16 European countries will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson will learn who his side will face in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/InphoThe draw to determine the make-up of the European qualifier groups for the 2026 World Cup will be held in Zurich at 11am on Friday.
But the draw gets a bit confusing due to the ongoing Nations League. The eight quarter-finalists will only learn their European qualifiers groups after the two-leg Nations League quarter-finals are played next March. Games in the five-team groups will get under way next March and the four-team group matches will start in September.
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