International action is back this week as the road to Qatar 2022 intensifies. The European Qualifiers return in an exciting October window to resume the tournament and will provide us two thrilling fixtures in the final stretch of the qualifying.
With four rounds of play left to conclude the UEFA Qualification to the World Cup there's still a lot to be played for and a number of nations will try to secure their berths to Qatar before it's too late.
However, this month's window will miss four high-profile teams as Spain, France, Italy, and Belgium won't take part in it. Here, check out why these national sides are missing the October international fixtures.
World Cup Qualifiers: The reason why Spain, France, Italy, and Belgium are not playing in October
When the European World Cup Qualifiers resume this week, some will probably be surprised to see that none of the aforementioned countries are playing in these rounds. The reason why they won't do so is quite simple.
Spain, France, Italy, and Belgium won't play in the World Cup Qualifiers this month because they'll be taking part in the UEFA Nations League. The four sides have won their respective zone in the group stage and now find themselves in the semifinals of the tournament.
Italy and Spain will face off in the first semi on Wednesday, while Italy take on Belgium one day later. Shortly after that, on Sunday these teams will have to conclude their participations. The losing sides will meet in the third-place game, while the two teams who emerge victorious will clash in the grand final.
