With the end of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Europe qualifiers grouping was officially finalized.

On December 13, 2024, the European qualifiers were drawn. However, due to the need to implement the European qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League in parallel to ensure that the competition can be promoted simultaneously, UEFA has implemented a complex draw setting, and the final draw result will only be based on the completion of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.

Final grouping of the European qualifiers

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, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria

Group F: Portugal, Hungary, 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

European qualifying rules (16 places in the finals)

In the 12 groups of the European qualifiers, the first place in each group will directly enter the World Cup finals. The second place in the 12 groups will enter the play-offs, and 4 play-off places will be determined by the European Nations League. A total of 16 teams will enter the European play-offs.

The four play-off seats of the UEFA Nations League belong to the first place of the 14 groups in the four-level group stage of the UEFA Nations League. According to the final points, they are Spain (A), Germany (A), Portugal (A), France (A), England (B), Norway (B), Wales (B), Czech Republic (B), Sweden (C), North Macedonia (C), Romania (C), Northern Ireland (C), Moldova (D), San Marino (D). Among these 14 teams, the teams that did not rank in the top two in the World Cup qualifying group stage will enter this replacement channel. When there are less than four teams left, they will be replaced in order from the second place in the A-level league according to the overall ranking of the UEFA Nations League.

The 16 teams entering the European play-offs will be divided into four groups, each with four teams. Each group will have two semi-finals and one final to compete for a total of four World Cup finals seats.