WC Qualification Europe (UEFA)
› All results, tables and qualified teams of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe
On 20 May 2026 UEFA approved a new league system for World Cup and EURO qualifying that is linked to the Nations League; the transition rules for the 2026/27 Nations League followed on 15 September 2026. The 2030 World Cup is the first tournament qualified for in this format. The draw follows the 2026/27 Nations League, and the qualifying matches start after EURO 2028.
| Spots | Teams in qualifying | Format |
|---|
| ~16 | 54 | League system (League 1 + League 2) |
Format
| League | Teams | Format | Qualification |
|---|
| League 1 | 36 (Nations League A + B) | 3 groups of 12, 6 matches each | 3 group winners directly, further places via play-offs |
| League 2 | 18–19 (remaining associations) | 3 groups of 6 | via play-offs |
Hosts Spain and Portugal qualify automatically but still take part in qualifying – their results set their seeding for the following Nations League. How many places Europe will get and what the play-offs will look like is not yet final.
Schedule
The key dates up to the 2030 World Cup – officially confirmed, planned or expected based on the 2026 cycle:
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|
| June 2027 | Nations League 2026/27 finals – the final standings decide who plays in League 1 or League 2 of European qualifying | planned |
| from autumn 2028 | European qualifying starts after EURO 2028 in the new league system: League 1 (36 teams, three groups of 12) and League 2 | planned |
| by November 2029 | End of the league phase in Europe: the three League 1 group winners qualify, further places go to the play-offs | expected |
| late 2029 | Final draw for the World Cup (for 2026 it was held on 5 December 2025) | expected |
| March 2030 | European play-offs and intercontinental play-offs for the last World Cup tickets | expected |
| 8 June – 21 July 2030 | 2030 World Cup: centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, then the tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco up to the final on 21 July | official |
Still open: the start dates in Africa, Asia and Oceania, and whether the 2030 World Cup will have 48 or 64 teams – which also decides the number of places. We update this schedule as soon as the confederations confirm dates.