World Cup draw LIVE: England face USA, Iran and possibly Wales or Scotland at Qatar 2022

Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad will be hoping to make it back-to-back finals in major international competitions later this year - and this time go one step better and lift the trophy.

Four years ago England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup as the upturn in international fortunes began under Southgate, before they went the distance to the final at Euro 2020. Now in Qatar the objective will remain the same, to end the long wait since 1966 for success on the biggest stage.

Three matches in the group phase and then three further knock-out fixtures must be navigated at the finals before the trophy is up for grabs on 18 December at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium.

I was pretty sceptical of Jermaine Jenas conducting the draw but he’s done a good job for England there. Carli Lloyd will be pleased with the placing for the USA as well.

England have never faced Scotland, Wales or Ukraine at the World Cup but they’ll definitely play one of them this time around.

Scotland and Wales might not yet know which of them will be playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup this winter, but they do know who they will be playing in the group stage of the tournament if they qualify, after the draw was conducted in the Qatari capital Doha on Friday.

The winners of the eventual play-off final will be in Group B alongside fellow European nation and rivals England, as well as USA and Iran.

Wales have only ever reached the World Cup finals once, way back in 1958, when they progressed through a group phase to reach the quarter-finals, losing to eventual winners Brazil in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Scotland and Wales might not yet know which of them will be playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup this winter, but they do know who they will be playing in the group stage of the tournament if they qualify, after the draw was conducted in the Qatari capital Doha on Friday.

The winners of the eventual play-off final will be in Group B alongside fellow European nation and rivals England, as well as USA and Iran.

Steve Clarke’s Scots are due to face Ukraine in a delayed play-off semi-final at Hampden Park in June, with Wales then facing the winners in a one-off fixture which will decide who makes it to the World Cup.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins on 21 November as 32 teams aim to reach the final and become world champions on 18 December.

The tournament will be the first to be held in the Arab world and only the second to take place in Asia, after Japan and South Korea joint-hosted the event in 2002. This edition will be the last to feature just 32 teams, with the tournament being expanded from 2026 inwards in order to feature 48 nations.

Reigning champions France will be among the favourites, though no team has successfully defended the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, alongside fellow European sides England, Spain, and Belgium. Brazil and Argentina will also likely feature in the knockout stages, while Senegal could represent Africa’s biggest hopes of winning for the first time.

Because of excessive summer temperatures in the Gulf state, the Qatar World Cup will be the first to be staged in winter rather than summer.

England’s schedule sees them play Iran in the opener on Monday 21st November, the USA on Friday 25th November and Wales, Scotland or Ukraine on Tuesday 29th November.

Here’s the draw in full:

Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Netherlands, Senegal

Group B: England, Iran, USA, Scotland/Wales/Ukraine

Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

Group D: France, UAE/Australia/Peru, Denmark, Tunisia

Group E: Spain, Costa Rica/New Zealand, Germany, Japan

Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Finally, Canada are the last team out of the pot. They complete Group F alongside Belgium, Morocco and Croatia.

Cameroon are drawn into Group G with Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland.

Ghana have to be put in Group H with Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.