Accordingly, the Russian team submitted an application to participate in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. But the application was not accepted, because they are still banned from participating in all tournaments by the world football agency. world (FIFA) and Europe (UEFA) from February 2022 to present.
The Russian team (white shirt) in a friendly match with the Vietnamese team in September
Therefore, just like in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Russian team was soon eliminated from the world football festival in 2026 held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The European region currently has 54 teams qualified to participate, instead of 55 teams as before, competing for 16 spots in the final round.
The results of the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying group in Europe, specifically as follows:
Table A: Winners of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between Germany and ItalySlovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg.
Table B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Table C: The team lost the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between Portugal and DenmarkGreece, Scotland, Belarus.
Table D:Winners of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between France and CroatiaUkraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Table E: Winners of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between Spain and the NetherlandsTürkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Table F: Winners of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between Portugal and DenmarkHungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Table G:The team lost the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between Spain and the NetherlandsPoland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Table H:Austria, Romania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Table I: The team lost the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between Germany and ItalyNorway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Table J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Table K: UK, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Table L: The team lost the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between France and CroatiaCzech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
The Italian team, after not being able to participate in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups because they were eliminated in the qualifying round, was drawn into Group A or Group I, depending on the results in the two rounds of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with Germany. in March 2025.
However, it can be seen that the winning team will be more favorable, because Group A has 4 teams and the opponents are easier to breathe, while Group I has 5 teams, in which the Norwegian team with 2 stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard will very formidable.
Coach Luciano Spalletti and his team have played quite impressively recently, rising to 9th place on the FIFA rankings and entering the quarterfinals of the UEFA Nations League 2024 – 2025 season (against the German team), being evaluated to win first place in the group. to appear again at the 2026 World Cup.
Coach Luciano Spalletti of the Italian team
Similarly, the World Cup runner-up, the French team, also needs to win against Croatia to be in Group D with 4 teams. If they lose, coach Didier Deschamps and his team must play in Group L with 5 teams, which will have many difficulties. Meanwhile, the English team with new coach Thomas Tuchel will face many challenges in Group K with 5 teams and the Serbian team is very upset to compete for the top spot in the group.
2026 World Cup qualifying round in Europe, with 6 groups with 5 teams (from Group G to Group L) will compete from March 2025. The remaining 6 groups have 4 teams from Group A to Group F who will play their first match from September 2025.
Teams compete against each other in a round-robin format, with each team playing home and away matches. The top 12 teams in each group will gain the right to directly participate in the 2026 World Cup, while the 12 second-place teams and 4 teams with good records based on the final rankings in the UEFA Nations League season 2024 – 2025 enter the play-off round. off to compete for the remaining 4 spots.
The 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off round in Europe takes place in March 2026, with 16 teams divided into 4 groups, paired teams compete in the semi-finals and finals. 4 teams win 4 brackets to qualify for the final round in the US, Mexico and Canada.
