FIFA World Cup 2026: The groups are set for the European qualifiers

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?

The 12 group winners will directly directly to the tournament, while the 4 remaining spots will be determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.

16 UEFA nations in total will participate in the 2026 FIFA 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.

The 16 teams entering the play-offs will be divided into four paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will consist of single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals.

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