the 2022 World Cup? Czechs could play a group with Poland and Sweden

On Monday, FIFA and UEFA came forward with a decision to ban all Russian clubs from international competitions. The same fate has also befallen the Russian national football team.This exclusion indirectly affects the Czech national football team, which is due to play a barrage to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.

Czech Republic against Sweden and Poland against Russia were the semi-final matches. The winners would face each other in the final and the more successful would advance to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, plans may change after the Russians are eliminated.

There are several options for how the barrage would change for these teams. FIFA will need to act quickly to inform the teams how things will now proceed.

The most realistic options seem to be that Poland will go straight to the final of the barrage without a fight. The Czechs and Swedes will face each other, with the winner then taking on Poland. However, it could happen that another national team would complete the barrage spider, which would face Poland in the semi-finals.

Another possible option could be that the three national teams play each other. These would be matches where the national teams would gain points in the table. It would not be a tournament bracket.

With the last option, it would then have to be decided whether to play double matches, so that each team would play its opponent twice. One match would be played at home and the other away. However, this would be very time consuming. So each team would only play two matches. The winner of this group would eventually head to Qatar.

The Czechs have to fight to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, whatever solution FIFA comes up with. Meanwhile, the Sweden vs. Czech Republic match is scheduled for March 24 in Stockholm.

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