Ireland will enter the 2022 World Cup qualifying draw as third seeds.
The draw for the European section of qualifiers takes place next month and Ireland will be in Pot 3 alongside the likes of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The qualifiers kick-off next March and Stephen Kenny will be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes after Covid chaos for Ireland and a barren run in front of goal.
When and where is the 2022 World Cup draw?
The draw for the European section of 2022 World Cup qualifying takes place on Monday, December 7. It will get under way at 5pm in Zurich, Switzerland.
How will qualifying work?
The 55 participating teams will be allocated to six pots – five containing 10 teams and one containing five teams – based on the FIFA world rankings as of November 26, 2020.
Ireland are set to be in pot 3, meaning they will be paired with two sides above them in the rankings.
European qualifying will comprise five groups of six teams and five groups of five teams. All teams within a group will play each other twice in a home and away format between March and November 2021.
Which teams are seeded in which pots?
Pot 1: Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands
Pot 2: Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania
Pot 3: Russia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland
Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg
Pot 5: Armenia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra
Pot 6: Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino
