Idman.biz
The European group stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers has ended.
Idman.Biz reports that twelve teams have qualified directly for the finals by taking first place in their groups, and 16 teams have been identified to compete for the remaining four places in the play-offs.
These teams include the 12 teams that finished second in the qualifying groups and the four group winners of the Nations League who finished lower than second place in the qualifying stage.
Second place finishers: Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkey, Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Wales, Albania and Czech Republic.
Teams that qualified for the play-offs through the Nations League: Romania, Northern Ireland, Sweden and North Macedonia.
The teams will be divided into four groups and will play two single-game rounds: semi-finals and finals. The winner of each group will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The semi-final matches will be played on March 26, 2026, and the final matches will be played on March 31, 2026. The draw for the European qualifying play-off stage will be held on November 20.
