Yahoo Sports 2026 World Cup qualifying draw as England learn opponents
The groups for 2026 World Cup qualification in Europe have been decided following Friday’s draw.
England will begin a new era under the management of Thomas Tuchel next year, with qualification for the World Cup beginning in March.
The Three Lions were seeded for the draw and have been placed in a modest group alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.
Wales will meet Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein, though the final groups for Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are yet to be determined.
The winners and losers of the Nations League quarter-finals will determine which top seeds are placed in those groups.
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw (UEFA)
Group A: Germany v Italy winner, Slovakia, N. Ireland, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal v Denmark loser, Greece, Scotland, Belarus.
Group D: France v Croatia winner, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain v Netherlands winner, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal v Denmark winner, Hungary, Rep of Ire, Armenia.
Group G: Spain v Netherlands loser, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany v Italy loser, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France v Croatia loser, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
2026 World Cup qualification fixture dates
21-25 March 2025
6-10 June 2025
4-9 September 2025
9-14 October 2025
13-18 November 2025.
Nations League quarter-finals:
Spain v Netherlands
France v Croatia
Portugal v Denmark
Germany v Italy.
The League A quarter-finals, will in principle all take place on Thursday 20 and Sunday 23 March 2025.
The League A semi-finals will take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June, with the match for third place and final to follow on Sunday 8 June.
Read – The perfect gift for a football fan? Noughties Nines out now
See more – Eight talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend
