Plus key dates for the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers, how qualifying works, and why some groups are yet to be finalised
England will soon discover their first opponents of the Tuchel era, once Uefa finalise the fixture dates for the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers, with the Three Lions starting their campaign in March.were in Pot 2 and drawn in Group J along with Belgium, who they beat at Euro 2016 and went on to face in the previous World Cup qualifiers and 2022 Nations League.The final make-up of those groups will be determined by the outcome of the Nations League quarter-finals .
All this means only four of the 12 European qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup were finalised on 13 December.A total of 16 European teams will qualify for the 48-team 2026 World Cup. All 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the 12 runners-up will enter the play-offs along with four of the best-ranked group winners from the 2024-25 Nations League that did not place first or second in their World Cup qualifying group.
The 16 teams will be drawn into four play-off paths, which will include single-leg semi-finals and finals.The opening match will take place at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, while the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the final.
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