The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers, set to take place across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, will be held on Friday.
Türkiye, placed in Pot 2, will learn their group during the draw at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
A total of 54 countries will participate in the draw, which will determine 12 groups – six with five teams and six with four teams.
Türkiye will be placed in a four-team group due to their play-off match with Hungary in March for promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League.
The first matches in the five-team groups will begin in March, while the four-team groups will start their campaigns in September.
Each country will play every other team in their group twice, home and away, with the European qualifiers concluding in November 2025.
Pot allocation
According to FIFA, the European qualifying pots are as follows:
Pot 1: France, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria.
Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Türkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway.
Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel.
Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania.
Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino.
Certain teams will not be drawn in the same groups due to UEFA regulations:
- Gibraltar / Spain
- Kosovo / Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kosovo / Serbia
- Ukraine / Belarus
Additionally, Iceland and the Faroe Islands will not be placed in the same group due to high winter conditions risk.
16 European teams
A total of 16 European teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with the top team from each of the 12 groups earning automatic qualification. The remaining 4 spots will be determined through play-offs, involving the 12 group runners-up and 4 teams from the UEFA Nations League. These play-offs will take place in March 2026.
The 2026 World Cup, featuring 48 teams in 12 groups, will kick off on June 11, 2026, at Mexico City’s iconic 83,000-seat Azteca Stadium.
The final will be held on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, U.S., with a capacity of 82,500 spectators.
A total of 104 matches will be played during the tournament.
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