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SportsCasting
Cai Parry

World Cup 2026 Qualifying Draw: Home Nations Learn Opponents

Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland have all discovered their World Cup 2026 qualifying opponents after the draw was made in Zurich on Friday morning.

Set to embark on a new era under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, England have been drawn into Group K for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.

The Three Lions beat Serbia 1-0 in the group stages of Euro 2024 last summer, courtesy of Jude Bellingham‘s first-half header, while they beat Albania and Andorra, both home and away, in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

As for Latvia, it’ll be the first time that England have ever faced off against the Baltic minnows.

Wales have also been drawn into a five-team group, Group J, where they will likely battle Belgium, whom they have played an incredible nine times since 2012, for the top spot.

North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein make up the remainder of their group.

Scotland, meanwhile, are in Group C alongside Greece, Belarus and the loser of the Nations League quarter-final fixture between Portugal and Denmark, and Northern Ireland are in Group A with Slovakia, Luxembourg and the winner of the Nations League quarter-final tie between Germany and Italy.

All fixtures will take place in March, June, September, October and November 2025.

2026 World Cup Qualifying Draw In Full

Group A:

  • Winner of QF4 (Germany vs Italy)
  • Slovakia
  • Northern Ireland
  • Luxembourg

Group B:

  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Slovenia
  • Kosovo

Group C:

  • Loser of QF3 (Portugal vs Denmark)
  • Greece
  • Scotland
  • Belarus

Group D:

  • Winner of QF2 (France vs Croatia)
  • Ukraine
  • Iceland
  • Azerbaijan

Group E:

  • Winner of QF1 (Spain vs Netherlands)
  • Turkey
  • Georgia
  • Bulgaria

Group F:

  • Winner of QF3 (Portugal vs Denmark)
  • Hungary
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Armenia

Group G:

  • Loser of QF1 (Spain vs Netherlands)
  • Poland
  • Finland
  • Lithuania
  • Malta

Group H:

  • Austria
  • Romania
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Cyprus
  • San Marino

Group I:

  • Loser of QF4 (Germany vs Italy)
  • Norway
  • Israel
  • Estonia
  • Moldova

Group J:

  • Belgium
  • Wales
  • North Macedonia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Liechtenstein

Group K:

  • England
  • Serbia
  • Albania
  • Latvia
  • Andorra

Group L:

  • Loser of QF2 (France vs Croatia)
  • Czech Republic
  • Montenegro
  • Faroe Islands
  • Gibraltar
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