Ukraine defeated Iceland 2-0 in a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match held in Porto, Portugal, on Thursday, marking a significant step in their bid to reach the expanded 48-team tournament.
The qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, involves UEFA’s 54 member associations. These teams are divided into 12 groups – six groups of four teams and six groups of five teams – and compete in a home-and-away round-robin format. The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has increased UEFA’s allocation of spots from 13 to 16.
According to the current qualifying structure, the winners of each of the 12 groups automatically qualify for the World Cup. The 12 runners-up will then enter a playoff system. These playoffs will include the 12 group runners-up, along with four teams determined by the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 performance, battling for the final four qualifying spots. The qualifying phase is scheduled to run from March 2025 to March 2026.
The match between Ukraine and Iceland is part of the first round of qualifying matches. Another qualifying match saw Serbia face Bulgaria in Warsaw, Poland. The full schedule of matches and updated standings are available on FIFA’s website.
The UEFA qualifying process is currently underway, with the group stage scheduled to conclude in November 2025. The playoff matches are then slated for March 2026, determining the final European representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
