Scotland will join England in next summer’s World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but it could be a clean sweep for the Home Nations.
England were the first team in Europe to secure a spot, and Scotland defended their spot until stoppage time in their final group game against Denmark, ultimately sealing victory in dramatic fashion. Meanwhile, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will also aim to do the same through the play-offs.
England dominated Group K, winning eight games without conceding a goal and securing a spot in North America with two games remaining.
Scotland ultimately won 4-2 against Denmark, ensuring they would qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, but the win was not without drama, as Brian Reamer’s side were thwarted twice by the visiting nation for the second time after being reduced to 10 men.
Wales did their part by defeating North Macedonia 7-1, but Liechtenstein’s hopes of achieving the impossible and avoiding defeat to Belgium mean they will have to settle for a play-off spot.
They would have been guaranteed first place regardless of the result in Cardiff, but the win will give them Pot 2 seeding in Thursday’s draw and guarantee them a home match against Pot 3 teams in March.
The Republic of Ireland, one of the three teams in the pot and potential opponents in the new year, kept their hopes of qualifying alive with a dramatic 3-2 win against Hungary after a shock 2-0 home win over Portugal.
In Budapest, Troy Parrott scored the winning goal in the 96th minute, completing a hat-trick in the process and securing second place and a play-off spot.
Northern Ireland will face Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine or Italy in the play-off semi-finals after losing to Slovakia in the penultimate qualifying match. Michael O’Neill’s side finished third in Group A, but a strong showing in the Nations League was enough to secure them a place in the play-offs.
Scroll down to see the full list of European qualifying matches and click here to find out how the playoffs will play out in March.
2026 World Cup European Qualification Schedule
Group stage match dates: November 13-18, 2025
Playoff Game Dates: March 26-31, 2026
Final tournament date: June 11th to July 19th, 2026
2026 World Cup Qualifying Group
Group A: Germany, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: France, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Spain, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Portugal, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
How will the European World Cup qualifiers be played?
The FIFA Men’s World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will feature 48 teams and a total of 16 European countries.
European qualification will begin in March 2025 and the play-offs will take place in March 2026.
Teams were divided into 12 groups of four and five teams, with the group containing the UEFA Nations League quarter-final teams determined after the tie in March, with the four winners being divided into four teams.
Qualification begins in March and teams, divided into groups of four, begin their campaigns in September. They will play their matches in a traditional home and away format and the ‘all play all’ principle will be maintained. All groups will close in November 2025.
How many European teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
A total of 16 UEFA member nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners will qualify directly to the World Cup. The remaining four spots will be determined by a play-off between the 12 second-place players in the group.
The 12 second-place teams in their group and the top four teams that did not finish in first or second place in the European qualifying group stage of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League will participate in the play-offs.
The 16 teams participating in the playoffs will be divided into four playoff paths of four teams each. The play-off matches will be played as a single-leg semi-final, followed by a single-leg final in March 2026 within the same international window.
When and where will the 2026 World Cup be held?
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament will be held in 16 cities across three North American countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This is the first time that the World Cup will be held in three countries.
The last time the tournament was held in North America was in 1994, when Brazil defeated Italy in a penalty shootout to win the tournament.
The expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams, 16 more than the 2022 edition in Qatar, and will be held across three host countries for the first time.
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2026 World Cup Schedule
Group Stage: June 11th-27th
Round of 32: June 28th to July 3rd
Round 16: July 4-7
Quarterfinals: July 9th-11th
Semi-finals: July 14th-15th
3rd place match (“Bronze Final”): July 18th
Last day: July 19th
2026 World Cup Venues – Host Cities and Stadiums
united states of america
Dallas Stadium – Arlington, Texas (94,000 capacity)
New York New Jersey Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ (82,500 capacity)
Atlanta Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia (75,000 capacity)
Kansas City Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri (73,000)
Houston Stadium – Houston, Texas (72,000 capacity)
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium – Santa Clara, California (71,000)
Los Angeles Stadium – Inglewood, California (70,000)
Philadelphia Stadium – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (69,000)
Seattle Stadium – Seattle, WA (69,000 capacity)
Boston Stadium – Foxboro, Massachusetts (65,000)
Miami Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida (65,000 capacity)
Canada
Toronto Stadium – Toronto (Capacity: 45,000)
BC Place Vancouver – Vancouver (54,000 capacity)
Mexico
Estadio Azteca Mexico City – Mexico City (capacity 83,000) Estadio Monterrey – Guadalupe (capacity 53,500) Estadio Guadalajara – Zapopan (capacity 48,000)
