The Frontier

•The FIFA World Cup trophy

England were placed in a group with Serbia as the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe took place today.

As they prepare to begin life under new coach Thomas Tuchel, England were also drawn alongside Albania, Latvia and Andorra in the five-team Group K, reports AFP.

England, who have qualified for every World Cup since missing the 1994 tournament in the United States, played Serbia in their opening game at Euro 2024, winning 1-0 thanks to a Jude Bellingham goal.

Matches will take place between March and November next year, with the group winners qualifying directly for the World Cup in North America.

The runners-up in each of the 12 qualifying groups will get a second chance via a series of play-offs, with Europe now contributing a total of 16 nations to the expanded 48-team competition.

The exact make-up of the groups is not yet completely clear as it depends on the outcome of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals next March.

Those ties will see reigning European champions Spain face the Netherlands, while Germany play Italy, Portugal take on Denmark and France meet Croatia.

The groups in which these teams end up depend on whether they win and progress to the Nations League semi-finals next June, or are eliminated.

France, who have been to the last two World Cup finals, will be in a group with Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan should they reach the Nations League final four.

However, should they go out of the Nations League to Croatia in the last eight, they will go into World Cup qualifying Group L with the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands and Gibraltar.

Reigning European champions Spain, who also won the last edition of the Nations League, will be in a group with Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria should they defeat the Netherlands in their quarter-final.

The loser of Spain’s tie against the Dutch will be placed in Group G with Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta.

There are six groups of five teams who will begin qualifying in March, while the six groups of four teams will only start next September.

Scotland, who are bidding to qualify for a first World Cup since 1998, were drawn in Group C in which they will play Greece, Belarus and the loser of the Nations League quarter-final between Portugal and Denmark.

Greece and Scotland are also due to play each other in a play-off next March to decide who is in the top tier of the next edition of the Nations League.

Wales were drawn in the same group as Belgium, as was already the case in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, when both teams made it to the finals in Qatar.

Those sides will also come up against North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and minnows Liechtenstein in Group J.

FULL DRAW

Draw for the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, made in Zurich today:

Group A: Winner of Germany v Italy Nations League quarter-final, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg

Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo

Group C: Loser of Portugal v Denmark Nations League quarter-final, Greece, Scotland, Belarus

Group D: Winner of France v Croatia Nations League quarter-final, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan

Group E: Winner of Spain v Netherlands Nations League quarter-final, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria

Group F: Winner of Portugal v Denmark Nations League quarter-final, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia

Group G: Loser of Spain v Netherlands Nations League quarter-final, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta

Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino

Group I: Loser of Germany v Italy Nations League quarter-final, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova