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Scotland will be in a four team World Cup 2026 qualifying group - next month's draw details in FULL
Scotland will be in a four-team World Cup qualifying group for the 2026 tournament when the draw takes place in Switzerland next month.
Steve Clarke has two draws to look forward to in the run up to Christmas. And neither look likely to provide any gifts. The Tartan Army roared on the Scots to an outstanding last minute win in Poland in the Nations League. But the cushion of Pot 2 for the World Cup qualifying draw was snatched away by results elsewhere. The 2026 World Cup may seem an eternity away but the wheels are already in motion for the competition qualifiers now that the Nations League group phase has ended.
A total of 16 UEFA nations will compete at the 48-team FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The finals will be staged across 16 cities with the final held in New York City on July 19, 2026. The seeding for this edition of World Cup qualifying is different from previous versions, as it is weighted (at the top at least) more in favour of the Nations League.If you’re still with us, here’s more of what you need to know regarding Scotland’s potential journey to the first 48-team World Cup, and why England are unlikely to be drawn in the same group as the Scots.
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Record Sport explains the details:
When is the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw?
The draw for European teams will be held at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on December 13, 2024. The draw will begin at 11am UK time (accompanied by the usual FIFA pageantry).
What pot will Scotland be in for the draw and how does it work?
Scotland will be in Pot 3 for the draw having narrowly missed out on Pot 2 despite victory in Poland. But, to further confuse things, the Nations League play-offs, which Scotland will be involved in, take place in March 2025. Only when those fixtures are completed will the full line-up of some groups be finalised. On December 13, only four groups will be completed. Teams will be drawn into one of six groups of four or six groups of five. Teams will play each other home and away. Teams drawn in groups of five will start qualifying in March and teams drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September. All groups will conclude in November 2025.
World Cup 2026 Qualifying Pots IN FULL
Pot 1
England (likely 5 team group)
Switzerland (likely 5 team group)
Spain
Portugal
Germany
France
Italy
Netherlands
Denmark
Croatia
Belgium
Austria
Pot 2
Ukraine
Turkey
Sweden
Wales
Hungary
Serbia
Poland
Greece
Romania
Norway
Slovakia
Czech Republic
Pot 3
SCOTLAND
Slovenia
Republic of Ireland
Albania
North Macedonia
Georgia
Finland
Iceland
Northern Ireland
Israel
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro
Pot 4
Bulgaria
Luxembourg
Kosovo
Belarus
Armenia
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Cyprus
Faroe Islands
Latvia
Lithuania
Pot 5
Moldova
Malta
Andorra
Gibraltar
Liechtenstein
San Marino
Due to the complex conditions of the draw and the Nations League play-offs, Scotland can only be drawn into a four-team group. The restriction arises as the four and five team groups depend on the number of teams in each pot who needed a QF/playoff. As the number is lower than six in pots 2, 3 and 4, it can now be confirmed they will definitely be in a group of four.
Ten of the 12 teams in Pot 1 are involved in the March Nations League fixtures. However there are only six groups of four - all of which kick-off in September, as opposed to March. The 4 "QF winners" automatically get a group of four. Scotland could still draw the big boys including, England, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands. As both England and Switzerland are not involved in March Nations League games, they will almost certainly head into a group of five. Therefore there is only a small chance of Scotland facing the Auld Enemy.
The fact four Pot 1 teams will currently be pencilled in for BOTH Nations League games and World Cup qualifiers in March will be a problem UEFA and FIFA desperately need to resolve. More information to follow as we get it.
When will the qualifying campaign start?
The five-team groups are set to start their campaign on March 21-22. Scotland's four-team group campaign starts September 4-6 with the second fixture to take place on September 7-9. Teams will play each other home and away. Teams drawn in groups of five will start Qualifying in March and teams drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September. All groups conclude in November 2025.
Key dates for your 2025/26 diary
Get your notepads out. Key: Groups of five (G5) and groups of four (G4)
Group Stage
March 21-22: Matchday 1 (G5)
March 24-25: Matchday 2 (G5)
September 4-6: Matchday 1 (G4)
September 7-9: Matchday 2 (G4)
November 16-18: Group-stage concludes
UEFA will issue the full fixture list with the dates and kick-off times of all 192 group-stage matches as soon as possible after the conclusion of the draw.
What happens at the end of World Cup qualifying?
A total of 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly, with the four remaining berths determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up. Sixteen teams (12 group runners-up and the four best Nations League group winners who didn't win their qualifying group) will then enter a second phase of fixtures. The semi-finals take place on March 26, 2026 and the final on March 31, 2026. Four countries will qualify via these play-offs.
Play-offs
March 26, 2026: Semi-finals
March 31, 2026: Finals
Where can I keep up with the latest details?
You can keep up with all the action right here on dailyrecord.co.uk! We'll be running a live blog with all the build-up, breaking news, and all the groups once the draw gets underway.
After the draw, we'll have all the reaction from managers, players, pundits and a whole lot more.
