The 2022 World Cup might still seem like a ways away, but qualification for the group stages is already underway for some footballing federations as we all inch ever closer to the Qatar tournament.
The 2022 iteration will be the first World Cup competition to not be held in the summer, and will take place in December 2022 due to the cooler temperatures in host nation Qatar.
So far, the only nation confirmed for the tournament are hosts Qatar, who qualified automatically.
Here are all the dates for each federation's qualification games for the group stage as the road to World Cup 2022 continues.
- Europe 2022 World Cup qualification group stage dates
- South America 2022 World Cup qualification group stage dates
- North America 2022 World Cup qualification group stage dates
- Africa 2022 World Cup qualification group stage dates
- Asia 2022 World Cup qualification group stage dates
- Oceania 2022 World Cup qualification group stage dates
Europe group stages (UEFA)
UEFA's qualification to the World Cup officially begins on March 24-25, 2021.
The qualification will depend on results from the 2020-21 Nations League, but to a lesser extent than Euro 2020.
| Stage | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 1 | March 24-25, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 2 | March 27-28, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 3 | March 30-31, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 4 | September 1-2, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 5 | September 4-5, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 6 | September 7-8, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 7 | October 8-9, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 8 | October 11-12, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 9 | November 11-13, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 10 | November 14-16, 2021 |
| Play-offs | Semi-finals | March 24-25, 2022 |
| Play-offs | Finals | March 28-29, 2022 |
South America group stages (CONMEBOL)
CONMEBOL's qualification stages runs from October 2020 to June 2022, recheduled from March 2020 to November 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
CONMEBOL's teams will play in a round-robin format with home and away games, with the top four teams qualifiying for the World Cup - and the fifth-placed runners entering the inter-confederation play-offs.
| Stage | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 3 | November 12, 2020 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 4 | November 17, 2020 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 5 | March 25, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 6 | March 30, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 7 | June 3, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 8 | June 8, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 9 | September 2, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 10 | September 7, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 11 | October 7, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 12 | October 12, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 13 | November 11, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 14 | November 16, 2021 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 15 | January 27, 2022 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 16 | February 1, 2022 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 17 | March 24, 2022 |
| Qualifying group stage | Matchday 18 | March 29, 2022 |
North America, Central America and Caribbean group stages (Concacaf)
Concacaf's qualification stages to the World Cup will begin on March 2021, previously rescheduled from October and November 2021.
| Stage | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Window 1 | March 2021 |
| First round | Window 2 | TBD 2021 |
| Second round | First leg | TBD 2021 |
| Second round | Second leg | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 1 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 2 | August 30 - September 7, 2021 |
| Third round | Matchday 3 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 4 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 5 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 6 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 7 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 8 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 9 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 10 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 11 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 12 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 13 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 14 | TBD |
Africa group stages (CAF)
The first round of the CAF group stage qualification phase finished in 2019, with the second round due to begin in 2021.
| Stage | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Second round | Matchday 1 | May 31 - June 15, 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 2 | May 31 - June 15, 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 3 | August 30-September 7, 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 4 | August 30-September 7, 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 5 | October 4-12, 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 6 | October 4-12, 2021 |
| Third round | First leg | November 8-16, 2021 |
| Third round | Second leg | November 8-16, 2021 |
Asia group stages (AFC)
The second round of the AFC group stage qualification will start in 2021.
| Stage | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Second round | Matchday 7 | TBD 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 8 | TBD 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 9 | TBD 2021 |
| Second round | Matchday 10 | TBD 2021 |
| Third round | Matchday 1 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 2 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 3 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 4 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 5 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 6 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 7 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 8 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 9 | TBD |
| Third round | Matchday 10 | TBD |
| Fourth round | First leg | March 24, 2022 |
| Fourth round | Second leg | March 29, 2022 |
Oceania group stages (OFC)
Oceania's World Cup 2022 group stage qualification stages will start in 2021.
| Stage | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Matchday 1 | March 22-30, 2021 |
| First round | Matchday 2 | March 22-30, 2021 |
| First round | Matchday 3 | March 22-30, 2021 |
| First round | Matchday 4 | May 31 - June 15, 2021 |
| First round | Matchday 5 | May 31 - June 15, 2021 |
| Second round | Semi-finals (first leg) | August 30 - September 7, 2021 |
| Second round | Semi-finals (second leg) | August 30 - September 7, 2021 |
| Second round | Final (first leg) | October 4-12, 2021 |
| Second round | Final (second leg) | October 4-12, 2021 |
