The dust has barely settled on Spain's triumph in the FIFA World Cup final, but there will be little let-up in the footballing action with the beginning of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying less than a month away.

The first game on the road to the final tournament in Poland and Ukraine comes in Tallinn on 11 August, when Estonia welcome the Faroe Islands in Group C. Qualifying starts in earnest on Friday 3 September – this follows a decision by FIFA in September 2009 to change the days of double dates in the international match calendar from Friday or Saturday and Wednesday to Friday or Saturday and Tuesday. Holders Spain get their Group I campaign under way with a trip to Liechtenstein while beaten World Cup finalists the Netherlands go to Serravalle to take on San Marino.

Germany, who lost to Spain in the semi-finals in South Africa having succumbed to the same opponents in the UEFA EURO 2008 final, launch their quest for a fourth European title by visiting Brussels to play Belgium. Laurent Blanc and Cesare Prandelli undertake their first competitive engagements as the new coaches of France and Italy with games against Belarus and Estonia respectively. New Greece coach Fernando Santos commences his attempt to emulate Otto Rehhagel's remarkable feat at UEFA EURO 2004 with a home fixture against Georgia in Group F.

Elsewhere that night, England and Portugal will look to kick-start their revivals after unexpectedly early World Cup exits when they entertain Bulgaria and Cyprus respectively. Indeed, of the 13 European teams who reached the World Cup, all bar Switzerland and Denmark see action on 3 September, those two countries kicking off their schedules with home matches on Tuesday 7 September.