European nations confirmed as qualified or "virtually" qualified for World Cup 2026 already

There's only one matchday remaining for World Cup qualifiers for European nations: from Sunday, November 16 to Tuesday, November 18, we will know the 12 nations that get the direct qualification spots as winners of their respective groups. Four other nations will also qualify through play-offs in March 2026.

But first, after ten matchdays (with Nations League finals in between), these are the three nations qualified for World Cup... and the three nations that are "virtually" qualified already:

Confirmed qualified as group winners:

• Croatia


• England


• France

Virtually qualified:

• Switzerland: Qualified unless they lose to Kosovo by six goals or more on Tuesday


• Spain: Qualified unless they lose to Turkey by seven goals or more on Tuesday


• Norway: Qualified unless they lose to Italy by nine goals or more on Sunday

At the moment, we have three qualified nations and three more that are almost 99% sure to qualify as group winners. However, there are also some nations that have the play-off spots at least secured:

• Austria


• Bosnia and Herzegovina


• Denmark


• Belgium


• Germany


• Italy


• Kosovo


• Netherlands


• Northern Ireland (through play-offs route)


• Poland


• Portugal


• Romania (through play-offs route)


• Scotland


• Slovakia


• Sweden (through play-offs route)


• Türkiye

All World Cup qualifiers games on Sunday-Tuesday November 16-18

Sunday, November 16

• Hungary vs. Ireland: 15:00 CET, 14:00 GMT


• Portugal vs. Armenia: 15:00 CET, 14:00 GMT


• Ukraine vs. Iceland : 18:00 CET, 17:00 GMT


• Azerbaijan vs. France: 18:00 CET, 17:00 GMT


• Serbia vs. Latvia: 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Albania vs. England: 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Italy vs. Norway: 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Israel vs. Moldova: 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT

Monday, November 17

• Malta vs. Poland 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Czechia vs. Gibraltar 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Netherlands vs. Lithuania 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Germany vs. Slovakia 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Northern Ireland vs. Luxembourg 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Montenegro vs. Croatia 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT

Tuesday, November 18

• Romania vs. San Marino 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Belarus vs. Greece 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Bulgaria vs. Georgia 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Spain vs. Turkey 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Sweden vs. Slovenia 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Wales vs. North Macedonia 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Kosovo vs. Switzerland 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Belgium vs. Liechtenstein 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Austria vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT


• Scotland vs. Denmark 20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT