World Cup 2026 qualifying draw: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland discover opponents

In the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup, England will compete against Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. Meanwhile, Scotland has the potential to face either Portugal or Denmark. Wales will go up against Belgium, and Northern Ireland will be matched against either Germany or Italy.

England has been placed into a five-team Group K, where Thomas Tuchel will lead the Three Lions against a Serbia team they previously defeated in the Euro 2024 group stages under Gareth Southgate, thanks to a decisive header from Jude Bellingham.

England will take on Albania, a team they have defeated in all four of their previous encounters during the qualifiers for the 2002 and 2022 World Cups. They'll also face Latvia, a team they have yet to play, and Andorra, whom they easily overcame with a total score of 9-0 in the qualifying rounds for the 2022 World Cup.

England's initial matches in this group are scheduled for March 2025.

Scotland is set to compete in Group C, which includes the team that gets eliminated from the Nations League quarter-final match between Portugal and Denmark, along with Greece and Belarus.

Steve Clarke's team will go up against Greece in March for a two-legged match to determine whether they remain in the top division of the Nations League. Scotland will begin their World Cup qualifying journey in September 2025.

Wales was placed in a five-team Group J alongside Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein.

Wales is well-known for their victory over Belgium in Euro 2016, and they will kick off their qualification campaign in March 2025.

"It's a solid team," remarked Wales head coach Craig Bellamy. "We need to prepare thoroughly, and we’ll aim to approach it aggressively and secure the top position in the group."

Northern Ireland will compete in Group A, which includes the winner of the Nations League quarter-final between Germany and Italy, along with Slovakia and Luxembourg. The matches for this group are set to kick off in September 2025.

The Republic of Ireland will kick off their qualifying campaign in September. They have been placed in Group F, which consists of four teams, including the winner of the Portugal-Denmark quarter-final in the Nations League, as well as Hungary and Armenia.

Tuchel's Top Priority: Qualification

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When discussing the upcoming matches against Serbia and Albania, England manager Tuchel remarked, "Both teams have skilled players with great talent. They are a passionate group and their fans are equally intense, so they have the potential to catch you off guard."

"We need to approach this with great seriousness. It’s our first match against Latvia, which presents a new challenge for everyone involved."

"We’re definitely the strong favorites when facing Andorra, but our main focus right now is on qualifying. That needs to be our top goal. We have to approach this with seriousness and determination, and we need to prove our capability in this group of five."

When Tuchel was asked whether he believed his team would end up at the top of the group, he responded, "I wouldn't take that for granted. The difference between the major countries and the smaller ones is becoming less significant. We're witnessing that in the recent European Championships."

"Results can't be decided before the game actually takes place. The smaller countries have become increasingly competitive. Therefore, we must fight for our position and work hard to secure our top ranking."

Clarke Eager To Guide Scotland Back To World Cup

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Scotland's manager, Steve Clarke, shared his thoughts with Sky Sports News.

I usually don’t overanalyze the outcomes of draws. You just have to roll with the punches and move forward. It might not be ideal, but it could have turned out worse, too.

"We're up against a tough team, whether it's Portugal or Denmark. We'll become quite familiar with Greece over the next year since we’ll be playing them twice in March for the Nations League playoffs and then again later in the year."

"I don't have a lot of information about Belarus at the moment, but I'll definitely do my research and will be well-informed by the time we face them."

"We're part of a group with four teams, and we understand our goal is to secure either the top or second position to advance."

"Anyone with ties to Scotland is eager to return to the World Cup. The last time we were there was in 1998, which feels ages ago—back then, I was still playing, so it really was a long time!"

"We're eager to reach that goal. We know the Tartan Army wants to join us on this journey—they proved that during the summer in Germany. We're hopeful we can bring them along to the USA, Mexico, and Canada."

How Many European Teams Will Qualify For 2026?

Sixteen countries from UEFA will secure spots in the 2026 World Cup.

The 12 teams that finish at the top of their groups will qualify automatically, while the last four spots will be filled through play-offs featuring the 12 teams that come in second in their groups.

All Groups Fully Engaged

Germany or Italy (the winners of the Nations League quarter-finals), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg.

Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Kosovo.

Portugal or Denmark (the team that lost in the Nations League quarterfinals), along with Greece, Scotland, and Belarus.

France or Croatia (winner of the Nations League quarterfinal), alongside Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan.

Spain or the Netherlands (the winner of the Nations League quarterfinal), Turkey, Georgia, and Bulgaria.

Portugal or Denmark (the team that wins the Nations League quarterfinal), Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, and Armenia.

Spain or the Netherlands (the team that lost in the quarterfinals of the Nations League), along with Poland, Finland, Lithuania, and Malta.

Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, and San Marino.

Germany or Italy (the team that loses in the Nations League quarterfinal), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.

Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein.

England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra.

France or Croatia (loser in the Nations League quarter-finals), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.

Key Dates For 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers

When And Where Is The 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The tournament will be held in 16 cities across three North American countries: the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This marks the first occasion that a World Cup is being organized by three different nations.

The most recent time North America held the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil emerged victorious by defeating Italy in a penalty shootout.

The upcoming World Cup will include 48 teams, which is an increase of 16 from the 2022 tournament in Qatar. For the first time, the competition will be held in three different host countries.

Teams Qualified For The 2026 World Cup

As of now, only three teams have guaranteed their spots in the finals: the host nation, the USA, along with Canada and Mexico.

2026 World Cup Schedule Revealed

The complete schedule detailing the group matches and their start times will be released following the draw for the final tournament. FIFA anticipates that this draw will happen around the end of 2025.

FIFA has revealed important dates for the tournament and has confirmed that the inaugural match will take place in Mexico City. The championship game is set to be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where the New York Giants and New York Jets play.

**Group Stage:** June 11-27 **Round of 32:** June 28 - July 3 **Round of 16:** July 4-7 **Quarter-finals:** July 9-11 **Semi-finals:** July 14-15 **Third-place Match:** July 18 **Final Match:** July 19