The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for the UEFA zone took place this morning. Some groups will be determined based on the results in the Nations League quarter-finals and France does not yet know who their opponents will be; if i Blue should they win against Croatia, they will face Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan in Group D. In case of defeat, however, France will be in group L with the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands and Gibraltar.
Didier Deschamps he didn’t really appreciate this format, as he told AFP: “We have seven potential opponents with different profiles. We know a little more but we don’t know everything yet. For many people it was difficult to understand the draw, the key word is to adapt. We won’t play the quarter-finals of the Nations League to be in the group of five or four, that’s for sure. The most problematic thing will be the supervision of these teams, since it will take a lot of people to see our potential opponents”..
Below are the European qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup drawn this morning in Zurich
GROUP A: Winner Germany/Italy – Slovakia – Northern Ireland – Luxembourg.
GROUP B: Switzerland – Sweden – Slovenia – Kosovo.
GROUP C: Loser Portugal/Denmark – Greece – Scotland – Belarus.
GROUP D: Winner France/Croatia – Ukraine – Iceland – Azerbaijan.
GROUP E: Winner Spain/Holland – Türkiye – Georgia – Bulgaria.
GROUP F: Winner Portugal/Denmark – Hungary – Ireland – Armenia.
GROUP G: Loser Spain/Holland – Poland – Finland – Lithuania – Malta.
GROUP H: Austria – Romania – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Cyprus – San Marino.
GROUP I: Loser Germany/Italy – Norway – Israel – Estonia – Moldova.
GROUP J: Belgium – Wales – North Macedonia – Kazakhstan – Liechtenstein.
GROUP K: England – Serbia – Albania – Latvia – Andorra.
GROUP L: Loser France/Croatia – Czech Republic – Montenegro – Faroe Islands – Gibraltar.