European Nations Learn 2026 World Cup Qualifying Draws

The European qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled from March to November 2025, saw England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland learn their respective opponents after the draw conducted on Friday in Zurich. England, led by new head coach Thomas Tuchel, has been drawn against Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. Wales will compete against Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. Scotland’s group includes Greece, Belarus, and the team that loses the Nations League quarter-final between Portugal and Denmark. Northern Ireland is set to play Slovakia, Luxembourg, and the victor of the Germany versus Italy Nations League match. These matches are scheduled to take place during five international breaks between March and November 2025. The twelve group winners will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, which is co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Teams finishing second in their groups will advance to the play-offs. In total, 16 European nations will qualify. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland have been placed in four-team groups, meaning their campaigns will commence in September. In March, Scotland will also play Greece, who are coincidentally in their World Cup qualifying group, in a two-legged Nations League promotion-relegation play-off. The final composition of some groups will remain pending until after the Nations League quarter-finals conclude in March. Group A consists of the winner of Germany/Italy, Slovakia, NORTHERN IRELAND, and Luxembourg. Group B comprises Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Kosovo. Group C features the loser of Portugal/Denmark, Greece, SCOTLAND, and Belarus. Group D includes the winner of France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. Group E is made up of the winner of Spain/Netherlands, Turkey, Georgia, and Bulgaria. Group F contains the winner of Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, and Armenia. Group G comprises the loser of Spain/Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, and Malta. Group H consists of Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, and San Marino. Group I features the loser of Germany/Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, and Moldova. Group J includes Belgium, WALES, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. Group K is composed of ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. Group L contains the loser of France/Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, and Gibraltar. Thomas Tuchel, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live before officially beginning his role as England manager, stated, “I like a low profile.” Tuchel, who is scheduled to announce his initial England squad in March, indicated that he does not consider reaching the World Cup finals “as a given.” He further told BBC Radio 5 Live, “Qualification is key. We have to be serious and determined and show what we’re up for. The gap closes more and more between the big and small nations. We have to earn our top spot.” Scotland’s opponent from the Portugal or Denmark match will not be confirmed until March, and the venue for their game against Belarus remains unknown. Belarus’s recent home fixtures have been held at neutral sites due to the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke commented, “First off, it’s to find out where the game will be played. The most important thing is to concentrate on the team, the players, the way they’re going to play and make sure that wherever we play them and – put all the political stuff aside, for me – it’s just to concentrate that we get the points that we require from that game.” Regarding Northern Ireland’s match against Italy, manager Michael O’Neill informed BBC Sport NI, “We don’t have anything to lose in that type of situation, playing one of the powerhouses of football. The way the group has come out, we’d have taken that before the draw.” Wales head coach Craig Bellamy, appointed in July, expressed satisfaction with being in a five-team group, which means his team will not have to wait until September to begin their campaign. He remarked, “I lived in Brussels so that’s nice,” referring to his tenure on the Anderlecht coaching staff, adding, “Belgium are a team I know very well. I’m happy. It’s a good group. We’re going to have to do our homework very well and try to attack it and finish top of the group.” The draw resulted in six groups comprising four teams and six groups with five teams. Teams will compete against each other in home and away fixtures, as is customary. Automatic World Cup qualification is granted to each group’s top team, while the runners-up will proceed to play-offs alongside four teams from the Nations League. These 16 play-off participants will be seeded into pots according to their group stage performance and then drawn into four distinct paths, each featuring single-leg semi-finals and finals. The matches are scheduled across 10 matchdays, spread over five international breaks. These international breaks are set for 21-25 March, 6-10 June, 4-9 September, 9-14 October, and 13-18 November. However, no team will participate in World Cup qualifiers on all these dates, as there is a maximum of eight games. Teams are permitted to schedule friendly matches on any available dates. While some teams will begin their campaigns in March and others in June, those in four-team groups will not commence play until September. For instance, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland will instead be involved in Nations League promotion-relegation play-offs during March. Teams that emerge victorious from the Nations League quarter-finals will not participate in World Cup qualifying matches until September. The play-off matches are scheduled for 26-31 March 2026. England’s campaign is set to begin on 21 March with a home match against Albania at Wembley, while Wales will host Kazakhstan on 22 March. Northern Ireland’s first game is scheduled for 4 September in Luxembourg, and Scotland will travel to face either Denmark or Portugal on 5 September. The World Cup tournament is slated to commence on 11 June 2026 in Mexico City and conclude on 19 July in New Jersey. This expanded 48-team competition will span a record 39 days. The revised format will introduce 12 four-team groups and, for the first time, a last-32 knockout stage.