THE countdown to the 2022 World Cup is on.
It may feel like a long time until the finals in around two years time, but qualifying is already underway in South America – and now it’s time for European nations to discover their fate.
England are in Pot 1 while Wales are in Pot 2, with Pot 3 containing Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
When is World Cup qualifying draw?
A total of thirteen nations from Europe will make it through to the finals in Qatar once qualifying is complete.
55 teams will go into the hat for the qualifying draw and be sorted into ten groups.
- The draw will be held in Zurich on Monday, December 7.
- It will begin at 5pm GMT.
- The 55 teams will be split in six different Pots, with ten in Pots 1-5 and five in Pot 6.
- The teams will be drawn into ten groups: five groups of five teams (Groups A–E) and five groups of six teams (Groups F–J)
- England are in Pot 1, while Wales are in Pot 2 after their excellent performance in the Nations League.
Qatar is set to host the tournament for the very first timeCredit: AFP
Which TV channel and live stream can I watch it on?
As yet, TV coverage is still to be confirmed in the UK.
But you can watch the draw for FREE on Uefa’s official website.
South American nations have already begun their qualifying campaignCredit: Reuters
The governing body will be providing a streaming link which allow you to watch on your mobile, tablet or PC.
And here on SunSport we’ll be running a dedicated LIVE BLOG from Switzerland so you don’t miss a thing.
Confirmed 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
England will be hoping to go one better than they did in 2018, where they crashed out in the semi-finalsCredit: EPA
World Cup key dates
Qualifying dates
- Matchday 1 – 24-25 March 2021
- Matchday 2 – 27-28 March 2021
- Matchday 3 – 30-31 March 2021
- Matchday 4 – 1-2 September 2021
- Matchday 5 – 4-5 September 2021
- Matchday 6 – 7-8 September 2021
- Matchday 7 – 8-9 October 2021
- Matchday 8 – 11-12 October 2021
- Matchday 9 – 11-13 November 2021
- Matchday 10 – 14-16 November 2021
Play-off dates
- Play-off semi finals – 24-25 March 2022
- Play-off finals – 28-29 March 2022
Tournament dates
- 21 November to December 18, 2022
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
