2026 World Cup qualifying draw Announced

• 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.