Everything You Need To Know About The 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Draw: Date, Pots, And Format

At 12:00 CAT on Friday, the groups for the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, will be drawn at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Here’s how it works:

World Cup qualifying draw pots (Europe)

Pot 1: Germany, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria

Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway

Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel

Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania

Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino

How the draw works?
First, all teams from Pot 1 are placed into the twelve groups, labeled A to L, in sequential order. Next, the teams from Pots 2 to 5 will be drawn, with each pot being fully emptied. Groups A to F will each have four teams, while Groups G to L will consist of five teams.

Who qualifies for the 2026 World Cup?
The twelve group winners will qualify directly, while the remaining four of the 16 European starting places will be determined by play-offs. The twelve group runners-up and the four best-placed group winners from the Nations League who have not already qualified will play there.

When do the matches take place?
The group stage of World Cup qualifying will start in March and continue until November 2025, with the play-offs scheduled for March 2026. The groups of five will begin in March, while the groups of four will kick off in September 2025, following the quarter-finals in March and the Final Four in June for the Nations League.

What else do you need to know?
Certain matches have been ruled out for travelling, climatic or political reasons. Restrictions apply to the “fringe nations” of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iceland.

The combination of matches from seven nations with harsh winters such as Finland or Norway will be limited. The pairings Spain v Gibraltar, Ukraine v Belarus, Kosovo v Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo v Serbia are not possible.

Can it get any more complicated?
Of course! Due to the Nations League quarter-finals being held for the first time, placeholders will be drawn.
For instance, if Germany wins their Nations League quarter-final against Italy, they will be placed in a group of four.

However, if they lose, they will be assigned to a group of five.