The road to the 2026 World Cup — hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026 — is now solidifying with qualifying rounds in Europe and 54 teams siloed into 12 groups. All eyes are set on reaching FIFA World Cup 26™, with Europe sending 16 teams to this first-ever 48-team World Cup extravaganza.
Six countries were drawn into groups of four (A to F) while the remaining six groups (G to L) deciding the five nations playing each other. Seeding will be determined by the upcoming Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) quarterfinals, which take place in March 2025. The finals include Italy, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, France, Croatia, Netherlands and Spain.
FIFA has announced that a record 16 teams from UEFA will qualify for the 2026 tournament, an increase from 13, due to the expanded tournament format. UEFA — the governing body for football, futsal, and beach soccer in Europe and neighboring regions — oversees and promotes competitions and development. The UEFA reinvests 97% of its net revenue into European football.
The UEFA has 16 qualification spots available at the 2026 World Cup, with eight of the 12 sections confirming a Pot 1 team after the March 2026 UEFA Nations League (UNL) quarter-finals. Details are outlined in draw procedures. Guaranteed among the few top matches: England-Serbia, Switzerland-Sweden, and Belgium-Wales, reports indicated.
The 12 group winners next November advance directly and runners-up go to a playoff in March 2026, joined by four more teams who won a Nations League group last month. In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the World Cup; the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.
UEFA World Cup Qualifying Draw Results
- Group A: Winner of Germany/Italy, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
- Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
- Group C: Loser of Portugal/Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
- Group D: Winner of France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
- Group E: Winner of Spain/Netherlands, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
- Group F: Winner of Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
- Group G: Loser of Spain/Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
- Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
- Group I: Loser of Germany/Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
- Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
- Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
- Group L: Loser of France/Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
Europe will send 16 teams to the first 48-team World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
When the UEFA kicks off its Nations League quarterfinals in March 2025, the matchups are:
• Italy vs. Germany (Winner goes to Group A; Loser goes to Group I)
• Denmark vs. Portugal (Winner goes to Group F; Loser goes to Group C)
• Croatia vs. France (Winner goes to Group D; Loser goes to Group L)
• Netherlands vs. Spain (Winner goes to Group E; Loser goes to Group G)
The top teams from each group will automatically qualify while the runners up will go into a playoff round for the remaining spots for the World Cup. This is a new format with more groups than before and now 16 UEFA teams qualify for the expanded 48 teams.
Qualifying will be broken down into 12 groups, six with four teams and six with five teams. Those teams drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September. All groups conclude in November 2025.
Russian teams were excluded from the draw on Friday, Dec. 13 because their teams have been banned from international competitions by FIFA and UEFA since the military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to multiple media reports. FIFA apologized on Monday (Dec. 16) to the Ukrainian soccer federation for displaying a map during its World Cup qualifying draw that excluded Russia-occupied Crimea from the country’s territory.
FIFA’s chief member association officer, Elkhan Mammadov, wrote in a letter published Sunday by the Ukrainian soccer body. Ukraine was one of 54 national teams included in the draw Friday in Zurich for European qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup.
ABC News reported that as of February 2022, FIFA and UEFA banned Russian teams from international competitions due to the war and because some European federations refuse to play games against Russia.
