The last and biggest — certainly the most-celebrated — confederation to begin qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is UEFA, and Europe’s nations have learned their groups for qualification.
There are some tricky groups, perhaps none more than Group B, where Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Kosovo will tangle home-and-away over eight months.
[ MORE: How will 48-team 2026 World Cup work? ]
England’s main rivals for an automatic spot are Serbia, and the sides have a limited history. England beat Serbia 1-0 in the EURO 2024 group stage on an early Jude Bellingham goal. Before that? Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole scored in a 2003 friendly in Leicester, a 2-1 win for the the Three Lions under the late Sven-Göran Eriksson.
Norway’s path to a first World Cup for Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and friends will have to include a pair of scraps with either Germany or Italy, as well as Israel, Estonia, and Moldova.
Eight groups await their top teams, as UEFA Nations League quarterfinal winners and losers will move into designated spots. Those ties are coming March 20-23, with Netherlands meeting Spain, Croatia tangling with France, Denmark scrapping with Portugal, and the aforementioned Italy vs Germany tie.
European (UEFA) 2026 World Cup qualification format
- First round (March 21-November 18, 2025): Twelve groups of 4-5 nations play round-robin, home-and-away. Group winners qualify for 2026 World Cup. Runners-up reach one of four playoff pahts
- Second round (March 26-31, 2025): Twelve group runners-up plus the four top remaining UEFA Nations League group winners are drawn into four semifinal and final paths. Four path winners qualify for 2026 World Cup.
European (UEFA) World Cup qualification schedule — Dates
First round group stage
Groups A-F: March 21 - November 18, 2025
Groups G-L: September 4 - November 18, 2025
Second round - Semifinals
March 26
Second round - Finals
March 31
Europe (UEFA) 2026 World Cup qualification table — Draw, groups
Group A
- Germany vs Italy winner
- Slovakia
- Northern Ireland
- Luxembourg
Group B
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Slovenia
- Kosovo
Group C
- Portugal vs Denmark loser
- Greece
- Scotland
- Belarus
Group D
- France vs Croatia winner
- Ukraine
- Iceland
- Azerbaijan
Group E
- Spain vs Netherlands winner
- Turkiye
- Georgia
- Bulgaria
Group F
- Portugal vs Denmark winner
- Hungary
- Republic of Ireland
- Armenia
Group G
- Spain vs Netherlands loser
- Poland
- Finland
- Lithuania
- Malta
Group H
- Austria
- Romania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cyprus
- San Marino
Group I
- Germany vs Italy loser
- Norway
- Israel
- Estonia
- Moldova
Group J
- Belgium
- Wales
- North Macedonia
- Kazakhstan
- Liechtenstein
Group K
- England
- Serbia
- Albania
- Latvia
- Andorra
Group L
- France vs Croatia loser
- Czechia
- Montenegro
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
Europe (UEFA) 2026 World Cup qualification upcoming fixtures
All times ET
Here are the first two matchdays, which will not include team participating in UEFA Nations League quarterfinal and relegation playoff games. That list is long and includes big names like Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Croatia, Netherlands, and Denmark.
Matchday 1
Friday, March 21
Cyprus vs San Marino — 1pm
England vs Albania — 3:45pm
Andorra vs Latvia — 3:45pm
Romania vs Bosnia & Herzegovina — 3:45pm
Poland vs Lithuania— 3:45pm
Malta vs Finland — 3:45pm
Saturday, March 22
Liechtenstein vs North Macedoina — 10am
Moldova vs Norway — 3:45pm
Montenegro vs Gibraltar — 3:45pm
Israel vs Estonia — 3:45pm
Czechia vs Faroe Islands — 3:45pm
Wales vs Kazakhstan — 3:45pm
Matchday 2
Monday, March 24
Lithuania vs Finland — 1pm
England vs Latvia — 3:45pm
Albania vs Andorra — 3:45pm
San Marino vs Romania — 3:45pm
Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Cypruis — 3:45pm
Poland vs Malta — 3:45pm
Tuesday, March 25
Moldova vs Estonia — 1pm
Liechtenstein vs Kazakhstan — 3:45pm
Gibralta vs Czechia — 3:45pm
Montenegro vs Faroe Islands — 3:45pm
North Macedonia vs Wales — 3:45pm
Israel vs Norway — 3:45pm
