The World Cup 2022 European qualifying draw takes place today with Italy among the top seeds.
There will be five groups of five teams and five groups of six teams.
A total of 13 European teams qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The 10 group winners and three teams from the play-off route.
The 10 group runners-up qualify for the play-off stage with the best two group winners of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League.
The World Cup 2022 European qualifying draw takes place today with Italy among the top seeds.
There will be five groups of five teams and five groups of six teams.
A total of 13 European teams qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The 10 group winners and three teams from the play-off route.
The 10 group runners-up qualify for the play-off stage with the best two group winners of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League.
Italy will be drawn into a group with five teams as the Azzurri are UEFA Nations League finalists and the same is true of Belgium, France and Spain.
The draw will be held at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich and begins at 5pm GMT, former Roma star Daniele De Rossi and ex-Tottenham and Real Madrid playmaker Rafael van der Vaart will help conduct the draw.
Sedding pots:
Seeding pot 1: Italy, Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands
Seeding pot 2: Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania.
Seeding pot 3: Russia, Hungary, Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland.
Seeding pot 4: Bosnia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg,
Seeding pot 5: Armenia, Cipro, Far Oer, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Andorra
Seeding pot 6: Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino.
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-offs: 24, 25, 28, 29 March 2022