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England need just two more wins to be sure of qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, following Saturday’s 5-0 win over Andorra.
Gareth Southgate’s side are four points clear of second-placed Albania at the top of Group I after seven matches, with just three fixtures left to play.
England host fourth-placed Hungary at Wembley on Tuesday night, before finishing their qualifying campaign by entertaining Albania on November 12 and then travelling to bottom-of-the-table San Marino three days later.
Victories in England’s next two clashes would give them an unassailable lead at the top of the group.
However, with only top spot guaranteeing qualification, there is still little margin for error – particularly given that reaching Qatar with a second-place finish is not straightforward.
The 10 runners-up from the group stage will join two group winners from last season’s Nations League in a mini-tournament in March that will see only three more teams qualify.
England could still find themselves involved in that scrap if they were to lose to Hungary and Albania keep winning, although they are hot favourites to complete the task now.
When and where is the 2022 World Cup?
The 2022 World Cup is taking place in Qatar in the winter months rather than the usual summer ones, due to the heat.
The tournament kicks off on Monday November 21 at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor with a match that will feature the host country.
The final will be played at the Lusail Stadium in Doha a week before Christmas on Sunday December 18.
What is the World Cup format and schedule?
The tournament will feature 32 teams in eight groups of four.
Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, which will run over a 12-day period and see winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16.
Matches will only be assigned to particular venues after the finals draw, so organisers can choose optimal kick-off times to suit television audiences in different countries, as well as supporters out in Qatar.
The finals draw is scheduled to take place in April 2022, after the March window for international fixtures.
Unlike at Euro 2020, there will be a third-place play-off game on December 17.
Group stage: November 21- December 2
Round of 16: December 3-6
Quarter-finals: December 9/10
Semi-finals: December 13/14
Final: December 18
How to follow England’s World Cup Qualifiers
Follow England vs Hungary on Tuesday (kick-off 7.45pm) with our live blog, and watch free match highlights on the Sky Sports website and app, as well as the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel
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