Northern Ireland will discover their 2026 World Cup qualifying opponents on Friday morning. The draw for the European qualifiers is due to take place at UEFA headquarters in Zurich at 11am (UK time).

Teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four or five teams as the road to the Finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico begins.

Michael O'Neill's side will be included in Pot 3 alongside Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, meaning they can't meet either of those countries in the qualifiers.

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However, potential opponents include England (Pot 1) and Wales (Pot 2), while several other European big guns also lie in wait for the Green and White Army.

Here's more info on the draw and how to watch it:

When and where is the draw?

The World Cup qualifying draw will be conducted at UEFA headquarters in Zurich on Friday morning, December 13.

What time does it start?

The draw starts at 11am UK time.

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How can I watch it?

The draw will not be shown live on TV. However, it will be available to watch live on FIFA’s website and FIFA+.

How does qualification work?

The process is a bit more convoluted than usual because of the Nations League. A total of 16 UEFA members will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in total. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the four remaining spots determined by play-offs involving the 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 World Cup 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 all within the same international window in March 2026.

Who can Northern Ireland meet?

Northern Ireland will meet a team from Pots 1, 2, 4 and potentially 5.

Pot 1: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Croatia, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria.

Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Czechia, Norway.

Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland , Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel.

Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Kosovo, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania.

Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino.

Messy picture...

We won't know the full qualification picture on Friday. Due to the Nations League play-offs in March, it means only four groups will be complete. Eight of the 12 World Cup groups will not know their full line-up until after that point.

Four of the groups with four teams will get a 'winner of play-off tie' while another four will include a 'loser of play-off tie'.

Potential lifeline for Northern Ireland?

The Nations League could offer Northern Ireland a second bite at the World Cup cherry. If Michael O'Neill's side fails to finish first or second in their World Cup qualifying group, they could still secure a play-off spot as one of the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League. Northern Ireland won League C3 of the Nations League this year to earn promotion to League B.

When do the qualifiers start?

Competing 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 will begin their campaigns in September.

When does the 2026 World Cup start?

The World Cup itself gets underway on Thursday, June 11, 2026 with the opening two games being played in Mexico. From there fans can enjoy a feast of football for more than a month, until the final in New York on July 19, 2026.

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