2026 World Cup draw | Northern Ireland set to face one of two global heavyweights in qualifying

Group A: Ger/Ita, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Por/Den, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: Fra/Cro, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Esp/Ned, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Por/Den, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Esp/Ned, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Ger/Ita, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: Fra/Cro, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

It will be one of Germany or Italy, Slovakia and Luxembourg for Northern Ireland.

Realistically, it looks like Northern Ireland will be involved in a shoot-out for second place with the Slovaks.

Group A: Ger/Ita, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Por/Den, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: Fra/Cro, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Esp/Ned, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Por/Den, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Esp/Ned, Poland, Finland, Lithuania
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus
Group I: Ger/Ita, Norway, Israel, Estonia
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia
Group L: Fra/Cro, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands

No doubting that whichever one of Germany or Italy will be favourites to top what is guaranteed to be a four-team group for the qualifying campaign. The question is can Northern Ireland beat Slovakia (and whoever is going to come out of Pot Four) into second place and secure a Play-Off spot?

We’re going to have a short break before we move straight onto Pot Four…

Group A: Ger/Ita, Slovakia, Northern Ireland
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia
Group C: Por/Den, Greece, Scotland
Group D: Fra/Cro, Ukraine, Iceland
Group E: Esp/Ned, Türkiye, Georgia
Group F: Por/Den, Hungary, Republic of Ireland
Group G: Esp/Ned, Poland, Finland
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Group I: Ger/Ita, Norway, Israel
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania
Group L: Fra/Cro, Czechia, Montenegro

Here comes Pot Three – where would you like Northern Ireland to go?

Group H is looking rather manageable with Austria and Romania. Group B is maybe a nice one, too.

Group A: Ger/Ita, Slovakia
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden
Group C: Por/Den, Greece
Group D: Fra/Cro, Ukraine
Group E: Esp/Ned, Türkiye
Group F: Por/Den, Hungary
Group G: Esp/Ned, Poland
Group H: Austria, Romania
Group I: Ger/Ita, Norway
Group J: Belgium, Wales
Group K: England, Serbia
Group L: Fra/Cro, Czechia

Not much!

Although, as you can see, Northern Ireland have a good chance of not knowing which Pot One team they will face in the group stages until the Nations League play-offs are completed.

Now we move straight on to Pot Two.

Group A: Winners of Germany/Italy
Group B: Switzerland
Group C: Losers of Portugal/Denmark
Group D: Winners of France/Croatia
Group E: Winners of Spain/Netherlands
Group F: Winners of Portugal/Denmark
Group G: Losers of Spain/Netherlands
Group H: Austria
Group I: Losers of Germany/Italy
Group J: Belgium
Group K: England
Group L: Losers of France/Croatia

After 18 minutes of build-up, we are about to have Pot One drawn!

It’s the usual fare, with most of it not concerning Northern Ireland. All you need to know is that Northern Ireland can be drawn in any group – and more than likely it will be a group containing five teams – as they are not involved in Nations League play-offs.

Any team involved in the Nations League play-offs have to be drawn in a four-team group in order to facilitate those play-off matches. So you can start to work out who Northern Ireland are unlikely to face but it’s not impossible either.

As we endure another message of support from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and a second hype video ahead of the draw, here’s what Northern Ireland’s so-called ‘best’ draw would look like by world ranking.

Pot 1: Austria
Pot 2: Norway
Pot 3: Northern Ireland
Pot 4: Lithuania
Pot 5: San Marino 

We’ve got a lot of time to kill as FIFA president Gianni Infantino takes the mic ahead of the draw, lauding how great Qatar was as a World Cup host in 2022.

Things are getting under way in Zurich, we’re shortly about to find out who Northern Ireland will be facing in the World Cup qualifying draw!

Pot 1: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Croatia, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria

… to our LIVE blog of the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying stages.

The action gets under way at 11am.