As previously reported, UEFA has scheduled the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for December 13 this year.
Before the draw, all 54 teams participating in the tournament will be divided into 5 baskets (12 teams in the first four baskets and 6 in the fifth), and the draw will result in 12 groups of 4-5 teams each.
According to the regulations, the first basket will include the 8 best teams from the current UEFA Nations League in Division A, as well as 4 national teams that at the time of the draw will have the best FIFA ranking.
If the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle were held now, the composition of the baskets would be as follows (remember, in the current Nations League there are only two rounds left).
Preliminary composition of the baskets for the draw for the World Cup 2026 qualifying cycle
Basket 1
France
Spain
England
Belgium
Netherlands
Portugal
Italy
Germany
Croatia
Switzerland
Denmark
Austria
Basket 2
Serbia
Hungary
Poland
UKRAINE
Turkey
Sweden
Wales
Greece
Slovakia
Romania
Czech Republic
Norway
Basket 3
Scotland
Slovenia
Ireland
Finland
Georgia
Albania
North Macedonia
Iceland
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Northern Ireland
Montenegro
Israel
Basket 4
Bulgaria
Luxembourg
Belarus
Armenia
Kosovo
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Cyprus
Latvia
Faroe Islands
Lithuania
Basket 5
Moldova
Malta
Andorra
Gibraltar
Liechtenstein
San Marino.
Recall that the qualifying cycle of the World Cup 2026 will begin in March 2025 - during this period the starting matches of the tournament will be held in groups of five teams. And in September 2025, the fight will begin in the remaining groups. The group stage of qualification will end in November 2025.
The 12 winners of the qualifying groups will receive direct tickets to the final part of the World Cup 2026. The 12 teams that will take second place in their groups, as well as the 4 best winners of the 2024/25 Nations League groups, which will be below the second place in the groups of the qualifying cycle of the World Cup-2026, will form a play-off round, and in it will be played the remaining 4 tickets to the mundial.
Well, the World Cup 2026 will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026 on the soccer fields of the United States, Canada and Mexico. For the first time 48 teams will take part in the world championship.
