CONMEBOL WC qualifying in September

South American qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, will begin in September, the region's governing body CONMEBOL said on Friday.

"For the moment, the start fixed by (FIFA) for its celebration is September 4-8 in the format already established," said CONMEBOL.

All 10 teams are due to play each other home and away in a round robin format. That amounts to 18 matches, far more than most other continental federations organise.

The first two rounds need to be rearranged but CONMEBOL said any new dates would have to be ratified by FIFA.