World Cup Draw in Europe: A Tangled Web of Uncertain Fixtures

The preliminary draw for the 2026 World Cup in Europe has been completed, with 54 UEFA teams learning their group stage opponents. Europe will have 16 representatives in the upcoming World Cup.

The groups are as follows:

• Group A: Winner of Germany vs. Italy, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
• Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
• Group C: Loser of Denmark vs. Portugal, 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 Denmark vs. Portugal, Hungary, 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, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

The European qualifiers consist of 12 groups—six groups of five teams and six groups of four teams. Only the group winners will directly qualify for the World Cup in North America. The 12 group runners-up, along with four teams from the Nations League, will compete in four playoff paths for the remaining spots.

Notably, the top eight teams from the Nations League are yet to know their exact groups, as their placement depends on the outcomes of the following matches:

• Spain vs. Netherlands
• France vs. Croatia
• Portugal vs. Denmark
• Germany vs. Italy

Each winner will be assigned to one of Groups 1 to 6, while the losers will be placed in Groups 7 to 12, adding a layer of complexity to the draw.