The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers took place on Friday in Zurich, with England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland learning their group-stage opponents.
England, under new manager Thomas Tuchel, will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra in Group K.
Wales have been drawn alongside familiar rivals Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein in Group J.
Scotland will take on Greece, Belarus, and the loser of the Portugal v Denmark Nations League quarter-final in Group C, while Northern Ireland are grouped with Slovakia, Luxembourg, and the winner of the Germany v Italy Nations League match in Group A.
The qualifiers will be held across five international breaks between March and November 2025. The 12 group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Second-placed teams will enter the play-offs, where 16 European teams will battle for a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament.
Scotland and Northern Ireland, placed in four-team groups, will not begin their qualifying campaigns until September 2025, as both are involved in Nations League play-offs in March.
The draw in full
(Some groups are incomplete pending the Nations League quarter-finals in March)
Group A: Germany/Italy (winner), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal/Denmark (loser), Greece, Scotland, Belarus.
Group D: France/Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain/Netherlands (winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal/Denmark (winner), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Spain/Netherlands (loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany/Italy (loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France/Croatia (loser), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
How does qualifying work?
The 12 group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup. The second-placed teams will join four Nations League teams in the play-offs, where 16 teams will be drawn into four paths with one-legged semi-finals and finals to determine the remaining spots.
When are the games?
The qualifiers will take place during five international breaks:
- 21-25 March 2025
- 6-10 June 2025
- 4-9 September 2025
- 9-14 October 2025
- 13-18 November 2025
Teams in four-team groups, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, will begin their qualifiers in September 2025. Nations League quarter-final winners will also enter the qualifiers in September. The play-offs will take place between 26-31 March 2026.
When and where is the World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off on 11 June 2026 in Mexico City and conclude on 19 July in New Jersey. For the first time, the expanded 48-team tournament will feature 12 four-team groups and a last-32 knockout stage, lasting a record 39 days.
