FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers: Key Teams, Groups, and Schedule You Can’t-Miss

The UEFA European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin in March 2025. Fans will witness a close competition among 54 European nations for 16 coveted spots in the tournament. 

The Europe World Cup qualifiers groups are announced and the sensation begins!

Groups for the First Round

The group stage draw, held on December 13, 2024, in Zurich, Switzerland, divided the nations into 12 groups. Below are the group allocations:

GroupTeams
AGermany/Italy (Nations League winner), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
BSwitzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
CPortugal/Denmark (Nations League loser), Greece, Scotland, Belarus
DFrance/Croatia (Nations League winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
ESpain/Netherlands (Nations League winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
FPortugal/Denmark (Nations League winner), Hungary, Ireland, Armenia
GSpain/Netherlands (Nations League loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
HAustria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
IGermany/Italy (Nations League loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
JBelgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
KEngland, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
LFrance/Croatia (Nations League loser), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

Qualification Format

There is a fixed format for 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers. The Group Stage will consist of 12 groups, where each team plays home-and-away matches. The group winners will jump by qualification. In the Play-offs the second-placed teams, along with the top four ranked Nations League group winners who still need to qualify, will compete for the remaining four World Cup spots.

Match Schedule of FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers:

RoundMatchdayDate
First RoundMatchday 1March 21–22, 2025
Matchday 2March 24–25, 2025
Matchday 3June 6–7, 2025
Matchday 4June 9–10, 2025
Matchday 5September 4–6, 2025
Matchday 6September 7–9, 2025
Matchday 7October 9–11, 2025
Matchday 8October 12–14, 2025
Matchday 9November 13–15, 2025
Matchday 10November 16–18, 2025
Play-offsSemi-finalsMarch 26, 2026
FinalsMarch 31, 2026

Are you excited to watch top contenders like France, Germany, and Spain aim to secure their places early in FIFA World Cup 2026 European version? Stay Tuned !

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Kumari K

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