2026 World Cup European Qualifiers draw

December 13 2024, according to the official website of UEFA, the World European Preliminary 54 national team grouping results. According to the tournament system, the 54 teams in the European zone of the World Preliminary Round (Russia is banned), a total of five gears, the first to fourth gear each has 12 teams, the fifth gear only 6 teams. They will be divided into 12 groups, including six 4-team groups and six 5-team groups.

The specific groups are as follows:

Group A: Italy vs Germany (winner), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg

Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo

Group C: Portugal vs Denmark (losers), Greece, Scotland, Belarus

Group D: France vs Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan

Group E: Spain vs Netherlands (winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria

Group F: Portugal vs Denmark (winner), Hungary, Ireland, Armenia

Group G: Spain vs Netherlands (losers), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta

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

Group I: Italy vs Germany (losers), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova

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

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

Group L: France vs Croatia (losers), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

*The winners and losers of the four groups of teams refer to the results of the UEFA Europa League A Quarterfinal knockout matches in March next year

Group stage matches: March to November 2025

Play-off matches: March 26 and 31, 2026

Group Stage: Each team in the group plays a home and away double round robin, with the top teams in each group (12) going straight into the World Cup, and the 12 second-placed teams in the group playing a play-off game

Play-off places: 4 teams who did not finish in the top two in the group stage & had the best UEFA Europa League group results in the 2024/25 season will participate in the play-offs together.

Play-off rules: 16 teams will be drawn into 4 pathways, 4 teams from each pathway will play single-leg semi-finals & finals, with the 4 winners earning a place in the World Cup.