England: World Cup 2026 European qualifying fixtures for Thomas Tuchel's side and tournament schedule
UEFA World Cup qualifying runs from March 2025; England face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra; the 2026 FIFA men's World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026; the tournament will be held across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico
Wednesday 15 October 2025 16:28, UK
England can turn their attentions to next summer after sealing World Cup qualification with a win over Latvia on Tuesday October 14.
Thomas Tuchel's have booked their spot in North America with two games to spare.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11 and lasts until July 19. The draw for the 48-team group stage will take place on December 5 2025.
Scroll down for the Three Lions' full fixture list for European qualifying, as well as all you need to know about how qualification works.
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World Cup 2026 European qualifiers schedule
Group-stage match dates: March 21-25, June 6-10, September 4-9, October 9-14 and November 13-18, 2025
Play-off match dates: March 26-31 2026
Final tournament dates: June 11 to July 19 2026
England's World Cup qualifying group
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
World Cup qualifiers - England's full fixture list and schedule
Matches kick off at 7.45pm unless stated - all times GMT
Matchday 1
Friday March 21: England 2-0 Albania
Matchday 2
Monday March 24: England 3-0 Latvia
Matchday 3
Saturday June 7: Andorra 0-1 England
Matchday 5
Saturday September 6: England 2-0 Andorra
Matchday 6
Tuesday September 9: Serbia 0-5 England
Matchday 8
Tuesday October 14: Latvia 0-5 England
Matchday 9
Thursday November 13: England vs Serbia
Matchday 10
Sunday November 16: Albania vs England - kick-off 5pm
How many European teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 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.
How do play-offs for the 2026 World Cup work?
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.
When and where is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA men's World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament will take place across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first time a World Cup has been hosted by three nations.
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
An expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams - 16 more than in Qatar 2022 - and take place across three host nations for the first time.
World Cup 2026 schedule
Group stage: June 11-27 Round of 32: June 28 to July 3 Round of 16: July 4-7 Quarter-finals: July 9-11 Semi-finals: July 14-15 Third-place play-off ('Bronze final'): July 18 Final: July 19
