Top Contenders France and Spain Kick Off UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifying Campaigns
by Joseph King | by Joseph King
How does UEFA World Cup qualification work?
The expansion to a 48-team World Cup has resulted in some changes to the qualification phase. For the 2022 edition, UEFA had 10 total groups: five groups containing 5 teams and five groups containing 6 teams.
For the 2026 World Cup, they’ve expanded the number of groups but reduced the sizes, so we are left with six groups of 4 teams (Groups A-E) and six groups of 5 teams (Groups F-I).
Those in Groups A-E will play their first two matches over the next week with each team playing six matches over the next three international breaks in total; two matches in September, two in October and two in November. Those in Groups F-I already have a few matches under their belts and will conclude their fixtures in the same timeframe.
The winner in each group punches their ticket directly to the World Cup finals in June of next year, while the second-place finishers enter into a play-off which will be held in March, 2026.
What is the play-off?
- The 12 runners-up in the groups are joined by the four best-ranked Nations League group winners that finished outside of the top two in their qualifying group.
- These 16 teams are split into four play-off paths that play single-elimination matches (higher-seeded team is at home).
- All play-off matches will be played in the March 2026 international window.
- The four teams remaining at the end qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Notable teams starting qualifying
Spain, France and Germany, three of the top six favourites to lift the World Cup trophy next year according to the best online betting sites, will be playing their first two matches of the campaign over the next week. Check out who they are paired with in their four-team groups:
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Germany, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg |
| Group D | France, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan |
| Group E | Spain, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia |
England, also considered one of the top favourites to be crowned champions, are looking to end what will be a 60-year World Cup drought by the time 2026 rolls around. They have already been in action with three games played. England now have five games remaining on the schedule. See how they are doing below:
| Group K | Played | Record (W-D-L) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 3 | 3-0-0 | 9 |
| Albania | 4 | 1-2-1 | 4 |
| Serbia | 2 | 1-1-0 | 3 |
| Latvia | 3 | 1-1-1 | 3 |
| Andorra | 4 | 0-0-4 | 0 |
Matches to watch out for over the international break
England vs Andorra
- Venue: Villa Park
- Date and time: 06 September 2025, 17:00 BST
- Referee: TBD
Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions are back in action and looking to build on the encouraging displays from March and June. They’ve started with a perfect 100% winning record (in competitive fixtures) under the former Chelsea and PSG manager and they are overwhelming favourites to keep that run going. Anything less than a multiple-goal victory would be seen as a disappointment with England playing this one at Villa Park for the first time since 2005.
Netherlands vs Poland
- Venue: Feyenoord Stadium
- Date and time: 04 September 2025, 19:45 BST
- Referee: Simone Sozza (ITA)
An important match that could determine the fate of these two teams will play out in Rotterdam on Thursday. The Netherlands and Poland are currently second and third in the group, respectively, both even on six points. Finland are currently in first place with seven points but have played two more games than the Dutch and one more game than the Poles.
Failure to win here could see Poland miss out on the 2026 World Cup.
The Netherlands are in the stronger position with a game in hand advantage over Poland. If Robert Lewandowski and company are to join the festivities in North America next year, then this is essentially a must-win match for them. Who will come out on top? See the full analysis in our Netherlands vs Poland prediction.
Ukraine vs France
- Venue: Stadion Miejski
- Date and time: 05 September 2025, 19:45 BST
- Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
2026 World Cup favourites begin their march towards securing a qualifying berth with a potentially tricky away match against Ukraine on Friday. This won’t be a true away match, being played on the neutral field of the Stadion Miejski in Poland, but Les Bleus have nonetheless been successful away from the comforts of home over the last few years. Check out our experts' take on the match in our Ukraine vs France prediction!
France away matches (since the end of 2022 World Cup):
- Played: 15
- Won: 8
- Drawn: 4
- Lost: 3
- Goals for: 24
- Goals against: 18
Denmark vs Scotland
- Venue: Parken
- Date and time: 05 September 2025, 19:45 BST
- Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Group C is shaping up to be the most evenly-matched out of the 12 qualifying groups and will certainly be one to keep an eye on. Denmark are slight favourites to win automatic qualification, while Scotland and Greece are expected to slug it out for second. However, the Tartan Army could throw a real wrench into the mix if they were to claim all three points in Copenhagen on Friday.
