Accordingly, UEFA said that 54/55 European teams participated in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Russian team was still eliminated after being banned from competing by the world football body (FIFA) since February 2022.
The 2026 World Cup European qualifiers will take place in March 2025.
The 54 European teams will be divided into pots based on their UEFA coefficients at the time of the draw, with teams divided into 12 groups of four and five teams, each playing against each other on a home-and-away basis.
The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The remaining four spots will be decided by a play-off series involving the 12 group runners-up.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying round in Europe will take place on December 13, but UEFA has not yet set a specific date. The first matches of the qualifying round will take place in March 2025, and will conclude in November of the same year. The play-offs for the remaining four places in Europe, including the semi-finals and final, will take place on March 26 and March 31, 2026.
The European qualifiers are the latest in comparison to the other regions. In Asia, the qualifiers are already in their third round. In South America, the teams are already in their tenth round. In Africa, the first group stage is underway. In CONCACAF, the second group stage is underway. Similarly, in Oceania, the second group stage is also underway.
Expected seed groups in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 48 teams participating for the first time. Europe has the most spots in the finals (16), followed by Africa with 9, Asia with 8 and South America with 6. These regions also have 1 play-off spot.
The 2026 World Cup is now just 18 months away. Regional qualifiers will be held from late 2024 through 2025 to determine the best teams to compete in the World Cup. Currently, only the three co-hosts, the US, Canada and Mexico, have secured their spots, and no other team has yet secured a place in the finals.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khi-nao-boc-tham-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-khu-vuc-chau-au-doi-tuyen-nga-ra-sao-185241113103826379.htm
Comment (0)