The group division draw for the UEFA European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has just been finished in Zurich, Switzerland as the groups are announced, and the European powerhouses have come to know their fate in the qualifying process.
UEFA #FIFAWorldCup qualifying groups: locked in. 🔐
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 13, 2024
The qualifying group matches are scheduled to commence in March 2025 and will conclude in November 2025; as 16 European teams will book their tickets to the USA, Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Here are all the details about the UEFA European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
How did the draw work?
Teams were drawn into 12 groups of four and five teams, with traditional home-and-away matches. From Group A to Group F; each group has 4 teams each, and from Group G to Group L; 5 teams have been drawn into each group.
What were the seedings for the qualifiers draw?
There were five pots where the 55 teams were divided.
The European qualifiers draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place in 5 minutes! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/t8dcGlXnPx
— Football Xtra™ (@FootballXtra0) December 13, 2024
How many European teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
Will there be any play-off matches in the qualifying process?
There will be a play-off round involving 16 teams in total. 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.
When will the matches take place?
Group stage match dates: March to November 2025
Play-off match dates: 26 & 31 March 2026
How will the UEFA Nations League align with the qualifiers?
The 8 Quarter-finalists of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League have been seeded in Pot 1, as the winners and losers of the Quarter-finals are divided into different groups in the qualifiers. 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, will also qualify for the play-offs.
Here are the groups for the UEFA European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
UEFA European Qualifiers Groups for FIFA World Cup 2026
Group A
Winner of QF4: Germany/Italy
Slovakia
Northern Ireland
Luxembourg
Group B
Switzerland
Sweden
Slovenia
Kosovo
Group C
Loser of QF3: Portugal/Denmark
Greece
Scotland
Belarus
Group D
Winner of QF2: France/Croatia
Ukraine
Iceland
Azerbaijan
Group E
Winner of QF1: Spain/Netherlands
Turkey
Georgia
Bulgaria
Group F
Winner of QF3: Portugal/Denmark
Hungary
Republic of Ireland
Armenia
Group G
Loser of QF1: Spain/Netherlands
Poland
Finland
Lithuania
Malta
Group H
Austria
Romania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Cyprus
San Marino
Group I
Loser of QF4: Germany/Italy
Norway
Israel
Estonia
Moldova
Group J
Belgium
Wales
North Macedonia
Kazakhstan
Liechtenstein
Group K
England
Serbia
Albania
Latvia
Andorra
Group L
Winner of QF2: France/Croatia
Czechia
Montenegro
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar