TUCHEL STEERS ENGLAND TO SAFETY IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
London, UK - The group stage of the Nations League has concluded, paving the way for Thomas Tuchel to take charge of England's World Cup qualifying campaign. With a 5-0 win over Republic of Ireland, Tuchel's new Three Lions side avoided a promotion play-off, securing safety in their bid for a spot at the 2026 World Cup finals.
The tournament will feature 16 UEFA nations competing in four rounds of group-stage matches. The European Qualifiers are scheduled to begin in March 2025, with the play-offs taking place a year later. A total of 12 teams will qualify directly through their respective groups, while the remaining four spots will be determined by playoffs.
Scotland and Wales have secured places in pot three and two, respectively, after Slovakia and Czech Republic punched their tickets to pot one following Nations League victories. Meanwhile, Wales has advanced to potential play-off position with its top spot in the group stage.
The World Cup European Qualifying pots are as follows:
Pot 1: Spain Germany Portugal France Italy Netherlands Denmark Croatia England Belgium Switzerland Austria
Pot 2: Ukraine Sweden Turkey Wales Hungary Serbia Poland Greece Romania Slovakia Czech Republic 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
The draw for the European Qualifiers will take place on December 13 in Zurich. Teams will be divided into 12 groups of four or five teams and will play each other home and away.
According to Henry Winter, Tuchel's nationality may not be a primary concern for English football fans. The new manager has expressed his desire to win the World Cup for England, citing an "outstanding" squad at his disposal.
The 16 teams that enter the play-offs will be drawn into four paths and will compete in single-leg semi-finals followed by finals within the same international window of March 2026.
The Nations League still holds significance in determining a spot in the World Cup qualifying draw, as the performance in prior campaigns is factored into a ranked table. The top-ranking teams without an automatic World Cup spot will be granted play-off safety and assistance from UEFA.