UEFA Announces Start Date for 2026 World Cup Qualification

The qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is already underway in Asia and South America.

As for Europe, UEFA has confirmed that the qualification campaign will kick off on March 17, 2025.

UEFA also announced that the draw for the first round will take place on December 13 in Zurich. The seedings for the draw will be released in November, following the conclusion of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League group stage. Sixteen spots for the 2026 World Cup will be available for European teams.

The qualification process will span from March 2025 to March 2026 and will consist of two rounds.

In the first round, there will be 12 groups, each with either four or five teams, playing in a traditional group stage format from March to November 2025. The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup.

The 12 teams that finish second in their groups, along with the four best UEFA Nations League group winners from the 2024/25 edition (who do not finish in the top two in their qualification group), will compete in play-off mini-tournaments.

The second round, scheduled for March 2026, will feature these play-offs, consisting of one-legged semi-finals and finals. The 16 participating teams will be divided into four play-off paths, with the four winners securing the remaining UEFA spots for the 2026 World Cup.

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