For the first time in history, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams. 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 with the “play-off” phase in March 2026.
The draw will take place on December 13, 2024, in Zurich, Switzerland, with 12 groups to be formed, each containing 4 or 5 teams. 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 groups will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the remaining 4 spots will be decided through the play-off phase.
How will the play-off phase work for the 2026 World Cup?
The 12 runners-up from the qualifying groups will participate in the play-offs, along with 4 teams from the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, based on their group performances. There will also be an overall ranking for all leagues (A, B, C, D).
The 16 teams in the play-off phase will be divided into 4 groups of 4 teams each. In each group, there will be two semi-final matches, played as single-legged ties, followed by 4 final matches to determine the winners. The 4 winning teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The play-off matches will take place from March 26-31, 2026.
Key dates:
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
- CREATED by:
- “KORÇA BOOM”
