2026 World Cup European Qualifiers draw

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers has been made in Zurich, plotting the path to the final tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The groups involving teams in UEFA Nations League quarter-final action will be finalised after those ties in March, with the four winners placed in groups of four.

2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers

Group A: Germany/Italy winners, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg

Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo

Group C: Portugal/Denmark losers, Greece, Scotland, Belarus

Group D: France/Croatia winners, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan

Group E: Spain/Netherlands winners, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria

Group F: Portugal/Denmark winners, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia

Group G: Spain/Netherlands losers, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta

Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino

Group I: Germany/Italy losers, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova

Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein

Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra

Group L: France/Croatia losers, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

How did the draw work?

Teams were placed into four pots and drawn into 12 groups of four and five teams, with traditional home-and-away matches and "all play all" principles retained.

Teams drawn in groups of five will begin qualifying in March and teams drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September. All groups conclude in November 2025.

How many European teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the World Cup; the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.

How do play-offs for the 2026 World Cup work?

The 12 group runners-up will participate in the play-offs, along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.

The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will be played in single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.

World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers: Key dates

Group stage match dates
March to November 2025

Play-off match dates
26 & 31 March 2026

Final tournament dates
11 June to 19 July 2026