Saturday December 14, 2024

European WC qualifiers groups set but match-ups still open

Finland to face Poland, Lithuania, Malta and Spain or Netherlands

Published : 14 Dec 2024, 02:32

By Nathalia Araújo, dpa

Match between Finland and England in the UEFA Nations League Group B2 match on September 10, 2024 in London, Britain. File Photo: Xinhua.

The groups for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for the European zone are set, but the final match-ups will only been known after the Nations League quarter-finals.

The six groups of four teams (A-F) and the six groups of five teams (G-L) were drawn by football governing body FIFA on Friday.

As 24 teams will still be competing in the Nations League in March 2025 - eight in the League A quarter-finals and 16 in the promotion/relegation play-offs in other leagues - significant changes were made to the seeding and draw procedures to accommodate all teams within the Nations League schedule.

The competition will feature staggered starting dates, with the four Nations League quarter-finals winners being drawn into four-team groups and starting the World Cup qualifiers in September 2025.

World Cup runners-up France will be in Group D with Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan if they defeat Croatia in the Nations League quarter-finals. In case of defeat, they will fall into Group L with Czech Republic, Montenegro and Gibraltar.

Euro 2024 champions Spain will have Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria in Group E if they overcome the Netherlands in the Nations League. Otherwise, they will join five-team Group G with Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.

Germany will be hoping to reach the Nations League final four for the first time and if they manage that, their World Cup qualifiers path will start in Group A with Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg.

The Germans face Italy in the Nations League quarter-finals and elimination at this stage will see the Euro 2024 hosts in Group I with Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.

England, who have no Nations League commitments as they already clinched promotion to League A, have been drawn against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.

The 12 group winners go to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The other four will be determined in play-offs among the 12 group runners-up and four teams from the Nations League.