FIFA World Cup 2022: Qualification Stage

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Any idea about the other regional qualifications schedules?

Fixed it for you.

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Draw for European qualification stage. Qualifying begins in March 2021.

Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan

Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo

Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania

Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia, 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

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Another low point.

Invited by UEFA :money_with_wings: :envelope_with_arrow: Qatar will play in Group A of the WC qualification (but will not be eligible for points).

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Seriously???

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Hopefully Qatar play in Europe somewhere donā€™t want Jota and potentially Kelleher having to fly out there for a pointless friendly which is what that would be.

Anyhow I reckon we will see three home nations qualify.

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There isnā€™t a proper thread for this (and neither is this one) and I didnā€™t want to open another thread, so Iā€™m putting it here.

Was the Soviet teams of World Cup 1986 and Euro 1988 the best in their history???

They played some sublime football. :heart_eyes:

Alisson, Fabinho and Firmino (Brazil): Colombia (away) and Argentina (home)

Robertson (Scotland): Austria (home), Israel (away) and Faroe Island (home)

TAA, Henderson (England): San Marino (away), Albania (home) and Poland (away)

Neco (Wales): Belgium (away) and Czech (home)

Tsimikas (Greece): Spain (away) and Georgia (home)

Kabak (Turkey): Netherlands (home), Norway (away) and Latvia (home)

Wijnaldum (Netherlands): Turkey (away), Latvia (home) and Gibraltar (away)

Shaqiri (Switzerland): Bulgaria (away) and Lithuania (home)

Thiago (Spain): Greece (away), Georgia (home) and Kosovo (away)

Jota (Portugal): Azerbaijan (away), Serbia (home) and Luxemburg (away)

Matches are scheduled between March 24 and 31.

FIFA relaxed the release rules on this a week back didnā€™t they, where have you seen this anyhow?

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These are just the scheduled games (from FIFA WC website). Yes, FIFA has given options for travels to Brazil and Portugal.

Yeah up to the players but I doubt Klopp will be keen on releasing them.

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Still, I suppose the show must go onā€¦

(Iā€™m being sarcastic, in case you canā€™t tell)

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A lot of those people are from Bangladesh. Itā€™s been going on for years now. I guess Qatar is getting the limelight due to the World Cup, but the situation is same in other gulf kingdoms.

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Under UK government restrictions Liverpool would lose several influential players for 10 days after the upcoming international break. The Brazilians Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino and the fit-again Portugal international Diogo Jota are due to play World Cup qualifiers in countries on the UKā€™s travel red list ā€“ Brazil, Colombia and Portugal ā€“ and would have to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days on their return. Sadio ManĆ© and Naby KeĆÆta could also be affected with Senegal and Guinea respectively due to face Eswatini and Namibia, two more countries on the red list.

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Good, canā€™t let players go and FIFA are allowing that, they would just stick Becker and Fabinho on the bench as usual, also I donā€™t think Jota is a starter.

As for the African games I think they can cope without.

I wonder though with Portugal playing twice away in Serbia and Luxembourg would he have to be released for them?

They should have postponed this period a long ago to be honest, Most could catch up in the summer when the Euros are taking place in Europe.

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Jurgen Klopp said it was ā€œnot possibleā€ for players to leave, adding: ā€œThe players are paid by the clubs so it means we have to be first priority.ā€

Maybe he should tell Guinea to go fuck themselves while heā€™s at it.

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Thatā€™s good news.

Now hopefully the same happens with Africa, it wonā€™t but I expect Klopp wonā€™t let them go.