UEFA Announces Groups for 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
The draw for the European qualifiers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been completed, with 54 national teams learning their paths to the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The qualifiers feature twelve groups, with both group winners and play-off victors vying for 16 UEFA spots in the expanded 48-team World Cup.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has conducted the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, delineating the journey for 54 European nations aiming to compete in the upcoming tournament. The qualifiers are structured into twelve groups, comprising both four and five teams each.
In this format, the winner of each group will secure direct qualification to the World Cup. Teams finishing in second place will enter the play-offs, joining the four best-ranked group winners from the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League who did not qualify directly. These 16 teams will compete for the remaining four UEFA spots in the World Cup.
The groupings are as follows:
- Group A: Winner of Germany vs. Italy, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
- Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
- Group C: Loser of Portugal vs. Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
- Group D: Winner of France vs. Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
- Group E: Winner of Spain vs. Netherlands, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
- Group F: Winner of Portugal vs. Denmark, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
- Group G: Loser of Spain vs. Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
- Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
- Group I: Loser of Germany vs. Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
- Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
- Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
- Group L: Loser of France vs. Croatia, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
The qualifiers are set to commence in March 2025, with the group stage concluding in November 2025. The play-offs will take place in March 2026, finalizing the European contingent for the World Cup.
This qualification cycle marks a significant moment for European football, as teams prepare to compete for a place in the first-ever 48-team World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.