The final six nations of the bonanza 48-team World Cup was confirmed on Tuesday night, with the group stages now set for the summer tournament.
DR Congo and Iraq were the last two teams to book their place in the 2026 edition of the tournament, set to be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The final four European spots were also confirmed on Tuesday, with Turkey, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Bosnia-Herzegovina qualifying at the expense of Kosovo, Poland, Denmark and Italy.
It caps off a marathon qualification process which began in September 2023,, with attention now firmly turning to the showpiece event this summer.
England‘s stars endured two poor performances in their final audition before Thomas Tuchel selects his official squad for the tournament, with a 1-1 draw with Uruguay and 1-0 defeat by Japan at Wembley.
Despite this, the Three Lions remain strong contenders to win the competition, with Sky Bet placing Tuchel’s side as second-favourites at odds of 11/2 to lift the trophy for the first time since 1966.
Reigning European champions Spain are the favourites at 9/2, with France put at 6/1 odds. Defending world champions Argentina, meaning, are 8/1 odds to go back-to-back.
This expanded version of the tournament will certainly be a test of endurance for the leading contenders. First, they will have to navigate the group stages, with the full cast now confirmed after Tuesday’s results…
The 2026 World Cup groups have been confirmed following the dramatic play-off round
When do England and Scotland play at the World Cup?
England – Group L
June 17 vs Croatia – Dallas at 21:00 (15:00 local)
June 23 vs Ghana – Boston at 21:00 (16:00 local)
June 27 vs Panama – New Jersey at 22:00 (17:00 local)
Scotland – Group C
June 14 vs Haiti – Boston at 02:00 (21:00 local)
June 19 vs Morocco – Boston at 23:00 (18:00 local)
June 24 vs Brazil – Miami at 23:00 (18:00 local)
