The next World Cup is exactly two years away
‘What? No. It’s two-and-a-half years away. Don’t be stupid,’ you say, perhaps forgetting like most of us have at some point that the next World Cup will be played in December 2022, because it gets too hot to play football in Qatar in the summer.
Who knew?
This is all to say that the qualification draw for this very tournament took place today, and England found themselves in a group which they will surely be confident of topping, with Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino.
Elsewhere, Scotland once again face Israel, as they did in their most recent qualifying campaign, as well as Denmark, Austria, Faroe Islands and Moldova.
Wales face Belgium, Czech Republic, Belarus and Estonia, while Northern Ireland were drawn in a tough group alongside Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lithuania.
Republic of Ireland will also face tough opposition, in Portugal, Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.
Read the 2022 World Cup qualifying groups for UEFA in full below:
A) Portugal, Serbia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
B) Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo
C) Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania
D) France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kazakhstan
E) Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia
F) Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova
G) Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia, Gibraltar
H) Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Solvenia, Cyprus, Malta
I) England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra, San Marino
J) Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein
