Once and for all: Fifa confirm Cup playoffs

Fifa have confirmed major changes to the format of the World Cup intercontinental playoffs.

As first revealed by the Herald in a world exclusive, the two playoffs will take place over a single leg at a neutral venue.

That move is a profound shift with tradition. The intercontinental contests have always previously been decided on a home and away basis, back to 1985 when Australia took on Scotland in Glasgow and Melbourne in the first crossconfederation World Cup qualifying tie of the modern era.

Fifa said the games will take place on June 13 and 14, which promises to be a gripping 48 hours that will decide the last two nations to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The intercontinental playoffs were originally scheduled for March but moved to June due to disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on the scheduling of World Cup qualifiers globally.

The radical switch could have significant implications for New Zealand Football and the All Whites.

The All Whites have qualified for the last three intercontinental playoffs, facing Bahrain in 2009, Mexico in 2013 and Peru in 2017.

They will be favoured to reach that stage again, as Oceania’s topranked nation, with the Oceania qualifying tournament to be held in Qatar next March.

There will be pros and cons for the All Whites with the new format, should they progress.

New Zealand would be the underdogs regardless of who they face — either an Asian, North-Central American or South American side — but the reduction of the tie to a single game may reduce the perceived advantage of their higher-ranked opponent. The All Whites will also avoid the daunting prospect of an away match in hostile territory.

But given what is at stake, the matches will be extremely tight and the New Zealand team will be much less battle-hardened than their opponents, who will have come through elongated qualifying series.

The change is also unfortunate for New Zealand football fans, as the intercontinental home legs have become quadrennial highlights of the football calendar since 2009, generating huge anticipation and sellout crowds in Wellington.

Those games were massive money spinners for NZF, via ticket sales and millions generated from the sale of overseas television rights.

The draw to decide the confederation match-ups will take place on November 27 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Aside from the Oceania winner, the fifth-placed South American and Asian nations and the fourth-ranked Concacaf side will be in the draw.