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Spain find out their possible opponents on the road to World Cup 2026

Their group will depend on the outcome of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final between Spain and the Netherlands in March.
Fri, 13/12/2024 - 14:09

The Spanish national football team now knows its possible opponents in the qualifiers for World Cup 2026 to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Their qualifying group will depend on the outcome of Spain's UEFA Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands in March.

If the national team wins, they will be drawn in Group E (of four teams) and will face Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria in a qualifying round starting in September 2025 and concluding in November of the same year.

If Spain fail to progress from the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, they will be drawn in Group G (five-teams) with Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta. The qualifying phase will take place between June and November 2025.

These are the 12 groups of four or five teams each that make up UEFA's preliminary phase for the 2026 World Cup: 

Group A

Winner GER/ITA, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg

Group B

Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo

Group C

Loser POR/DEN, Greece, Scotland, Belarus

Group D

Winner FRA/CRO, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan

Group E

Winner SPA/NED, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria

Group F

WinnerPOR/DIN, Hungría, Rep. Irlanda, Armenia

Group G

Loser SPA/NED, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta

Group H

Belgium, Wales, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein

Group I

Loser Ger/ITA, Norway, Israel, Estonia. Moldova

Group J

Belgium, Wales, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein

Group K

England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra, Latvia, Andorra

Group L

Loser FRA/CRO, Czech Rep., Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

The top team in each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The runners-up will play a play-off against the other runners-up in their respective groups. The UEFA Nations League quarter-finalists, such as Spain, are guaranteed a place in the play-offs.