For the first time in history, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held with 48 teams. A total of 16 European national teams will participate in the tournament, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup are scheduled to begin in March 2025 and will conclude in March 2026 with the play-off phase.
The draw for the qualifiers will take place on December 13, 2024, in Zurich, Switzerland. The 12 qualifying groups will consist of 4 or 5 teams, and the matches will follow a home-and-away format.
Groups with 5 teams will begin the qualifiers in March 2025, while groups with 4 teams will start in September 2025.
All qualifying matches will conclude in November 2025.
The top 12 teams from the qualification groups will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the remaining 4 spots will be determined through the play-off phase.
How will the play-off stage work for the 2026 World Cup?
The 12 second-place teams from the qualifying groups will enter the play-off phase, along with 4 teams from the UEFA Nations League 2024/25. These teams will be selected based on their performance in the Nations League group stages, with an overall ranking across all leagues (A, B, C, D).
The 16 teams in the play-off phase will be divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 4 teams. In each group, there will be two semi-final matches played in a single-leg format. After the semi-finals, the 4 winners will advance to the play-off finals.
The 4 winning teams from the play-off finals will secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Group Draw: December 13, 2024
Qualifying Matches: March – November 2025
Play-off Matches: March 26-31, 2026
2026 World Cup: June 11 – July 19, 2026
