Fifa confirm Ireland among third seeds for 2026 World Cup draw

Today’s fresh batch of world rankings from Fifa saw Ireland move up three places but form across 2024, two wins and four losses in six competitive games, was not good enough to move Ireland from Pot 3 in the draw to be among the second seeds.

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson now awaits the outcome of the draw for the qualifiers, to be held at Fifa HQ in Zurich on December 13.

Ireland already know that, due to their involvement in a March relegation/promotion play-off in the Nations League against Bulgaria, they will be in a four-team group for qualifiers which then begin next autumn.

Ireland could potentially be drawn with near neighbours England and Wales but will avoid being in the same group as Northern Ireland and Scotland.

A punishing group draw would pit the Republic against France, Slovakia and Bulgaria (again), while drawing opposition like Denmark, Greece and Armenia would bring back memories of defeats in recent campaigns.

Drawing the likes of Austria, Norway and Estonia would offer a realistic chance of being competitive in the group.

Fifa have expanded the process for qualification so 16 teams can qualify from the European side of qualifying, adding three extra places.

“The Uefa qualifying group stage will begin in March 2025 and conclude in November 2025. It will follow a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the group winners securing a place at the Fifa World Cup,” Fifa said today.

“The four remaining places will then be decided in March 2026 in a 16-team Uefa play-off involving the 12 group-stage runners-up and the four best-ranked Uefa Nations League 2024-25 group winners that have neither qualified directly for the Fifa World Cup as group winners nor entered the play-offs already as group runners-up.”

2026 World Cup qualifiers

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

Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Türkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czechia and Norway

Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Israel

Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia and Lithuania

Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and San Marino