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World Cup 2026 qualifying draw has placed Thomas Tuchel’s England team in a challenging group alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. This marks Tuchel’s inaugural responsibility as the national coach, a significant moment for both him and the team.
Tuchel, who will officially take charge in January, is the first German to lead the 1966 World Cup champions. He attended the draw at FIFA headquarters, where 54 European teams were allocated into 12 qualifying groups. Matches will commence in March for some groups, while others will kick off in June or September, adding an element of anticipation to the schedule.
“It’s a difficult group, is my first impression,” Tuchel remarked. He now awaits FIFA’s confirmation of the fixture list to determine whether his debut with England will be a qualifying match in March or a friendly.
England stands out as one of the few top-seeded teams already aware of its qualifying opponents. Many other groups remain incomplete, as eight top seeds will be finalized based on the outcomes of their Nations League quarterfinals in March.
The quarterfinal match between European champions Spain and the Netherlands will determine the latter’s fate in a tough Group E alongside Turkey, Georgia, and Bulgaria.
Spain recently concluded Georgia’s impressive journey in its first major tournament, defeating them 4-1 in the round of 16 at Euro 2024 in Germany. Georgia’s coach, Willy Sagnol, acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly with Turkey’s recent loss to the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals.
The loser of the Spain versus Netherlands match will join a less formidable five-team group with Poland, Finland, Lithuania, and Malta.
In another key matchup, the winner between France and Croatia will lead Group D, which includes Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. Conversely, the losing team will find themselves in a five-team Group L alongside the Czech Republic, Montenegro, the Faroe Islands, and Gibraltar.
For both Germany and Italy, the group draw serves as motivation to secure victory in their Nations League clash and land in Group A.
Germany’s coach, Julian Nagelsmann, noted that competing in a four-team group with Slovakia, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg would be “a bit easier.” The team that does not succeed will face Erling Haaland and Norway in a challenging five-team group that includes Israel, Estonia, and Moldova. Due to security issues following the Hamas attacks in October last year, Israel has been unable to host games and is likely to continue playing its home matches in Hungary.
Russia’s teams were absent from the draw, as they remain banned from international competitions by FIFA and UEFA following their military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Belarus, an ally of Russia, will compete in a group with either Portugal or Denmark, along with Greece and Scotland, but has been required to host matches in neutral locations due to the ongoing conflict.
A potential security concern looms in England’s group, as Serbia prepares to host Albania for the first time since the infamous “drone game” in 2014, a match that ended in chaos due to nationalist tensions.
This historic encounter saw the match abandoned after a drone carrying an Albanian nationalist banner flew over the field, igniting clashes between players and a field invasion by Serbian fans. UEFA initially awarded Serbia the victory, but this was later overturned, allowing Albania to make its tournament debut at Euro 2016.
Despite past hostilities, soccer relations between Serbia and Albania have improved significantly at the federation level. The two countries are set to be confirmed as co-hosts for the Under-21 Euros in 2027, marking a new chapter in their sporting history.
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