The group stage draw for the UEFA zone qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place in Zurich. Below are the groups:

Group A

• Winner of Germany vs. Italy
• Slovakia
• Northern Ireland
• Luxembourg

Group B

• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Slovenia
• Kosovo

Group C

• Loser of Portugal vs. Denmark
• Greece
• Scotland
• Belarus

Group D

• Winner of France vs. Croatia
• Ukraine
• Iceland
• Azerbaijan

Group E

• Winner of Spain vs. Netherlands
• Turkey
• Georgia
• Bulgaria

Group F

• Winner of Portugal vs. Denmark
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Armenia

Group G

• Loser of Spain vs. Netherlands
• Poland
• Finland
• Lithuania
• Malta

Group H

• Austria
• Romania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Cyprus
• San Marino

Group I

• Loser of Germany vs. Italy
• Norway
• Israel
• Estonia
• Moldova

Group J

• Belgium
• Wales
• North Macedonia
• Kazakhstan
• Liechtenstein

Group K

• England
• Serbia
• Albania
• Latvia
• Andorra

Group L

• Loser of France vs. Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Montenegro
• Faroe Islands
• Gibraltar

UEFA Qualification Format

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

First Round

The 12 groups, each consisting of four or five teams, will play a traditional round-robin format from March to November 2025. The 12 group winners will secure direct qualification for the World Cup.

The 12 second-placed teams and the four best group winners from the 2024/2025 UEFA Nations League who finish outside the top two in their qualifying groups will advance to the playoff mini-tournaments.

Second Round

The playoff mini-tournaments, held in March 2026, will feature one-legged semifinals and finals. The 16 teams will be divided into four playoff paths, with each path producing one World Cup qualifier.