Luciano Spalletti, coach of Italy. © ANSA / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD

World Cup qualifiers: These are Italy and Germany's opponents

On Friday, the groups for qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the USA and Mexico were drawn in Zurich. Italy and Germany will face manageable opponents.

13 December 2024

From: azl

Who will Italy and Germany face on the way to the 2026 World Cup? It is not yet possible to say exactly. The decisive factor is the quarter-final match between the two teams in the Nations League on March 20 and 23.

The winner of this quarter-final will be placed in Group A with Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. The loser, on the other hand, will face Norway, Israel, Hungary and the Republic of Moldova. This was the result of the qualifying draw in Zurich.

48 teams will take part in the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. © APA/afp / FABRICE COFFRINI

Austria's national football team will face Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino in the qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The eight matches will be played on double dates in June, September, October and November 2025.

How to qualify for the World Cup

A total of 54 nations will compete in twelve groups in the qualification. The group winners will qualify directly for the mega tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada with 48 participants. The group runners-up will play playoffs for four more World Cup places with the four best-placed and not yet qualified group winners of the Nations League.