With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, the race to secure a place in the tournament is beginning to take shape. With 48 nations set to compete in next summer’s tournament, qualifying is at the halfway stage with nine group winners booking their places and the four best runners-up going into inter-confederation playoffs. Lionel Scaloni’s England will be among the teams in this round, along with Australia, Japan, Uzbekistan and South Korea.
The qualification system is a complex affair with teams playing a combination of home-and-away matches and the ‘all play all’ principles retained. There are also some key changes to the way ties are decided, with head-to-head comparisons now favouring goals scored rather than goals conceded when it comes to deciding top spot.
The UK’s men’s team will be in Group A alongside Germany and Italy, with Northern Ireland and the winner of the Portugal v Denmark Nations League quarter-final in March in Group B. Scotland are in Group C with Greece, Belarus and the loser of Germany v Italy, while the Republic of Ireland will be in Group F alongside Portugal/Denmark, Iceland and the winner of the Portugal v Denmark tie. All qualifiers will run for 10 matchdays across five international breaks between March and November 2025. The finals are scheduled for June and July 2026.