In just over a year and a half, the 2026 World Cup will take place in Canada, the USA and Mexico. Who will the German national team face in qualification? This question will be answered today at the draw for the European qualifying groups at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
sport.de transmits the procedure at this point from 12:00 p.m. in the LIVE stream. The stream opens at the top instead of the article image.
The Football World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA casts its shadow ahead. The 2026 XXL edition will include 48 participants, and 45 nations will have to fight for their ticket through World Cup qualification. The three host countries qualified as usual.
But it’s not just the number of participants that is new. The draw for the European qualifying groups also has a curiosity: Since qualification for the tournament organized by FIFA clashes with the final round of the UEFA Nations League, the DFB selection ultimately has it in its own hands as to who they face in the World Cup. Quali plays.
The World Cup qualification actually begins in March 2025, but Germany and Italy will then be in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. This means that there will not be a “Germany” or “Italy” ticket on Friday, but rather a placeholder. The DFB selection will not start Mission 2026 until June (if they lose against Italy) or September (if they win and take part in the “Final Four” of the Nations League).
World Cup qualification: Germany avoids top nations
Germany, like eleven other top nations, is now in Pot 1 – thanks to winning the group in the Nations League. The DFB selection is avoiding European champions Spain as well as the former world champions Italy, France and England or the Netherlands and Portugal.
What is also already certain: If Germany wins the quarter-finals against Italy, they will move into a group of four in the World Cup qualification. If you lose, you will be assigned to a group of five – and would therefore have to play additional games against teams like Malta or San Marino from pot five.
A total of 56 nations are taking part in the European World Cup qualification, and 16 places are up for grabs. The twelve group winners and the twelve runners-up are allowed to go to the World Cup in playoffs for the last four tickets. The four best-placed group winners from the Nations League who are not already qualified will also be in the playoffs – including Germany.
Football World Cup 2026: These are the European qualifying draws
Pot 1: GermanyFrance, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria
Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Romania, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia
Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Ireland, Finland, Georgia, Albania, North Macedonia, Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Israel
Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Armenia, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Lithuania
Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino