The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers draw will take place on Friday. Find out how each UEFA country will find its route to the finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The first round: twenty teams (ranked 27-46) played home-and-away in a single round-robin. The ten winners advanced to the second round.

Second round: thirty-six teams – the ten winners from the first round and CONCACAF teams ranked 29 to 32 based on their FIFA rankings in December 2023 – were divided into six groups of four teams. They played a single round-robin in September and October. The group winners and runners-up advanced to the third round.

Third round: The four best-ranked second-round teams were seeded for a one-legged playoff against the lowest-ranked team in their World Cup qualifiers group. The higher-seeded team will play at home. The winner of the playoff will qualify for the World Cup.

The remaining four World Cup spots will be awarded based on the results of the UEFA Nations League play-offs. Each of the two finalists will advance to the finals, and they will be seeded based on their performance in one-legged semi-final ties.