European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup: When is the draw and the way Nations League impacts schedule

The group stage of the Nations League has ended, with consideration now turning to the World Cup Qualifiers beginning subsequent March.

Following England’s 5-0 win over Republic of Eire, new Three Lions supervisor Thomas Tuchel has averted a promotion play-off as his first task, that means he’ll embark on a contemporary Qualifying marketing campaign for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the USA in 2026.

A complete of 16 UEFA nations will compete on the event – a rise of three from the earlier version in 2022. The European Qualifiers are scheduled to start in March 2025 and finish with the play-offs exactly a 12 months later.

Scotland missed out on pot two of the World Cup qualifying draw after each Slovakia and Czech Republic gained their closing Nations League matches, leaving Steve Clarke’s facet settling for a spot in pot three together with Northern Eire and Republic of Eire.

Wales, nonetheless, might be in pot two after topping their Nations League group to earn promotion to League A.

What are the World Cup European Qualifying pots?

Pot 1

Spain
Germany
Portugal
France
Italy
Netherlands
Denmark
Croatia
England
Belgium
Switzerland
Austria

Pot 2

Ukraine
Sweden
Turkey
Wales
Hungary
Serbia
Poland
Greece
Romania
Slovakia
Czech Republic
Norway

Pot 3

Scotland
Slovenia
Republic of Eire
Albania
North Macedonia
Georgia
Finland
Iceland
Northern Eire
Montenegro
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Isreal

Pot 4

Bulgaria
Luxembourg
Kosovo
Belarus
Armenia
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Cyprus
Faroe Islands
Latvia
Lithuania

Pot 5

Moldova
Malta
Andorra
Gibraltar
Liechtenstein
San Marino

When is the draw for the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers?

Groups are to be drawn into 12 teams of 4 or 5 groups in Zurich on Friday December 13.

Groups will play one another residence and away. Groups drawn in teams of 5 will begin Qualifying in March and groups drawn in teams of 4 begin their campaigns in September. All teams conclude in November 2025.

UEFA will difficulty the fixture checklist with the dates and kick-off occasions of all 192 group-stage matches as quickly as potential after the conclusion of the draw.

So will we all know all of the teams on December 13?

No. As a result of Nations League play-offs in March, it means solely 4 teams might be full as of December 13.

Eight of the 12 World Cup teams is not going to know their full line-up till after that time.

4 of the teams with 4 groups will get a ‘winner of play-off tie’ whereas one other 4 will embody a ‘loser of play-off tie’.

What number of European groups qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

As talked about, a complete of 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify immediately, with the 4 remaining berths decided by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.

How do play-offs for the 2026 World Cup work?

The 12 group runners-up will take part within the play-offs, together with the 4 best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 Nations League that didn’t end their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.

The 16 nations that enter the play-offs might be drawn into 4 play-off paths, with 4 groups in every. Play-off video games might be performed over single-leg semi-finals adopted by single-leg finals throughout the identical worldwide window of March 2026.

So the Nations League nonetheless issues?

Very a lot so. On the subject of the draw for World Cup qualification, every nationwide crew concerned may even be positioned in a ranked desk, based mostly on the efficiency within the 2024/25 Nations League.

Basically, the 4 highest-ranked groups who don’t then safe an automated place on the 2026 World Cup might be granted a play-off security web.

World Cup 2026 European qualifiers: Key dates

Group-stage draw: December 13 2024
Group-stage match dates: March to November 2025
Play-off match dates: March 26-31 2026
Closing event dates: June 11 to July 19 2026