FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers: Watch England, Germany and France matches live in India

The FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers kickstart this week as club football gives way to international fixtures.

Already delayed due to COVID-19, the qualifying matches will be played from March 2021 to March 2022 to determine the 13 teams from Europe who will travel for the main event in Qatar in May next year.

With the deferred UEFA Euro 2020 tournament starting from June 2021, three matchdays will be held back-to-back over the week starting Wednesday (March 24). The FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying schedule will resume again in September after the regular club season and Euros get over.

How do the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers work?

The FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers will be played in two stages. The group stage will see the 55 European teams divided in 10 groups of five or six teams each. Belgium, France, Italy, Spain – the four teams who reached the 2021 UEFA Nations League finals – are in the smaller five-team groups

The draws were done in Zurich in December 2020. Here are the groups:

Group A: Portugal, Serbia, 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

In the group stage, each team will play the other teams in a round robin format. The eventual 10 group winners will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The 10 runners-ups, meanwhile, will move onto the second round or play-offs. There, they will be joined by the two best group winners of the UEFA Nations League 2020-21 chosen through their overall ranking.

These two teams, obviously, cannot be the ones which have qualified directly for the FIFA World Cup 2022 final tournament as European qualifiers group winners or the ones which entered the play-offs as European qualifiers group runners-up.

The 12 teams will then be drawn into three play-off paths consisting of four teams each. Each play-off path will see the teams play a one-off semi-final and a final. The three winners from each play-off path will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Reigning champions France begin their qualifying campaign against Ukraine, while the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal, also the current European champions, will look to hit the ground running against Azerbaijan.

Gareth Southgate’s England will be expected to dispatch minnows San Marino easily in their opening fixture, while the Group E clash between Wales and Belgium will surely bring back memories of the epic Euro 2016 clash, where The Dragons upset the Red Devils.

The campaign will be especially an emotional one for four-time World Cup winners Germany. Long time coach Joachim Low, who led Die Mannschaft to the 2014 FIFA World Cup trophy, has already announced that he will be stepping down from his role post the Euros.

Germany play the unpredictable Iceland in their opening match.

Where to watch FIFA World Cup European qualifiers live in India?

Live streaming of the European FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers in India will be on Sony LIV.

FIFA World Cup 2022 European Qualifiers schedule and live match times for India

All times are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

Matchday 1

Wednesday, March 24

Turkey vs Netherlands – 10:30 PM IST

Estonia vs Czech Republic – 10:30 PM IST

Thursday, March 25

France vs Ukraine – 1:15 AM IST

Gibraltar vs Norway – 1:15 AM IST

Finland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1:15 AM IST

Latvia vs Montenegro – 1:15 AM IST

Slovenia vs Croatia – 1:15 AM IST

Belgium vs Wales – 1:15 AM IST

Serbia vs Republic of Ireland – 1:15 AM IST

Portugal vs Azerbaijan – 1:15 AM IST

Cyprus vs Slovakia – 1:15 AM IST

Malta vs Russia – 1:15 AM IST

Israel vs Denmark – 10:30 PM IST

Bulgaria vs Switzerland – 10:30 PM IST

Friday, March 26

Spain vs Greece – 1:15 AM IST

Sweden vs Georgia – 1:15 AM IST

Italy vs Northern Ireland – 1:15 AM IST

Moldova vs Faroe Islands – 1:15 AM IST

Scotland vs Austria – 1:15 AM IST

Andorra vs Albania – 1:15 AM IST

England vs San Marino – 1:15 AM IST

Hungary vs Poland – 1:15 AM IST

Germany vs Iceland – 1:15 AM IST

Liechtenstein vs Armenia – 1:15 AM IST

Romania vs North Macedonia – 1:15 AM IST

Matchday 2

Saturday, March 27

Russia vs Slovenia – 7:30 PM IST

Montenegro vs Gibraltar – 7:30 PM IST

Croatia vs Cyprus – 10:30 PM IST

Norway vs Turkey – 10:30 PM IST

Belarus vs Estonia – 10:30 PM IST

Netherlands vs Latvia – 10:30 PM IST

Sunday, March 28

Republic of Ireland vs Luxembourg – 1:15 AM IST

Serbia vs Portugal – 1:15 AM IST

Czech Republic vs Belgium – 1:15 AM IST

Slovakia vs Malta – 1:15 AM IST

Kazakhstan vs France – 6:30 PM IST

Denmark vs Moldova – 9:30 PM IST

Albania vs England – 9:30 PM IST

Georgia vs Spain – 9:30 PM IST

Armenia vs Iceland – 9:30 PM IST

Monday, March 29

Kosovo vs Sweden – 12:15 AM IST

Bulgaria vs Italy – 12:15 AM IST

Switzerland vs Lithuania – 12:15 AM IST

Ukraine vs Finland – 12:15 AM IST

Austria vs Faroe Islands – 12:15 AM IST

Israel vs Scotland – 12:15 AM IST

Poland vs Andorra – 12:15 AM IST

San Marino vs Hungary – 12:15 AM IST

North Macedonia vs Liechtenstein – 12:15 AM IST

Romania vs Germany – 12:15 AM IST

Matchday 3

Tuesday, March 30

Azerbaijan vs Serbia – 9:30 PM IST

Cyprus vs Slovenia – 9:30 PM IST

Wednesday, March 31

Luxembourg vs Portugal – 12:15 AM IST

Belgium vs Belarus – 12:15 AM IST

Wales vs Czech Republic – 12:15 AM IST

Gibraltar vs Netherlands – 12:15 AM IST

Montenegro vs Norway – 12:15 AM IST

Turkey vs Latvia – 12:15 AM IST

Croatia vs Malta – 12:15 AM IST

Slovakia vs Russia – 12:15 AM IST

Armenia vs Romania – 9:30 PM IST

Thursday, April 1

Greece vs Georgia – 12:15 AM IST

Spain vs Kosovo – 12:15 AM IST

Lithuania vs Italy – 12:15 AM IST

Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria – 12:15 AM IST

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs France – 12:15 AM IST

Ukraine vs Kazakhstan – 12:15 AM IST

Austria vs Denmark – 12:15 AM IST

Moldova vs Israel – 12:15 AM IST

Scotland vs Faroe Islands – 12:15 AM IST

Andorra vs Hungary – 12:15 AM IST

England vs Poland – 12:15 AM IST

San Marino vs Albania – 12:15 AM IST

Germany vs North Macedonia – 12:15 AM IST

Liechtenstein vs Iceland – 12:15 AM IST