While other regions are preparing to enter the final matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, tonight, the European region officially enters the first matches.
There are 54 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup qualifying round in Europe, competing for 16 places to attend the finals in North America next summer. The teams are divided into 12 groups (6 groups of 4 teams and 6 groups of 5 teams). The first-place teams will go straight to the finals, the second-place teams will wait for their results to be considered to find a ticket to the finals through the play-off stage.
Due to UEFA's special regulations, teams that advance deep into the 2024/2025 Nations League will not play the first matches, so this March there will only be one major European team competing, the England team.
On the opening day, England will face Albania at home at 2:45 am on March 22. This group also includes Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra. The England vs Albania match tomorrow morning is also the first match of coach Thomas Tuchel leading the Three Lions.
According to experts, Europe has 16 places to participate in the 2026 World Cup, so the possibility of big teams losing their places is not high.
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