Scotland will join England at the World Cup finals in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer – and it could yet be a clean sweep for the Home Nations.
England were the first team in Europe to secure their spot while Scotland left it until injury time of their final group game with Denmark to finally seal victory in dramatic fashion – while Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will try to do the same through the play-offs.
England dominated Group K, earning eight wins from eight games without conceding a goal and sealed their spot in North America with two fixtures to spare.
Scotland’s eventual 4-2 win over Denmark ensured they will play at a World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, but their victory was not without drama after twice being pegged back by their visitors – the second time after Brian Riemer’s side had been reduced to 10 men.
Wales did their bit with a 7-1 thrashing of North Macedonia but their hopes of Liechtenstein achieving the impossible and avoiding defeat to Belgium means they will have to settle for a play-off spot.
They were guaranteed one regardless of their result in Cardiff – but their victory means they will be seeded in Pot 2 for Thursday’s draw, guaranteeing them a home tie against a Pot 3 side in March.
One of those Pot 3 sides and a potential opponent in the new year is Republic of Ireland, who kept their hopes of qualification alive with a dramatic 3-2 win at Hungary, which came after a shock 2-0 home win over Portugal.
Troy Parrott scored a 96th-minute winner in Budapest, completing his hat-trick in the process, and they have now earned a play-off spot after securing second place.
Northern Ireland will face one of Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine or Italy in the play-off semi-finals after their loss to Slovakia in their penultimate qualification game. Michael O’Neill’s side finished third in Group A, but their strong Nations League campaign was enough to confirm their place in the play-offs.
Scroll down for the full fixture list for European qualifying, and click here to know about how the play-offs in March will work.
World Cup 2026 European qualifiers schedule
Group-stage match dates: November 13-18, 2025
Play-off match dates: March 26-31 2026
Final tournament dates: June 11 to July 19 2026
2026 World Cup qualifying groups
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, 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 does European World Cup qualifying work?
A total of 16 European nations will compete at the 48-team FIFA men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
European qualifiers begin in March 2025, with the play-offs in March 2026.
Teams were drawn into 12 groups of four and five teams, with the groups involving teams in UEFA Nations League quarter-final action finalised after those ties in March, with the four winners placed in groups of four.
Qualifying begins in March, with teams drawn in groups of four starting their campaigns in September. They will play traditional home-and-away matches and “all play all” principles retained. All groups conclude in November 2025.
How many European teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the World Cup; the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.
The 12 group runners-up will participate in the play-offs, along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.
The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will be played in single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.
When and where is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament will take place across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first time a World Cup has been hosted by three nations.
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
An expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams – 16 more than in Qatar 2022 – and take place across three host nations for the first time.
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Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol gives an update on Donald Trump’s recent threat to remove 2026 World Cup games from Boston
World Cup 2026 schedule
Group stage: June 11-27
Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
Round of 16: July 4-7
Quarter-finals: July 9-11
Semi-finals: July 14-15
Third-place play-off (‘Bronze final’): July 18
Final: July 19
2026 World Cup venues – host cities and stadiums
USA
Dallas Stadium – Arlington, Texas (capacity 94,000)
New York New Jersey Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (capacity 82,500)
Atlanta Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia (capacity 75,000)
Kansas City Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri (73,000)
Houston Stadium – Houston, Texas (capacity 72,000)
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, Washington (capacity 69,000)
Boston Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts (65,000)
Miami Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida (capacity 65,000)
Canada
Toronto Stadium – Toronto (capacity: 45,000)
BC Place Vancouver – Vancouver (capacity 54,000)
Mexico
Estadio Azteca Mexico City – Mexico City (capacity 83,000) Estadio Monterrey – Guadalupe (capacity 53,500) Estadio Guadalajara – Zapopan (capacity 48,000)
