2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:04:04 PM Wikipedia source
The European section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification competition acted as qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States, for national teams that are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). A total of 16 slots in the final tournament were available for UEFA teams.
Infobox
Dates
21 March 2025 – 31 March 2026
Teams
54 (from 1 confederation)
Matches played
204
Goals scored
676 (3 per match)
Attendance
4,448,339 (21,806 per match)
Top scorer
Erling Haaland (16 goals)
Tables
· Schedule
Groups A–F
Groups A–F
Round
Groups A–F
Matchday
Groups G–L
First round
(group stage)
First round
(group stage)
Round
First round
(group stage)
Matchday
—N/a
Matchday
Matchday 1
Dates
21–22 March 2025
Matchday 2
Matchday 2
Round
Matchday 2
Matchday
24–25 March 2025
Matchday 3
Matchday 3
Round
Matchday 3
Matchday
6–7 June 2025
Matchday 4
Matchday 4
Round
Matchday 4
Matchday
9–10 June 2025
Matchday 5
Matchday 5
Round
Matchday 5
Matchday
4–6 September 2025
Matchday 6
Matchday 6
Round
Matchday 6
Matchday
7–9 September 2025
Matchday 7
Matchday 7
Round
Matchday 7
Matchday
9–11 October 2025
Matchday 8
Matchday 8
Round
Matchday 8
Matchday
12–14 October 2025
Matchday 9
Matchday 9
Round
Matchday 9
Matchday
13–15 November 2025
Matchday 10
Matchday 10
Round
Matchday 10
Matchday
16–18 November 2025
Second round
(play-offs)
Second round
(play-offs)
Round
Second round
(play-offs)
Matchday
Semi-finals
Matchday
26 March 2026
Finals
Finals
Round
Finals
Matchday
31 March 2026
| Round | Matchday | Dates | |
| Groups A–F | Groups G–L | ||
| First round (group stage) | —N/a | Matchday 1 | 21–22 March 2025 |
| Matchday 2 | 24–25 March 2025 | ||
| Matchday 3 | 6–7 June 2025 | ||
| Matchday 4 | 9–10 June 2025 | ||
| Matchday 5 | 4–6 September 2025 | ||
| Matchday 6 | 7–9 September 2025 | ||
| Matchday 7 | 9–11 October 2025 | ||
| Matchday 8 | 12–14 October 2025 | ||
| Matchday 9 | 13–15 November 2025 | ||
| Matchday 10 | 16–18 November 2025 | ||
| Second round (play-offs) | Semi-finals | 26 March 2026 | |
| Finals | 31 March 2026 | ||
Pot 1
1
1
QF
1
Team
Spain
Rank
3
Netherlands
Netherlands
QF
Netherlands
Team
7
2
2
QF
2
Team
France
Rank
2
Croatia
Croatia
QF
Croatia
Team
13
3
3
QF
3
Team
Portugal
Rank
6
Denmark
Denmark
QF
Denmark
Team
21
4
4
QF
4
Team
Italy
Rank
9
Germany
Germany
QF
Germany
Team
10
—N/a
—N/a
QF
—N/a
Team
England
Rank
4
Belgium
Belgium
QF
Belgium
Team
8
Switzerland
Switzerland
QF
Switzerland
Team
20
Austria
Austria
QF
Austria
Team
22
| QF | Team | Rank |
| 1 | Spain | 3 |
| Netherlands | 7 | |
| 2 | France | 2 |
| Croatia | 13 | |
| 3 | Portugal | 6 |
| Denmark | 21 | |
| 4 | Italy | 9 |
| Germany | 10 | |
| —N/a | England | 4 |
| Belgium | 8 | |
| Switzerland | 20 | |
| Austria | 22 |
Pot 2
Ukraine
Ukraine
Team
Ukraine
Rank
25
Sweden
Sweden
Team
Sweden
Rank
27
Turkey
Turkey
Team
Turkey
Rank
28
Wales
Wales
Team
Wales
Rank
29
Hungary
Hungary
Team
Hungary
Rank
30
Serbia
Serbia
Team
Serbia
Rank
32
Poland
Poland
Team
Poland
Rank
35
Romania
Romania
Team
Romania
Rank
38
Greece
Greece
Team
Greece
Rank
39
Slovakia
Slovakia
Team
Slovakia
Rank
41
Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Team
Czech Republic
Rank
42
Norway
Norway
Team
Norway
Rank
43
| Team | Rank |
| Ukraine | 25 |
| Sweden | 27 |
| Turkey | 28 |
| Wales | 29 |
| Hungary | 30 |
| Serbia | 32 |
| Poland | 35 |
| Romania | 38 |
| Greece | 39 |
| Slovakia | 41 |
| Czech Republic | 42 |
| Norway | 43 |
Pot 3
Scotland
Scotland
Team
Scotland
Rank
45
Slovenia
Slovenia
Team
Slovenia
Rank
55
Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Team
Republic of Ireland
Rank
60
Albania
Albania
Team
Albania
Rank
65
North Macedonia
North Macedonia
Team
North Macedonia
Rank
67
Georgia
Georgia
Team
Georgia
Rank
68
Finland
Finland
Team
Finland
Rank
69
Iceland
Iceland
Team
Iceland
Rank
70
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Team
Northern Ireland
Rank
71
Montenegro
Montenegro
Team
Montenegro
Rank
73
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Team
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rank
74
Israel
Israel
Team
Israel
Rank
76
| Team | Rank |
| Scotland | 45 |
| Slovenia | 55 |
| Republic of Ireland | 60 |
| Albania | 65 |
| North Macedonia | 67 |
| Georgia | 68 |
| Finland | 69 |
| Iceland | 70 |
| Northern Ireland | 71 |
| Montenegro | 73 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 74 |
| Israel | 76 |
Pot 4
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Team
Bulgaria
Rank
82
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Team
Luxembourg
Rank
92
Belarus
Belarus
Team
Belarus
Rank
98
Kosovo
Kosovo
Team
Kosovo
Rank
99
Armenia
Armenia
Team
Armenia
Rank
100
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Team
Kazakhstan
Rank
110
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Team
Azerbaijan
Rank
117
Estonia
Estonia
Team
Estonia
Rank
123
Cyprus
Cyprus
Team
Cyprus
Rank
130
Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
Team
Faroe Islands
Rank
137
Latvia
Latvia
Team
Latvia
Rank
140
Lithuania
Lithuania
Team
Lithuania
Rank
142
| Team | Rank |
| Bulgaria | 82 |
| Luxembourg | 92 |
| Belarus | 98 |
| Kosovo | 99 |
| Armenia | 100 |
| Kazakhstan | 110 |
| Azerbaijan | 117 |
| Estonia | 123 |
| Cyprus | 130 |
| Faroe Islands | 137 |
| Latvia | 140 |
| Lithuania | 142 |
References
- Note: Bold indicates the team qualified for the World Cup. Italics indicates the team advanced to the second round.
- QF Nations League quarter-finalist, automatically seeded into Pot 1 and unavailable during the March 2025 window
- PO Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs participant that was unavailable during the March 2025 window
- Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.
- From 1954 to 1990, Germany competed as West Germany. A separate team for East Germany also participated in qualification
- As there were only six four-team groups available for the eight quarter-finalists, and the identities of the 2025 UEFA N
- The Gibraltar–Spain draw condition only applied to the placeholder for the loser of quarter-final 1, featuring the Nethe
- Belarus and Ukraine, which typically have a winter venue draw restriction, did not have it applied given they were requi
- Excessive travel pairings involving France, Spain and Portugal applied to the placeholders for both the winner and loser
- Israel, which typically have an excessive travel restriction with Iceland, were removed given they were required to play
- The table lists teams down to the lowest-ranked team that could have potentially received a play-off spot (the team rank
- "FIFA Council prepares Congress, takes key decisions for the future of the FIFA World Cup"https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/organisation/fifa-council/media-releases/fifa-council-prepares-congress-takes-key-decisions-for-the-future-of-t-2883353
- "New formats for UEFA men's national team competitions approved"https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/027d-1727b3b1e199-61019185e2c8-1000/
- "Lisbon to host UEFA Women's Champions League final in 2025"https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0282-185d513bd18e-32f59d9c7dea-1000/
- "Road to the FIFA World Cup 26 has begun"https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/road-to-world-cup-26-qualifiers-usa-canada-mexico/
- "CONMEBOL kick off journey of "great joy and happiness" to historic FIFA World Cup 2026, says FIFA President"https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/news/journey-to-historic-fifa-world-cup-2026-tm-kicks-off-in-south-america
- "Regulations of the UEFA Nations League, 2024/25"https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Nations-League-2024/25-Online
- "New formats for UEFA men's national team competitions"https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/027d-172768727c48-45d6e1772dcc-1000/new_format_for_uefa_men_s_national_team_competitions.pdf
- "European Qualifiers for 2026 World Cup: All the fixtures and results"https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0294-1c916a81655d-47c1bac26fb9-1000/
- UEFAhttps://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000/