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2026 World Cup qualifying draw: England land Serbia; Wales face Belgium
The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was announced, and England learned that they will face Serbia in their group. The draw, held on Friday at FIFA’s headquarters in Switzerland, was watched by incoming German manager Thomas Tuchel.
England’s group, part of the UEFA portion of the qualification, also includes Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. The Three Lions are expected to be favorites to top this group.
As the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, which are yet to be played, influenced the draw, there were several placeholders throughout the groupings. For example, the winner of the Nations League knockout tie between defending Euro 2024 champions Spain and the Netherlands, scheduled for next March, will be placed in Group E alongside Turkey and two yet-to-be-determined teams. The losers of this match will face teams like Poland and Finland in Group G.
Scotland was placed in Group C and will face the loser of the Nations League quarter-final between Portugal and Denmark. Meanwhile, Wales had all their opponents confirmed and will be competing against a strong Belgian side, ranked eighth in the world.
The 12 group winners will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The group runners-up will enter a second-round playoff, combined with the best-performing Nations League teams that did not qualify through the group stage.
2026 World Cup qualifying for UEFA full draw
Group A
- Germany vs Italy winner
- Slovakia
- Northern Ireland
- Luxembourg
Group B
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Slovenia
- Kosovo
Group C
- Loser Portugal vs Denmark
- Greece
- Scotland
- Bulgaria
Group D
- Winner France vs Croatia
- Ukraine
- Iceland
- Azerbaijan
Group E
- Winner Spain vs Netherlands
- Turkey
- Georgia
- Bulgaria
Group F
- Winner Portugal vs Denmark
- Hungary
- Republic of Ireland
- Armenia
Group G
- Loser Spain vs Netherlands
- Poland
- Finland
- Lithuania
- Malta
Group H
- Austria
- Romania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cyprus
- San Marino
Group I
- Loser 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 France vs Croatia
- Czechia
- Montenegro
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
2026 World Cup qualifying schedule for UEFA teams
| Matchday for Groups A-F | Matchday for Groups G-L | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 1 | 21-22 March 2025 |
| N/A | 2 | 24-25 March 2025 |
| N/A | 3 | 6-7 June 2025 |
| N/A | 4 | 9-10 June 2025 |
| 1 | 5 | 4-6 September 2025 |
| 2 | 6 | 7-9 September 2025 |
| 3 | 7 | 9-11 October 2025 |
| 4 | 8 | 12-14 October 2025 |
| 5 | 9 | 13-15 November 2025 |
| 6 | 10 | 16-18 November 2025 |