It may seem odd to be on the eve of starting World Cup Qualification games when we still have to play Euro 2020 this summer, but that is how the calendar has worked out this season. UEFA’s qualification campaign gets underway with a triple-header of games across the next couple of weeks, starting with matches on both Wednesday and Thursday nights this week.
Across 10 matchdays between March 2021 and November 2021, the 55 teams in the ten groups will battle it out for a shot at just 13 qualification spots in the World Cup Finals in Qatar in 2022. Over that time, there are going to be a number of big games that will decide the fate of a number of teams. Some of whom will make it to the finals, others that will surprisingly miss out.
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Let us now explain how teams from UEFA’s qualification section will attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup Finals in Qatar.
UEFA World Cup Qualifying
UEFA’s 13 qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup Finals will be decided by a 10 matchday qualifying campaign between March and November 2021.
The ten teams that win each of the ten groups in qualifying will take the first ten places.
The ten group runners up, plus the two highest ranked teams from the Nations League that have not qualified for the finals, will then form a three-path playoffs. Path A, B and C each of which offers a path into the finals.
The 12 teams will be drawn into one of the three paths, competing in a one-legged semifinal and then a final to follow. The three winners of each of the Paths will then be the final three teams to qualify from Europe. The playoffs will take place in March 2022.
Group Draw
- Group A – Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
- Group B – Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo
- Group C – Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania
- Group D – France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan
- Group E – Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia
- Group F – Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova
- Group G – Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia, Gibraltar
- Group H – Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta
- Group I – England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra, San Marino
- Group J – Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein
Fixtures for Matchday 1
The first matchday will take place on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th March this week
and the fixtures to be played are listed below.
Wednesday 24th March
- Estonia v Czech Republic (5pm)
- Turkey v Netherlands (5pm)
- Belgium v Wales
- Cyprus v Slovakia
- Finland v Bosnia Herzegovina
- France v Ukraine
- Gibraltar v Norway
- Latvia v Montenegro
- Malta v Russia
- Portugal v Azerbaijan
- Serbia v Republic of Ireland
- Slovenia v Croatia
Thursday 25th March
- Bulgaria v Switzerland (5pm)
- Israel v Denmark (5pm)
- Andorra v Albania
- England v San Marino
- Germany v Iceland
- Hungary v Poland
- Italy v Northern Ireland
- Liechtenstein v Armenia
- Moldova v Faroe Islands
- Romania v North Macedonia
- Scotland v Austria
- Spain v Greece
- Sweden v Georgia
Our Top Tips For Matchday 1
- Turkey v Netherlands – Draw – 14/5
One of the first games to kick off in the World Cup Qualifiers is one that is well worth a closer look. Turkey have proven to be a decent side in recent times and have only been beaten by Hungary (twice) in 2020. In that period they have drawn away in Germany as well as Russia and Serbia and have beaten Russia at home.
The Dutch are missing their skipper Virgil van Dijk through injury but their talented squad does include Gini Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay and uncapped Ajax youngster Ryan Gravenberch. After two good wins last November over Bosnia-Herzegovina and away in Poland, the Dutch should be confident here.
However, both teams have had a lot of draws in recent times and I think both will feel that a point from this game is one earned, rather than two dropped and hence I am backing the draw here.
- Belgium v Wales – Romelu Lukaku to score 1st and Belgium to win – 7/2
Wales have an unenviable task facing Belgium away from home in their opening game and
while Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey should be fit for the Welsh here, this looks like being a very tough task against one of the most talented teams in world football at the present moment in time.
Belgium will be without Eden Hazard, who remains injured, but they have so much quality throughout the squad that replacing him with a quality replacement won’t be an issue. They also have the in form Romelu Lukaku who has been scoring plenty of goals both domestically and internationally of late.
I think Lukaku will be the key here to a solid Belgium win and I am backing him to get the opening goal of the game to put Belgium on the way to a solid victory.
- Scotland v Austria – Draw and both teams to score – 15/4
Having been draw in a group with Denmark and Austria, Scotland will be hoping they can push on towards the top two positions in the group. However to do that, they need to pick up positive results against both Austria and Denmark at home and that means a big performance is necessary here.
Austria have looked dangerous in recent games and have only lost one of their last eight games (winning six in that period too). Scotland are going to have to play very well in order to get something against this well-organised team.
That said, Austria do give you chances and if Scotland’s strikers, who have been a bit goal-shy in recent times, can find their shooting boots, then I think the Scots could get off to a decent start here, but I don’t think that means they will win. Instead I think a 1-1 draw is the most likely outcome.
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