The journey to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is well underway, and Europe’s top footballing nations have their sights firmly set on securing one of the 13 available spots in the tournament. With an array of competitive teams and a mix of established powerhouses and emerging talents, the UEFA qualifiers promise to be an intense and thrilling spectacle. Here’s a comprehensive preview of what to expect as Europe’s finest battle it out on the road to Qatar.

The Qualification Format

The European qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup feature 55 national teams, split into 10 groups. There are five groups with six teams and five groups with five teams each. Each team will play the others in their group in a round-robin format, both home and away. The group winners will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will enter the play-off rounds.

The play-offs include 12 teams: the 10 group runners-up and the two best UEFA Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two in their World Cup qualifying group. These 12 teams will be divided into three paths, with each path providing one World Cup spot, making it a total of 13 European teams heading