World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifying Group Stage Draw Held in Zurich
The group stage draw for the UEFA zone qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place in Zurich. Below are the groups:
Group A
- Winner of Germany vs. Italy
- Slovakia
- Northern Ireland
- Luxembourg
Group B
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Slovenia
- Kosovo
Group C
- Loser of Portugal vs. Denmark
- Greece
- Scotland
- Belarus
Group D
- Winner of France vs. Croatia
- Ukraine
- Iceland
- Azerbaijan
Group E
- Winner of Spain vs. Netherlands
- Turkey
- Georgia
- Bulgaria
Group F
- Winner of Portugal vs. Denmark
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Armenia
Group G
- Loser of Spain vs. Netherlands
- Poland
- Finland
- Lithuania
- Malta
Group H
- Austria
- Romania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cyprus
- San Marino
Group I
- Loser of Germany vs. 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 vs. Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Montenegro
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
UEFA Qualification Format
The UEFA qualification process will span from March 2025 to March 2026 and consist of two rounds:
First Round
The 12 groups, each consisting of four or five teams, will play a traditional round-robin format from March to November 2025. The 12 group winners will secure direct qualification for the World Cup.
The 12 second-placed teams and the four best group winners from the 2024/2025 UEFA Nations League who finish outside the top two in their qualifying groups will advance to the playoff mini-tournaments.
Second Round
The playoff mini-tournaments, held in March 2026, will feature one-legged semifinals and finals. The 16 teams will be divided into four playoff paths, with each path producing one World Cup qualifier.
