Thomas Tuchel’s England have been drawn against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in Group K of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager officially takes over as head coach on 1 January and will take heart from the fact England have never lost to any of the teams they will face on the road to the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Scotland are in a four-team group, and will face whichever team loses the Nations League quarter-final tie between Portugal and Denmark, along with Greece and Belarus in Group C. Steve Clarke’s men also face Greece in a Nations League promotion-relegation play-off in March.
World Cup 2026: Uefa qualifying draw
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Group A: Germany v Italy winnerSlovakia, N. Ireland, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal v Denmark loserGreece, Scotland, Belarus.
Group D: France v Croatia winnerUkraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain v Netherlands winnerTurkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal v Denmark WinnerHungary, Rep of Ire, Armenia.
Group G: Spain v Netherlands loserPoland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany v Italy loserNorway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, WalesNorth Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France v Croatia loserCzechia, Montenegro, Faroe Is, Gibraltar.
Games to be played 21-25 March, 6-10 June, 4-9 September,
9-14 October and 13-18 November 2025.
Nations League quarter-finals: Spain v Netherlands,
France v Croatia, Portugal v Denmark, Germany v Italy.
The Republic of Ireland have been drawn in Group F against the winner of the Portugal v Denmark Nations League tie, along with Hungary and Armenia in what looks a tough four-team group for Heimir Hallgrímsson’s team.
Craig Bellamy’s Wales are in Group J with Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein as they aim to qualify for a second successive World Cup. Wales met Belgium in qualifying for the last tournament and in the 2022 Nations League, having famously beaten them 3-1 in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
Michael O’Neill’s improving Northern Ireland will face the winner of Germany and Italy’s Nations League quarter-final, plus Slovakia and Luxembourg in Group A as they seek a first qualification since 1986.
England have only met Serbia once in their history as a single nation – at this year’s Euros where a Jude Bellingham goal proved decisive in a scrappy group stage encounter. England have won all six previous meetings with Albania – all World Cup qualifiers – and faced them in qualifying for the last finals in Qatar.
Latvia will be new opponents at senior level for England, while minnows Andorra were also in England’s group for qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s team won the home encounter 4-0 with a 5-0 victory in the return.
The Euro 2024 winners, Spainwill face Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria in Group E if they beat the Netherlands in their Nations League clash. If they go out, Spain will instead face Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta in Group G.
While the winner of Germany v Italy will be in Group A, the loser will face Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova in Group I. France will face Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan in Group D if they get past Croatia in the Nations League; otherwise, Europe’s top-ranked team will play Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands and Gibraltar in Group L.
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Aside from Wales and England’s groups, just two others are complete at this stage without Nations League permutations. In Group B, Switzerland face Sweden, Slovenia and Kosovo in what looks a tough group to call. Finally in Group H, Ralf Rangnick’s Austria face Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino.
Sixteen European nations will qualify for the finals, which will feature 48 teams for the first time. Qualifying will begin in March for the five-team groups, with four-team groups getting under way in September after the Nations League campaign is completed.
The winners of each group qualify automatically, with the runners-up then going into playoffs in March 2026 alongside the four best-ranked Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two of their qualifying group.
