UEFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: European Nations Battle for 16 Spots in Historic North American Finals

The Road to North America 2026

The European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are currently underway, running from March 2025 until the play-offs in March 2026. The campaign began after teams were drawn into 12 groups of four and five teams in Zurich on 13 December 2024.

Latest Developments

Recent matchdays have produced significant results, with France defeating Ukraine 2-0, while Slovakia achieved a historic victory against Germany – their first competitive win as an independent nation. Other notable results include Switzerland’s commanding 4-0 victory over Kosovo, and Italy’s impressive 5-0 win against Estonia.

Qualification Format

A total of 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with the 12 group winners qualifying directly for the tournament. Teams are playing traditional home-and-away matches with all groups set to conclude in November 2025.

Play-off System

The remaining four berths will be determined through play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up and selected Nations League teams. These crucial play-off matches will be played as single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.

Tournament Details

The 2026 FIFA World Cup itself will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, making history as the first tournament to be hosted across three North American countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Looking Ahead

The remaining group-stage matches are scheduled for key dates throughout 2025: September 4-9, October 9-14, and November 13-18, when the group stage will conclude. Of UEFA’s 55 member associations, 54 men’s national teams are participating in the competition, with Russia being the only exception due to their suspension from UEFA and FIFA competitions.