It's official. FIFA has made a new decision on Ukraine and the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has amended the draw rules for the European part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, removing restrictions on the Ukrainian national team. Previously, it was assumed that the participants in the March playoff games of the League of Nations, including Ukraine, would be drawn into a group of four teams. This restriction is no longer in effect.
Now, teams from the second, third and fourth baskets can be divided into groups with four or five participants. However, there is an important condition: there can only be one team in one group that participates in the March Nations League playoff games.
Ukraine national football team
For Ukraine, this means that it can be in a group with five teams, but if its opponents from the first basket are England or Switzerland, the only teams that are not participating in the playoffs. If the opponent is from among the other teams in the first basket, Ukraine's group will consist of four teams.
Ukraine in the second basket
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will result in a total of 12 groups: six groups with five teams and six groups with four teams. The only exception for Ukraine is the team of Belarus from the fourth basket, from which the Ukrainian team cannot be in the same group.
FIFA President.
Baskets before the draw
First basket: France, Spain, Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Germany, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria.
The second basket: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway.
Third basket: Scotland, Slovenia, Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel.
The fourth basket: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Kosovo, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania.
Fifth basket: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino.
The draw will take place on December 13.
FIFA World Cup Winners Cup
We would like to remind you that 48 teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup for the first time in history. Europe will be represented by 16 teams - 12 group winners and the four strongest in the playoffs, which will include the second-place teams and four from the League of Nations.
The World Cup will be held without Russia
The Russian national team is not on the list of participants in the World Cup, as FIFA has extended the sanctions imposed on the country over its military aggression against Ukraine. The decision to ban Russia from all international football competitions was made by FIFA and UEFA in February 2022.
Russia will not play at the 2026 World Cup
As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Ukrainian national football team will meet Belgium in the Nations League playoffs for the right to play in the next round of the tournament in the elite division.
Ukraine to play Belgium in March 2025
Source: UAF
Serhiy Rebrov's men played 11 official matches in 2024, in which they won just five, scoring 14 goals.
Serhiy Rebrov.
Source: UAF
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