England's national football team, under the new management of Thomas Tuchel, has learned its opponents for the World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign. The Three Lions have been placed in Group K alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.
Thomas Tuchel, who officially takes over as England manager in January, will lead the team in their first competitive matches starting in March. This marks a significant moment for Tuchel, who is stepping into the role with high expectations following his successful tenure at club level.
The expanded 48-team World Cup, set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has introduced a new qualification format. Europe will see 12 groups, with six groups containing five teams and the other six comprising four teams. The top team from each group will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the runners-up will enter play-offs alongside four Nations League teams.
England's group features familiar foes. They previously defeated Serbia in the Euro 2024 group stages, with Jude Bellingham scoring a decisive header. Additionally, England has a strong track record against Albania, having bested them in qualifiers for both the 2002 and 2022 World Cups.
However, they have never faced Latvia before, adding an element of unpredictability to the mix. Meanwhile, Andorra was comfortably beaten by England with an aggregate score of 9-0 during the 2022 World Cup qualifying rounds.
In other groupings, Scotland finds itself in Group C, where it will face the loser of the Nations League quarter-final between Portugal and Denmark, along with Greece and Belarus. Wales, drawn in Group J, will compete against Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. Northern Ireland faces a challenging path in Group A, potentially taking on either Germany or Italy, alongside Slovakia and Luxembourg.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the importance of this expanded tournament, stating, "The 2026 World Cup represents a new era for global football, offering more nations the opportunity to compete on the world stage."
The full draw for the European qualifiers is as follows:
Group A:
Winner of Germany vs Italy
Slovakia
Northern Ireland
Luxembourg
Group B:
Switzerland
Sweden
Slovenia
Kosovo
Group C:
Loser of Portugal vs Denmark
Greece
Scotland
Belarus
Group D:
Winner of France vs Croatia
Ukraine
Iceland
Azerbaijan
Group E:
Winner of Spain vs Netherlands
Turkey
Georgia
Bulgaria
Group F:
Winner of Portugal vs Denmark
Hungary
Republic of Ireland
Armenia
Group G:
Loser of Spain vs Netherlands
Poland
Finland
Lithuania
Malta
Group H:
Austria
Romania
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Cyprus
San Marino
Group I:
Loser of 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 France vs Croatia
Czechia
Montenegro
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
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