Qualification is over, and now the real fun begins for Canada's men's national team.
After a historic campaign that saw the Canadians top the final group, fans and players alike can now start to imagine the many possible scenarios facing the side ahead of the World Cup draw on Friday. With 32 teams headed to Qatar, there is a huge number of different combinations that could face John Herdman's squad in the group stage.
The draw is not completely random, though — there are strict guidelines governing which teams can be matched up.
Here's everything you need to know about Friday's World Cup draw, from Canada's perspective.
Format for the World Cup draw
The format for the World Cup will see Qatar and seven seeded teams take their place in eight groups. The remaining teams will then be drawn into the groups.
The top two in each group qualifies for the knockout stages, at which point the tournament becomes a straight-up single elimination bracket from 16 in the second round, to eight in the quarter-finals, then finally four semi-finalists and of course, two teams to decide who lifts the trophy.
Who are the seeded teams in the World Cup draw?
With Qatar being the host nation, they are automatically guaranteed a seeded place and will go into Group A in Friday's draw. The remaining seeded teams are Brazil, Belgium, France, England, Spain, Portugal and Argentina.
How do the pots work in the World Cup draw?
To ensure as much balance as possible among the eight groups, the 32 qualified teams are separated into Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4, respectively, based on FIFA rankings as of March 31. As noted above, host Qatar is considered a seeded team and is placed in Pot 1.
The eight groups will draw one team from each pot, although no group can have more than one team from the same confederation, nor can a group have more than two teams from Europe. With two intercontinental qualifiers and one European berth still to be decided, placeholders will be drawn in their stead.
Which teams are in each pot in the World Cup draw?
Pot 1
- Qatar
- Brazil
- Belgium
- France
- Argentina
- England
- Spain
- Portugal
Pot 2
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Germany
- Uruguay
- Switzerland
- USA
- Croatia
Pot 3
- Senegal
- Iran
- Japan
- Morocco
- Serbia
- Poland
- Korean Republic
- Tunisia
Pot 4
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Ecuador
- Saudi Arabia
- Ghana
- UEFA Path A winner
- CONMEBOL / AFC winner
- CONCACAF / Oceania winner
Which teams can Canada draw in the World Cup group stage??
Canada's ranking sees the team placed into Pot 4, putting the North Americans alongside the likes of Cameroon, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and the three placeholders (two intercontinental, one European).
As a CONCACAF nation, the Canadians cannot be drawn into a group with either the USA or Mexico (who are both in Pot 2). Aside from that, Canada's group will be comprised of one team from each of Pots 1, 2 and 3.