World Cup 2026 qualifying draw: Who are the home nations facing?
13 December 2024, 12:28 | Updated: 13 December 2024, 14:25
The home nations have all avoided each other in the draw for the European section of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel's England have been drawn against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra - teams they have never lost to.
The German officially takes over as head coach on 1 January, ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
England have only met Serbia once in its history as a single nation. That was at this summer's Euros, in which a Jude Bellingham goal proved decisive in a group-stage encounter.
England have won all six previous meetings with Albania. Latvia will be new opponents at a senior level, while England beat Andorra 4-0 and 5-0 during qualifying for the Qatar World Cup.
Scotland, in a four-team group, face whichever team loses a Nations League quarter-final tie between Portugal and Denmark, along with Greece and Belarus.
Steve Clarke's men face Greece in a Nations League promotion-relegation play-off in March.
Wales, who are aiming to qualify for a second successive World Cup, are in a group featuring Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.
Wales faced Belgium in qualifying for the last World Cup, and more recently in the 2022 Nations League.
They beat Belgium 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016, but have not won any of their four subsequent meetings.
Northern Ireland will face either Germany or Italy - each four-time World Cup winners - plus Slovakia and Luxembourg.
They have not qualified since 1986.
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The Republic of Ireland have been drawn against the winner of a Portugal versus Denmark Nations League tie, along with Hungary and Romania.
As with Scotland, they face a Nations League promotion-relegation play-off tie in March when they will take on Bulgaria.
Qualifying begins in March for five-team groups, while four-team groups get under way in September.
The finals, featuring 48 teams for the first time, will include 16 European nations.
(c) Sky News 2024: World Cup 2026 qualifying draw: Who are the home nations facing?
