World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers: Schedule, group stage, play-off format, finals

The road to Mexico, Canada and the USA 2026 for European nations is up and running with UEFA's 55 member associations embarking on their qualifying campaign to reach the finals next year.

March 2025 marks the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, which will conclude in March 2026 with the play-offs.

The draw is scheduled for Friday, December 13, 2024, at 12:00 CET. Teams will be divided into 12 groups of four or five, and the "all play all" and home-and-away rules will still apply.

How many European nations qualify?

The 48-team FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the US will feature 16 UEFA countries in total. See how the qualifiers will be determined and the format of the competition.

What are the groups?

Group A

1. Winner of the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between Germany vs Italy
2. Slovakia
3. Northern Ireland
4. Luxembourg

Group B

1. Switzerland
2. Sweden
3. Slovenia
4. Kosovo

Group C

1. Losing team in the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between Portugal vs Denmark
2. Greece
3. Scotland
4. Belarus

Group D

1. Winner of the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between France vs Croatia
2. Ukraine
3. Iceland
4. Azerbaijan

Group E

1. Winners of the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between Spain vs Netherlands
2. Turkey
3. Georgia
4. Bulgaria

Group F

1. Winners of the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between Portugal vs Denmark
2. Hungary
3. Republic of Ireland
4. Armenia

Group G

1. Losing team the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal Spain vs Netherlands
2. Poland
3. Finland
4. Lithuania
5. Malta

Group H

1. Austria
2. Romania
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina
4. Cyprus
5. San Marino

Group I

1. Losing team in the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between Germany vs Italy
2. Norway
3. Israel
4. Estonia
5. Moldova

Group J

1. Belgium
2. Wales
3. North Macedonia
4. Kazakhstan
5. Liechtenstein

Group K

1. England
2. Serbia
3. Albania
4. Latvia
5. Andorra

Group L

1. Losing team in the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal between France vs Croatia
2. Czech Republic
3. Montenegro
4. Faroe Islands
5. Gibraltar

When will the qualifiers be played?

Teams drawn in groups of five will begin qualifying in March, and teams drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September. All groups conclude in November 2025.

Group stage match dates
March to November 2025

Play-off match dates
26 & 31 March 2026

Final tournament dates
11 June to 19 July 2026

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

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.

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 who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will be played in single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.