13.12.2024 15:00
The Turkish National Team's first opponent in Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers will be the winner of the Spain-Netherlands match. The other opponents of the Turkish team are Georgia and Bulgaria. The top two teams in each group will qualify directly for the tournament, while the second-placed teams will advance to the playoffs.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly organized by the USA, Mexico, and Canada, took place at FIFA's headquarters in Switzerland.
A total of 54 countries participated in the draw for the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers. Following the draw, the countries were placed in a total of 12 groups, with 6 groups having 5 teams and 6 groups having 4 teams.
Our national team will be in Group E of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Our first opponent will be the winner of the Netherlands-Spain match.
WHEN WILL THE MATCHES BE PLAYED?
The first matches in the five-team groups will be played in March, while the matches in the four-team groups will start in September. Countries will play a total of two matches against each opponent in the group, one at home and one away. The European qualifying group matches will conclude in November 2025.
16 TEAMS FROM EUROPE
The 2026 World Cup, which will be held for the first time in its new format, will feature 48 countries. The 12 teams that finish first in their groups in the European qualifiers will earn direct qualification to the World Cup. For the last 4 spots, a total of 16 teams will compete in playoff matches, consisting of the 12 group runners-up and 4 teams from the UEFA Nations League. The playoff matches will be played in March 2026.
ALL MATCHUPS IN FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Group A: Germany/Italy Nations League Quarter-Final winner - Slovakia - Northern Ireland - Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland - Sweden - Slovenia - Kosovo
Group C: Portugal/Denmark Nations League Quarter-Final loser - Greece - Scotland - Belarus
Group D: France/Croatia Nations League Quarter-Final winner - Czech Republic - Iceland - Azerbaijan
Group E: Spain/Netherlands Nations League Quarter-Final winner - TURKEY - Georgia - Bulgaria
Group F: Portugal/Denmark Nations League Quarter-Final winner - Hungary - Republic of Ireland
Group G: Spain/Netherlands Nations League Quarter-Final loser - Poland - Finland - Lithuania
Group H: Austria - Romania - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Cyprus
Group I: Germany/Italy Nations League Quarter-Final loser - Norway - Israel - Estonia
Group J: Belgium - Wales - North Macedonia - Kazakhstan
Group K: England - Serbia - Albania
Group L: France/Croatia Nations League Quarter-Final loser - Czech Republic - Montenegro