ZURICH/NYON: All the usual suspects will take the top seedings in the European qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup which takes place on Friday, December 13 in Zurich. The line-up was confirmed by world federation FIFA after publication of its latest world ranking.

UEFA Nations League quarter-finalists Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain and will be joined in Pot 1 by best-ranked UEFA nations England, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria, who are in the top pot for the first time since the qualifiers for the 1986 FIFA World Cup™.

The remaining teams are allocated to pots 2 to 5 according to the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, with Slovakia’s win over Estonia and Czechia’s win over Georgia ensuring them both a spot in pot 2.

As per the draw procedures, the draw will begin with Pot 1 and continue with Pot 2 through to Pot 5. Each pot will be completely emptied before moving on to the next pot. In general, and for each pot, the teams drawn will be placed in ascending order from Group A to Group L.

The expansion of FIFA’s flagship event ahead of the 2026 instalment has seen the number of places for UEFA national teams increase from 13 to 16.

The European qualifying competition will begin in March and conclude next November. It will follow a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the group winners securing a place at the FIFA World Cup.

The four remaining places will then be decided in March 2026 in a 16-team UEFA play-off involving the 12 group-stage runners-up and the four best-ranked UEFA Nations League 2024-25 group winners that have neither qualified directly for the FIFA World Cup as group winners nor entered the play-offs already as group runners-up.

Draw explanation: Draw Procedures for the UEFA Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26™.

UEFA Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26 seedings (ordered by FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking)

Pot 1: France, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark and Austria

Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Türkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czechia and Norway

Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Israel

Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia and Lithuania

Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and San Marino

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