World Cup qualification pots confirmed

The draw for World Cup qualification for Europe will be made on Friday 13th December at 11am UK time.

The pots have now been confirmed.

Groups 1-6 will have four teams and qualification will begin in September 2025, groups 7-12 will have five teams and begin in March 2025.

The four Nations League semi finalists must be placed in a four team group as the quarter finals of that don't begin until March - this means only four groups will be confirmed in full in December, as the Nations League semi finalists won't be confirmed until March.

The winners of each group will automatically qualify for the World Cup.

The twelve group runners up will enter the play-offs with the four best Nations League group winners who don't finish in the top two of their group.


World Cup qualifying pots

Pot 1

Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Switzerland

Pot 2

Czech Republic
Greece
Hungary
Norway
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Sweden
Turkey
Ukraine
Wales

Pot 3

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Finland
Georgia
Iceland
Israel
Northern Ireland
North Macedonia
Montenegro
Scotland
Slovenia
Republic of Ireland

Pot 4

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg

Pot 5

Andorra
Gibraltar
Liechtenstein
Malta
Moldova
San Marino

Ideal group for us in my opinion:


Austria
Wales
Finland
Latvia



If it's a five team group, add in Liechtenstein or San Marino - although wouldn't think any of the teams in Pot 5 would be a problem.

Ideal group for us in my opinion:


Austria
Wales
Finland
Latvia



If it's a five team group, add in Liechtenstein or San Marino - although wouldn't think any of the teams in Pot 5 would be a problem.

Ned sure read we are in pot of 5 as starting campain in March! 4 pots start later in year

Ideal group for us in my opinion:


Austria
Wales
Finland
Latvia



If it's a five team group, add in Liechtenstein or San Marino - although wouldn't think any of the teams in Pot 5 would be a problem.

Ned sure read we are in pot of 5 as starting campain in March! 4 pots start later in year

Depends who were drawn with.

Netherlands, Spain, Croatia, Portugal, France, Denmark, Italy and Germany are in the Nations League quarter finals.

If were drawn with one of them that get to the semi finals in March then we will be in a four team group.

Because the Nations League semi finals are in June and that means they can't be in a five team group.

Ideal group for us in my opinion:


Austria
Wales
Finland
Latvia



If it's a five team group, add in Liechtenstein or San Marino - although wouldn't think any of the teams in Pot 5 would be a problem.

Ned sure read we are in pot of 5 as starting campain in March! 4 pots start later in year

Depends who were drawn with.

Netherlands, Spain, Croatia, Portugal, France, Denmark, Italy and Germany are in the Nations League quarter finals.

If were drawn with one of them that get to the semi finals in March then we will be in a four team group.

Because the Nations League semi finals are in June and that means they can't be in a five team group.

Ned did say stopped looking because got to complicated ... Will just have to wait until draw made then will know for definite if 4 or 5 team

I think I'd go

Croatia - providing its in Split, what a trip that was and their not as good as they were.
Us
North Macedonia - huge allocation and I've never been there
Kazakhstan - just completely bonkers going that far for a qualifier - I've never been there either
Malta - best allocation out the pot and a great trip

I think we're guaranteed a 5 team group and that's a group I think we could win.

Realistically we need to win the group to get there as fans. It will be outrageously expensive booking in the Dec. Booking at the end of March, 10 weeks before it starts, will be prohibitive for most, I fear.

I think I'd go

Croatia - providing its in Split, what a trip that was and their not as good as they were.
Us
North Macedonia - huge allocation and I've never been there
Kazakhstan - just completely bonkers going that far for a qualifier - I've never been there either
Malta - best allocation out the pot and a great trip

I think we're guaranteed a 5 team group and that's a group I think we could win.

Realistically we need to win the group to get there as fans. It will be outrageously expensive booking in the Dec. Booking at the end of March, 10 weeks before it starts, will be prohibitive for most, I fear.

One good thing is there are lots of airlines going to states can even go via places in Europe or Ireland.. hopefully can get cheap flight accommodation normally is fairly cheap but as we know WC brings out the vultures do will have to wait and see... but knowing us if qualify end up playing in Mexico...

I think I'd go

Croatia - providing its in Split, what a trip that was and their not as good as they were.
Us
North Macedonia - huge allocation and I've never been there
Kazakhstan - just completely bonkers going that far for a qualifier - I've never been there either
Malta - best allocation out the pot and a great trip

I think we're guaranteed a 5 team group and that's a group I think we could win.

Realistically we need to win the group to get there as fans. It will be outrageously expensive booking in the Dec. Booking at the end of March, 10 weeks before it starts, will be prohibitive for most, I fear.

One good thing is there are lots of airlines going to states can even go via places in Europe or Ireland.. hopefully can get cheap flight accommodation normally is fairly cheap but as we know WC brings out the vultures do will have to wait and see... but knowing us if qualify end up playing in Mexico...

I was surprised to see that there's 150K seats a day from western Europe to the states' but they must be pretty full anyway. Accommodation, I think is the main problem although the spread of locations will help, but if your coming o the party late it will be a problem.

I think I'd go

Croatia - providing its in Split, what a trip that was and their not as good as they were.
Us
North Macedonia - huge allocation and I've never been there
Kazakhstan - just completely bonkers going that far for a qualifier - I've never been there either
Malta - best allocation out the pot and a great trip

I think we're guaranteed a 5 team group and that's a group I think we could win.

Realistically we need to win the group to get there as fans. It will be outrageously expensive booking in the Dec. Booking at the end of March, 10 weeks before it starts, will be prohibitive for most, I fear.

One good thing is there are lots of airlines going to states can even go via places in Europe or Ireland.. hopefully can get cheap flight accommodation normally is fairly cheap but as we know WC brings out the vultures do will have to wait and see... but knowing us if qualify end up playing in Mexico...

I was surprised to see that there's 150K seats a day from western Europe to the states' but they must be pretty full anyway. Accommodation, I think is the main problem although the spread of locations will help, but if your coming o the party late it will be a problem.

Yes the yanks do love to make a quick buck! But I'm hoping friend in travel buisness can get us a WC package like one did for Qatar that cost 5k for group stage with match tickets accommodation .. ...

I think I'd go

Croatia - providing its in Split, what a trip that was and their not as good as they were.
Us
North Macedonia - huge allocation and I've never been there
Kazakhstan - just completely bonkers going that far for a qualifier - I've never been there either
Malta - best allocation out the pot and a great trip

I think we're guaranteed a 5 team group and that's a group I think we could win.

Realistically we need to win the group to get there as fans. It will be outrageously expensive booking in the Dec. Booking at the end of March, 10 weeks before it starts, will be prohibitive for most, I fear.

Like I said to Allan, we're not guaranteed a five team group. If we get drawn with a Nations League semi finalist then we'll be in a four team group.

We might not even know for sure until March.

I think I'd go

Croatia - providing its in Split, what a trip that was and their not as good as they were.
Us
North Macedonia - huge allocation and I've never been there
Kazakhstan - just completely bonkers going that far for a qualifier - I've never been there either
Malta - best allocation out the pot and a great trip

I think we're guaranteed a 5 team group and that's a group I think we could win.

Realistically we need to win the group to get there as fans. It will be outrageously expensive booking in the Dec. Booking at the end of March, 10 weeks before it starts, will be prohibitive for most, I fear.

One good thing is there are lots of airlines going to states can even go via places in Europe or Ireland.. hopefully can get cheap flight accommodation normally is fairly cheap but as we know WC brings out the vultures do will have to wait and see... but knowing us if qualify end up playing in Mexico...

I was surprised to see that there's 150K seats a day from western Europe to the states' but they must be pretty full anyway. Accommodation, I think is the main problem although the spread of locations will help, but if you're coming to the party late it will be a problem.

There are a lot less flights now than before covid & the prices are at least double what they were back then. I had 8 or 9 choices a day, every day from SF to Heathrow alone in 2019 but now it's down to 3 or 4 at most.