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World Cup Qualifying – UEFA

Europe · International

Places (2026)
16
Groups
12
Play-off places
4
Group matches
March – November of the year before the finals

UEFA’s World Cup qualifiers decide which European nations go to the finals. For the 2026 World Cup Europe had 16 places, its largest allocation ever: the 54 competing teams were drawn into twelve groups of four or five, played home and away between March and November 2025, and each group winner qualified directly.

The twelve group runners-up were joined by the four best-ranked Nations League group winners who had not already finished in the top two, and those sixteen teams played single-leg semi-finals and finals in March 2026 for the last four places. The qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup follow in the next cycle.

Golalarm covers every European qualifier with live scores, lineups, statistics and player ratings, and the standings tab shows each group table during the campaign.

MatchesStandingsTop players

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