England will renew acquaintances with Serbia within the European qualifying competitors for the 2026 World Cup after the draw was made in Zurich on Friday, with Albania drawn in the identical group, establishing a politically charged encounter between the Balkan nations.
Nevertheless, many groups stay at midnight over their group opponents.
The draw process implies that eight teams are usually not but totally determined, as they’ll comprise both the winners or losers of the Nations League quarterfinals, which occur in March of subsequent 12 months.
Spain tackle Netherlands of their Nations League quarterfinal, and the winner will be a part of Turkiye, Georgia and Bulgaria in Group E whereas the shedding workforce goes into Group G alongside Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta.
World Cup 2022 runners-up France are additionally concerned in a Nations League quarterfinal, taking part in Croatia, and in the event that they win that they’ll go into Group D with Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan.
England are certainly one of solely 4 top-seeded international locations who know their destiny, and below new supervisor Thomas Tuchel, who takes cost on January 1, they’ll tackle Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in Group Ok.
At this 12 months’s European Championship, England beat Serbia 1-0 of their opening group sport earlier than happening to achieve the ultimate which they misplaced 2-1 to Spain.
The group incorporates a potential flashpoint with Serbia and Albania set to face one another twice, after the Balkan feud got here to the fore once more at Euro 2024.
For political causes, Ukraine and Belarus couldn’t be drawn into the identical group, as with Gibraltar and Spain. Kosovo have been stored aside from Serbia and Bosnia, however no such restrictions have been positioned on Serbia and Albania.
Serbia nonetheless doesn’t recognise the primarily ethnic Albanian nation of Kosovo’s independence after one of many bloodiest of the Nineties post-Yugoslavia Balkan wars.
At Serbia’s Euros match towards England, Kosovar journalist Arlind Sadiku made a double-headed eagle gesture – the image of Albania’s flag – to Serbian followers throughout a dwell broadcast, and had his credentials rescinded by UEFA.
UEFA additionally imposed punishments after followers of Albania and Croatia joined collectively in chants of “Kill the Serbs” and Serbian supporters chanted “Kosovo is the guts of Serbia” and displayed a flag with Kosovo inside Serbia’s borders.
The same flag led to a FIFA high-quality for Serbia at World Cup 2022, after the gamers hung the flag of their dressing room for his or her sport with Brazil.
In 2014, a Euro qualifier between Serbia and Albania was deserted following a brawl between gamers after a flag, depicting so-called Larger Albania, an space protecting all components of the Balkans the place ethnic Albanians dwell, was flown over the stadium.
Final month, Romania have been awarded a 3-0 win over Kosovo when the sport was deserted after the Kosovo gamers left the sector once they heard pro-Serbian chanting from the house followers.
The 2026 World Cup shall be performed within the US, Canada, and Mexico, kicking off on June 11 with the ultimate on July 19, and would be the first to incorporate 48 groups, expanded from 32.
Europe could have 16 locations on the match, up from 13 on the final World Cup and the 12 group winners qualify mechanically.
The 12 group runners-up go into the playoffs together with the 4 best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that didn’t end in first or second place within the European Qualifiers group stage.
Group A
Winner Nations League quarterfinal Germany/Italy, Slovakia, Northern Eire, Luxembourg
Group B
Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C
Loser Nations League quarterfinal Portugal/Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D
Winner Nations League quarterfinal France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E
Winner Nations League quarterfinal Spain/Netherlands, Turkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F
Winner Nations League quarterfinal Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Eire, Armenia
Group G
Loser Nations League quarterfinal Spain/Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H
Austria, Romania, Bosnia, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I
Loser Nations League quarterfinal Germany/Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J
Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group Ok
England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L
Loser Nations League quarterfinal France/Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
Qualifying matches begin in March subsequent 12 months and shall be performed by till November, and groups will play one another residence and away.
