2026 World Cup Qualifying: Which European nations can qualify this week?

England is the only nation from UEFA to have rubber-stamped its place at the 2026 World Cup to date, but that will change over the next week.

Several giants of international soccer are on the brink of punching their ticket to next summer’s tournament with the first phase of European qualifying to conclude this month before play-offs in March.

Here’s an overview of the qualification situation in UEFA and the storylines you should be tracking.

Which nations are close to qualifying?

England confirmed its place at the 2026 World Cup by securing top spot in Group K last month, but Thomas Tuchel’s team will be joined by several rivals and counterparts as they fill out UEFA’s 12 direct qualification spots.

Switzerland need just one point from their final two matches against Sweden and Kosovo to make the World Cup while a win for France over Ukraine would be enough for the 2018 winners to make it.

European champions Spain are a point away from qualifying. Lamine Yamal and co. should have enough talent in their ranks to register a positive result against Georgia or Turkey.

Victory over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin would confirm Portugal’s place at the tournament while Norway are poised to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998. Three points against Estonia on Thursday will all but do it.

Belgium and Croatia are also a positive result away from ensuring their place in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. The Belgians hold a mere point advantage over second-place North Macedonia, but their remaining two matches against group bottom-feeders Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein shouldn’t be cause for concern.

Which groups will go down to the wire?

Having missed the last two World Cups, Italy is at risk of once again watching the biggest and most prestigious tournament in international soccer from home next summer.

While the qualification picture has improved since Gennaro Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti as manager earlier this year, the Azzurri require a slip-up by Norway to stand any chance of leapfrogging Erling Haaland and co. in a final game showdown.

Germany are in a better position, but still require victories over Luxembourg and Slovakia in their final two games to be sure of their World Cup spot. Considering Julian Nagelsmann’s team have already lost at home to Slovakia in this campaign, nothing is certain.

Group C will be decided in a final game showdown between Denmark and Scotland at Hampden Park if Steve Clarke’s team can pick up a point or more away to Greece on Saturday.

With just three points between the Netherlands and Poland in Group G, Friday’s clash in Warsaw will go a long way to determine which of the two sides finishes top. A Poland win would blow the group wide open with just one match for each left to play.

Group H is even tighter. Just two points currently separate Austria in top spot with Bosnia and Herzegovina in second. Romania in third place also aren’t completely out of the qualification picture yet.

Which nations can qualify through the Nations League?

While the standard phase of UEFA qualifying will conclude this month, there could still be another path to the 2026 World Cup open for a number of nations. In March, 16 teams will compete in a play-off four the remaining four qualification spots.

12 of the 16 countries in the play-off will be the group runners-up from World Cup Qualifying.

The remaining four play-off spots will be granted to the best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that do not finish first or second in a World Cup qualifying group.

This could benefit Sweden, Northern Ireland and Wales, with San Marino another team that could sneak into the World Cup through the back door. The minnows won their Nations League group.

Portugal, France, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, England, Norway, Wales, Sweden, Romania, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, San Marino and Moldova were all Nations League group winners.