Yahoo Sports World Cup 2026 draw LIVE: England to discover qualifying group today
England and the rest of Europe will be watching on as the World Cup 2026 qualifying draw takes place on Friday morning, with the Uefa zone groups set to be laid out.
With Thomas Tuchel now joining as head coach after the departure of long-serving Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions will be aiming to go a step further than they managed under the man who revitalised the national team, having lost in the finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
The qualifying campaign - for the finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States - runs from late March 2025 through to mid-November, with play-offs for those who need them being played out in March 2026. Six groups of four nations and six groups of five are to be drawn, with first place in each group automatically yielding a spot at the finals in 18 months.
Follow the live blog for the 2026 World Cup qualifying groups below:
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw - live
England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland among nations to discover fate
Thomas Tuchel’s first games in charge could be qualifiers in March
12 groups to be drawn in total
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw - live
10:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
So how does today’s qualifying draw actually work?
Well, teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four and five teams, with traditional home-and-away matches and “all play all” principles retained. Those in groups of five will begin their campaigns in March 2025, while the groups of four will not get underway until September. In total, 16 teams will qualify for the tournament.
Why is so much of football’s power in the hands of ‘two random men’?
09:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The other thing that this week has served to highlight is the outsized power that Fifa president Gianni Infantino has amassed. Miguel Delaney examines the structure that has allowed both Infantino and Uefa counterpart Aleksander Ceferin to become almost autocratic in their leadership of the sport.
Why is so much of football’s power in the hands of ‘two random men’?
Awarding of 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia will put ‘many lives at risk’, Amnesty International warns
09:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Many lives will be put at risk by the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, human rights campaign group Amnesty International has warned.
The Middle East nation was officially confirmed as hosts at an online Fifa Congress on Wednesday afternoon.
Securing the tournament is arguably the most significant sporting step taken so far by Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of efforts to ‘sportswash’ its reputation through linking itself to major competitions, clubs and events.
Amnesty and other human rights groups have warned about what they see as the multiple risks attached to a Saudi World Cup, and believe Fifa has failed to learn lessons from handing the 2022 event to Qatar.
Amnesty International warns Saudi Arabia World Cup will put ‘many lives at risk’
The absurd image that sums up Fifa’s ‘tinpot dictatorship’ as Saudi Arabia awarded World Cup
09:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Focus switches back to the 2026 tournament today but it’s been a busy week for World Cup news. Here’s Miguel Delaney on the rather absurd scenes on Wednesday:
The absurd image that sums up Fifa’s ‘tinpot dictatorship’ as Saudi awarded World Cup
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw - live
09:00 , Karl Matchett
Thomas Tuchel is incoming then, with one simple remit: go and win it.
We know England have reached consecutive Euros finals, but what about the World Cup? Here’s the recent (and not so recent) form....
2022 Qatar - quarter-finals
2018 Russia - fourth place
2014 Brazil - group stage
2010 South Africa - round of 16
2006 Germany - quarter-finals
2002 Korea/Japan - quarter-finals
1998 France - round of 16
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw - live
08:45 , Karl Matchett
The message to Lee Carsley consisted of two words. The message from him was longer. The big screens at either end of Wembley after beating Ireland displayed the thoughts of the FA, which seemed echoed by the England team: “Thank you.” And yet, Carsley suggested, goodbye may not be forever.
He will retreat into the shadows, where an unassuming man often seems most comfortable, to return to the lower-profile task of managing the Under-21s.
But Thomas Tuchel only has an 18-month contract. Carsley can seem the anti-Tuchel, without the charisma or the powers of communication, the medal collection or the spells in charge of superpower clubs. He hands over to the German, offering to give him a comprehensive debrief, but with a renewed belief he could be his successor.
Eight debuts, five wins and one regret: Lee Carsley’s England report card
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw - live
08:30 , Karl Matchett
Jordan Pickford said his top target is to win the World Cup 2026 after twice coming so close to securing England’s first major men’s trophy in decades.
The goalkeeper played in the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 when England lost to Italy on penalties and Spain, courtesy of a late goal.
Pickford is encouraged by the appointment of the Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel as England look to end a wait for silverware that dates back to the 1966 World Cup.
“The new manager is going to come in January and he’s a winner,” said Pickford. “Our main target is to get to USA and lift that trophy. Our focus is definitely… because we’ve been so close, we want to go that one step further.”
Pickford wants to go one step further with England under Thomas Tuchel
World Cup 2026 qualifying draw - live
08:21 , Karl Matchett
Good morning all - for those desperately awaiting the next installment of international football, you’re in luck: no action on the pitch today, but the planning for the road to glory in Mexico, Canada and the USA starts here.
We’ve got the Uefa zone qualifying group draw coming up, with England and the other home nations ready to see who stands in their way to reach the finals for the World Cup in 2026.
