The German national soccer team achieved feasible tasks in both possible constellations in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. On the way to the finals in America, the DFB selection will play either against Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg – or against Norway, Israel, Estonia and the Republic of Moldova.
The decisive factor is the German performance in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. If Germany wins the knockout round against Italy on March 20th and 23rd, the national team will be placed in Group A with Slovakia. As losers in the Nations League quarter-finals, the opponents in Group I would be the nations around Norway with striker Erling Haaland. This was the result of the qualifying draw in Zurich.
The background is that the quarter-final winners play the Nations League final tournament in June and have no time for additional games in the World Cup qualification. A total of 54 nations compete in twelve groups. The group winners are directly qualified for the mega tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada with 48 participants. The runners-up in the group will play playoffs for four more World Cup places with the four best-placed and previously unqualified group winners of the Nations League.
The groups at a glance:
Group A
- Winner Germany/Italy
- Slovakia
- Northern Ireland
- Luxembourg
Group B
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Slovenia
- Kosovo
Group C
- Losers Portugal/Denmark
- Greece
- Scotland
- Belarus
Group D
- Winner France/Croatia
- Ukraine
- Iceland
- Azerbaijan
Group E
- Winner Spain/Netherlands
- Türkiye
- Georgia
- Bulgaria
Group F
- Winner Portugal/Denmark
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Armenia
Group G
- Losers Spain/Netherlands
- Poland
- Finland
- Lithuania
- Malta
Group H
- Austria
- Romania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cyprus
- San Marino
Group I
- Losers Germany/Italy
- Norway
- Israel
- Estonia
- Moldova
Group J
- Belgium
- Wales
- North Macedonia
- Kazakhstan
- Liechtenstein
Group K
- England
- Serbia
- Albania
- Latvia
- Andorra
Group L
- Losers France/Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Montenegro
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
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