Portugal has avoided all major footballing nations thanks to the seeding system and, barring major upsets, should qualify comfortably for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Instead, the main excitement is likely to be the scramble among the middle-ranking teams to finish second in their groups and qualify for the play-offs. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, the current European champions, must face Serbia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan in Group A. Games will take place between next March and October, playing a total of eight games during this period.