When Will Mexico Face New Zealand in Playoffs to Get to Brazil 2014 World Cup?

There are 22 nations left in the running for the last 11 qualifying slots for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, including Mexico, according to FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association that oversees the quadrennial tournament.

The playoffs schedule was finalized Monday Oct. 21 at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Mexico will host New Zealand on Nov. 13 and travel to the Pacific island nation for the second leg on Nov. 20, according to FIFA's updated schedule.

El Tri only made the playoffs because the United States scored two late goals to defeat Panama on Oct. 15. The next day newspaper headlines in Mexico screamed "Thank You, USA!" and "We Love You! AMIGOUS."

Also facing two-leg playoffs for a chance to qualify for Brazil 2014 are:

Uruguay v Jordan

Portugal v Sweden

Ukraine v France

Greece v Romania

Iceland v Croatia

In Africa, 10 nations are still alive. Each has played the first playoff leg and has one match remaining:

Nigeria v Ethiopia

Senegal v Ivory Coast

Cameroon v Tunisia

Egypt v Ghana

Algeria v Burkina Faso

In two-leg international qualifying playoffs, the following rules determine the winner, according to FIFA:

The team which scores the greater number of goals in the two matches qualifies. In the event of a tie, the team that scores the greater number of away goals will qualify. If the winner is still not decided, the second-leg match will go to extra time with two periods of 15 minutes each, with the away goals rule still applied. If no goals are scored in extra time, then the penalty kick procedures will apply, as described in the Laws of the Game.

All playoff qualifiers will be completed by Nov. 20. The final draw to determine groups and match-ups for the 32 nations set to be at the 2014 World Cup will be staged by FIFA on Dec. 6 in Brazil.
As of Oct. 21, qualified nations for Brazil 2014 are the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras,  Australia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Spain, Russia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and hosts Brazil.
Brazil 2014, scheduled June 12 to July 13, will be the 20th World Cup staged since the inaugural tournament, Uruguay 1930. Brazil is the only nation to appear at every World Cup, and they have won it five times.

Winners and hosts:

1930 - Uruguay (host)

1934 - Italy (host)

1938 - Italy (France)

1950 - Uruguay (Brazil)

1954 - West Germany (Switzerland)

1958 - Brazil (Sweden)

1962 - Brazil (Chile)

1966 - England (host)

1970 - Brazil (Mexico)

1974 - West Germany (host)

1978 - Argentina (host)

1982 - Italy (Spain)

1986 - Argentina (Mexico)

1990 - West Germany (Italy)

1994 - Brazil (US)

1998 - France (host)

2002 - Brazil (South Korea-Japan)

2006 - Italy (Germany)

2010 - Spain (South Africa)

South American nations, in spite of far fewer qualifying spots over the decades, have won nine of the 19 tournaments so far. European nations, led by four-time winners Italy, have won the World Cup 10 times.