International football returns as the best players from across Europe compete for places in next year's FIFA World Cup. Don't miss a moment with our FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers live stream guide.
While the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League is still ongoing, and the delayed European Championships from 2020 are set to be played in just a few months, international teams from across Europe have to set their sights on the 2022 FIFA World Cup this week with the first raft of qualifying games set to take place.
Current World Cup holders France begin their title defence with an opening qualifying game against Ukraine. Other European behemoths England, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal will also be in action.
There are thirteen qualification spots up for grabs. With 55 teams competing for them, every game counts. We've got a full breakdown of how the qualification process works below as well as the upcoming fixtures and details of how to watch the games live.
Read on for full details on how to get a live stream of the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying matches no matter where you are in the world with our guide below.
FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers: Where and when?
The first batch of FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers for the UEFA region take place in March 2021. March's fixture list sees three matchdays take place back-to-back from March 24 through March 31. See a full list of those fixtures further down this page.
There will then be a break in qualifying proceedings over the summer as the delayed Euro 2020 tournament takes place with nations turning their attention back to the World Cup from September 2021.
How to stream FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers live in the UK
Coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers is split between pay-TV service Sky Sports and free-to-air channel ITV in the UK, with the paid-for service getting the bulk of the coverage.
If you're not a Sky subscriber, you can still easily watch World Cup qualifiers online or on TV via Sky's excellent value streaming offshoot, NOW (formerly Now TV).
A NOW Sports Membership will also get you access to all Sky Sports channels and costs £9.99 a day, though the monthly pass is much better value at £34. It will let you watch all of the Premier League matches aired by Sky for the rest of the 2020/21 season, plus PGA Tour golf, Test cricket, Formula 1, and more.
Live games featuring Wales will be shown on Welsh-language channel S4C and its S4C Clic streaming service.
Watch Sky Sports' coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers online with a NOW Sports Membership. Watch one day's coverage for £10 or snag a monthly pass for £34.
ITV's live FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying games are available to free to viewers in the UK with a valid TV licence.
How to stream FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers live in the U.S.
ESPN has exclusive broadcast rights to the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying matches. Games will primarily be shown on its ESPN+ streaming service, though a few select live games will go out on ESPN2 or ESPN3.
If you find yourself unable to access ESPN's coverage because you're out of the country, remember that you can use a VPN to tune into your usual coverage just like you would at home. Of the many options, ExpressVPN as outlined above, remains one of the best services currently out there.
TUDN has Spanish-language coverage of the games which you can access for streaming via FuboTV.
You can watch most FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers via ESPN+. Sign up now for $5.99 per month or bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for $12.99 per month.
If you don't mind (or prefer) watching TUDN's Spanish broadcast of the match, Fubo is a great option to tune in and watch the action live from anywhere, whether it be your phone, tablet, computer, or TV. Fubo Latino Quarterly offers TUDN channels from $33 per month or go for the full Fubo service to also get access to ESPN2 and ESPN3 for select live games in English.
How to stream FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers live in Canada
TLN has got coverage of select live games from the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying stage, with highlights of others being available via UEFA.tv in the region.
How to stream FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers live in Australia
If you're planning on watching World Cup European qualifiers in Australia, then you'll need to be an Optus Sports subscriber as the network holds exclusive live broadcast rights to the matches Down Under.
Optus Sport is your go-to for FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers coverage in Australia. You can subscribe monthly for $15 or pay for a year up front at $139 to save a little cash.
Watch FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers from outside your country
We have details of all the U.S., UK, Australian, and Canadian broadcasters of the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers further up in this guide. If you're intent on watching matches live but find yourself away from home then you'll likely run into problems when trying to stream your domestic coverage online from abroad as it's likely to be geo-blocked.
That's where a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be a lifesaver. They allow you to virtually change the IP of your laptop, tablet, or mobile to one that's back in your home country, letting you watch as if you were back there.
VPNs are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of giving you a further layer of security when surfing the web. There are lots of options, and we recommend ExpressVPN as our #1 pick due to its speed, security, and ease of use. It can be used on a vast array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, games consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. Or give it a try with its 30-day money back guarantee. Looking for other options? Here are some of the best VPN deals right now.
How do the FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers work?
The FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers will be played over two stages. The initial group stage sees the 55 European nations divided into 10 groups of either five or six teams.
Teams in each group will play each other in a round-robin format with the top team in each group qualifying directly for the FIFA World Cup 2022 finals. All straightforward so far.
It's a little more complex for the second-place finishers in the group stage. The ten runners up from each group will be given another chance at qualification in a play-off style second qualifying round alongside the two best group winners of the UEFA Nations League 2020-21.
Those twelve teams will be drawn into three pathways of four teams, each playing a knockout semi-final and final. The three resultant winners will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying groups
Here are those FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifying groups in full, as drawn in December 2020.
- 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
FIFA World Cup 2022 European qualifiers fixture list
Matchday 1
Wednesday, March 24
- Turkey vs Netherlands - 4-2
- Portugal vs Azerbaijan - 1-0
- Serbia vs Republic of Ireland - 3-2
- Malta vs Russia - 1-3
- Belgium vs Wales - 3-1
- Estonia vs Czech Republic - 2-6
- Cyprus vs Slovakia - 0-0
- Finland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - 2-2
- Latvia vs Montenegro - 1-2
- Slovenia vs Croatia - 1-0
- France vs Ukraine - 1-1
- Gibraltar vs Norway - 0-3
Thursday, March 25
- Israel vs Denmark - 0-2
- Bulgaria vs Switzerland - 1-3
- Sweden vs Georgia - 1-0
- Germany vs Iceland - 3-0
- Moldova vs Faroe Islands - 1-1
- Spain vs Greece - 1-1
- Scotland vs Austria - 2-2
- Romania vs North Macedonia - 3-2
- Andorra vs Albania - 0-1
- Hungary vs Poland - 3-3
- Liechtenstein vs Armenia - 0-1
- Italy vs Northern Ireland - 2-0
- England vs San Marino - 5-0
Matchday 2
Saturday, March 27
- Montenegro vs Gibraltar - 4-1
- Russia vs Slovenia - 2-1
- Belarus vs Estonia - 4-2
- Norway vs Turkey - 0-3
- Croatia vs Cyprus - 1-0
- Netherlands vs Latvia - 2-0
- Republic of Ireland vs Luxembourg - 0-1
- Serbia vs Portugal - 2-2
- Slovakia vs Malta - 2-2
- Czech Republic vs Belgium - 1-1
Sunday, March 28
- Kazakhstan vs France - 0-2
- Armenia vs Iceland - 2-0
- Albania vs England - 0-2
- Georgia vs Spain - 1-2
- Denmark vs Moldova - 8-0
- Kosovo vs Sweden - 0-3
- San Marino vs Hungary - 0-3
- Ukraine vs Finland - 1-1
- Austria vs Faroe Islands - 3-1
- Israel vs Scotland - 1-1
- North Macedonia vs Liechtenstein - 5-0
- Bulgaria vs Italy - 0-2
- Switzerland vs Lithuania - 1-0
- Poland vs Andorra - 3-0
- Romania vs Germany - 0-1
Matchday 3
Tuesday, March 30
- Azerbaijan vs Serbia - 1-2
- Cyprus vs Slovenia - 1-0
- Luxembourg vs Portugal - 1-3
- Turkey vs Latvia - 3-3
- Slovakia vs Russia - 2-1
- Belgium vs Belarus - 8-0
- Gibraltar vs Netherlands - 0-7
- Wales vs Czech Republic - 1-0
- Montenegro vs Norway - 0-1
- Croatia vs Malta - 3-0
Wednesday, March 30
- Armenia vs Romania - 3-2
- Moldova vs Israel - 1-4
- England vs Poland - 2-1
- Greece vs Georgia - 1-1
- Andorra vs Hungary - 1-4
- San Marino vs Albania - 0-2
- Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria - 0-0
- Ukraine vs Kazakhstan - 1-1
- Bosnia and Herzegovina vs France - 0-1
- Scotland vs Faroe Islands - 4-0
- Liechtenstein vs Iceland - 1-4
- Spain vs Kosovo - 3-1
- Germany vs North Macedonia - 1-2
- Austria vs Denmark - 0-4
- Lithuania vs Italy - 0-2
