About FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) is a tournament held to determine European participants for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Participating Teams

A total of 55 teams from UEFA will be divided into seven groups of five teams and five groups of four teams, competing for 16 World Cup spots. The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the remaining 4 spots will be decided through play-offs.

Qualifiers for the five-team groups will start in March 2025, with the four-team groups kicking off in September 2025. Among the participating teams, the 12 group winners will secure direct qualification. The 12 group runners-up, along with the 4 highest-ranked group winners from the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League (across all four divisions) who did not finish first or second in their World Cup qualification groups, will compete in two rounds of play-offs to determine the remaining 4 qualifiers.

The 12 seeded teams for the UEFA World Cup qualifiers will consist of the 8 teams that reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League Division A, plus the 4 highest-ranked remaining teams in the FIFA rankings.

Play-off Participants and Format

Play-off Participants: The 12 group runners-up, combined with the 4 highest-ranked group winners from the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League (excluding those who finished first or second in their World Cup qualification groups).

Play-off Format: The 16 teams will be split into 4 play-off paths, with 4 teams in each path. The play-offs will take place during the international match window in March 2026, where each path will determine a qualifier through single-leg semi-finals and a single-leg final.