Accordingly, UEFA said that 54/55 European teams participated in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Russian team was still eliminated after being banned from competing by the world football body (FIFA) since February 2022 until now.
The 2026 World Cup European qualifiers will take place in March 2025.
The 54 European teams will be divided into pots based on their UEFA coefficients at the time of the draw, with teams divided into 12 groups of four and five teams, each playing each other on a home and away basis.
The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The remaining four spots will be decided by a series of play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying round in Europe will take place on December 13, but UEFA has not yet set a specific date. The first matches of the qualifying round will take place in March 2025, and will end in November of the same year. The play-off round for the remaining four places in the European zone, including the semi-finals and final, will take place on March 26 and March 31, 2026.
The European qualifying round is the latest compared to the other regions. In Asia, the qualifying matches are already in the third round. In South America, the teams have played in the tenth round. In Africa, the first group stage is taking place. In CONCACAF, the second group stage is taking place. Similarly, in Oceania, the second group stage is also taking place.
Expected seed groups in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 48 teams participating for the first time. Europe has the most places in the finals (16), followed by Africa with 9 places, Asia with 8 places, and South America with 6 places. These regions also have 1 play-off place.
The 2026 World Cup is now just 18 months away. Regional qualifying matches will take place from late 2024 and throughout 2025 to determine the best teams to participate in the world football festival. Currently, only the three co-host teams, the US, Canada and Mexico, have secured their places, and no team has yet secured a ticket to the finals.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khi-nao-boc-tham-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-khu-vuc-chau-au-doi-tuyen-nga-ra-sao-185241113103826379.htm
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