The draw for the World Cup 2026 European qualifiers took place in Zurich on Friday (December 13), although many of the big-name European nations still aren’t completely sure who they will have to get past to reach the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Jude Bellingham and incoming England coach Thomas Tuchel know the Three Lions will have to see off Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra to get to the World Cup.
However, Kylian Mbappé’s France, Lamine Yamal’s Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, assuming the Al Nassr striker doesn’t retire from international soccer, are among the eight countries who could find themselves in one of two qualification groups.
Why the draw for World Cup 2026 isn’t over in Europe
That is due to the fact they are taking part in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, which will be held in the same international break as the first round of qualifiers in March. The winners will feature in the Nations League finals in June, when more qualification games will also be played.
The four Nations League quarterfinals victors will therefore go into four-team groups due to the schedule clash, while the four losers will take part in five-team groups.
The four Nations League quarterfinals are:
– Netherlands vs Spain
– Croatia vs France
– Denmark vs Portugal
– Italy vs Germany
The full draw will only be completed once those ties are over in March.
World Cup 2026 European qualifiers draw
Group A
Winner Germany/Italy (UNL), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B
Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C
Loser Portugal/Denmark (UNL), Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D
Winner France/Croatia (UNL), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E
Winner Spain/Netherlands (UNL), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F
Winner Portugal/Denmark (UNL), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G
Loser Spain/Netherlands (UNL), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H
Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I
Loser Germany/Italy (UNL), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J
Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group K
England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L
Loser France/Croatia (UNL), Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
The games will be played in the 2025 international breaks, which are March 21-25, June 6-10, September 4-9, October 9-14, November 13-18.
Which teams will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The top team from each group (12 teams) qualifies for the tournament. The 12 group runners-up, meanwhile, will enter a playoff along with the best four group winners from the UEFA Nations League who didn’t find in the top two of World Cup qualification.
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Those 16 teams will be divided into four playoff paths, each of which will have two-legged semifinals and a single-leg final. The winners of the four playoff finals will qualify for the World Cup.
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Publish date : 2024-12-13 04:58:00
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