2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers draw: All you need to know

Cymru will discover their opponents for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Friday with the draw taking place at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich (11AM GMT).

A total of 16 UEFA nations will compete at the 48-team FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States in summer 2026. Craig Bellamy’s side have been placed in pot 2 and will be placed in a four or five team group, playing each side home and away.

Group stage matches will be played between March-November 2025. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the World Cup; the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.

The 12 group runners-up will participate in the play-offs, along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.

The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will be played in single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.

The draw will be available to watch live on FIFA’s website and FIFA+.

The full draw information and pot details are available on the UEFA website.

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