UEFA has announced the groups for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. England will play in Group K, and new boss Thomas Tuchel’s first assignment will be to qualify England for the World Cup. They will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will be in Group C or F, depending on their outcome against Denmark in the Nations League Quarter-Final clash. World Cup finalist France will be in Group F or L, depending on their outcome against Croatia.

The top team from 12 of the groups will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The group runners-up will take on the best four group winners from the Nations League that didn’t make the runner-up automatic spot in the World Cup qualifiers.

The 16 teams will be divided into four groups, with two-legged semi-finals and a one-legged final. The winner of the finals will advance to the World Cup, set to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

The World Cup qualifiers groups will start in March 2025 and end on November 18, 2025. The games will be held over five international breaks. The playoffs are set to take place on March 26-31, 2026.

Full World Cup 2026 European qualifiers draw:

Group A: Winner of Germany/Italy, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Loser of Portugal/Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: Winner of France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Winner of Spain/Netherlands, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Winner of Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Loser of Spain/Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Loser of Germany/Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: Loser of France/Croatia, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar