England World Cup 2022 qualifiers: What Gareth Southgate’s side have to do to qualify

England will look to go one step further at the World Cup after losing the Euro 2020 final

Following the Euro 2020 heartbreak England suffered at the hands of Italy in the final on Sunday, attention now turns towards the World Cup next year.

Due to the Euros being postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a shorter gap than usual to the next major international tournament.

Then there is also the fact that the Qatar-based World Cup in 2022 is not taking place in summer but in winter, between 21 November and 18 December.

England have not yet qualified for the tournament but are well on their way to doing so.

Gareth Southgate’s men have won all three of their qualification matches so far, against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

The other sides in Group I are Hungary and Andorra, whom they will face at the beginning of September, along with their second match against Poland.

The Euro 2020 runners-up sit top of their group, two points ahead of Hungary with seven games still to play.

England’s final group game will be played away in San Marino on 15 November, 12 months before the start of the finals.

England have qualified for the last six World Cups, a run that stretches back to their failure to reach the 1994 tournament in the United States.