England moved a step closer to sealing World Cup qualification as they maintained their 100-per-cent winning record in qualifying with a 5-0 win against Serbia in Belgrade.
After also beating Andorra 2-0, Thomas Tuchel’s side now have five wins from five in Group K, scoring 13 goals and conceding none. They sit top of the group with a seven-point advantage over second-placed Albania.
It all means England are on the verge of qualification, but when can the Three Lions actually seal their place at next summer’s tournament?
England need two more wins to guarantee their place at the World Cup.
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Rob Dorsett explains how England could confirm their place in the 2026 World Cup during the next international break.
However, they could seal qualification as early as next month despite having just one qualifier away at Latvia on October 14.
With Serbia vs Albania three days before England travel to Latvia, if Serbia fail to win and England pick up all three points in Riga, qualification would be secured. Should Serbia win but then drop points in Andorra three days later, then victory for England over Latvia would also be enough them to qualify with two games to spare.
Scroll down for the Three Lions’ full fixture list for European qualifying, as well as all you need to know about how qualification works.
World Cup 2026 European qualifiers schedule
Group-stage match dates: March 21-25, June 6-10, September 4-9, October 9-14 and November 13-18, 2025
Play-off match dates: March 26-31 2026
Final tournament dates: June 11 to July 19 2026
England’s World Cup qualifying group
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
World Cup qualifiers – England’s full fixture list and schedule
Matches kick off at 7.45pm unless stated – all times GMT
Matchday 1
Friday March 21: England 2-0 Albania
Matchday 2
Monday March 24: England 3-0 Latvia
Matchday 3
Saturday June 7: Andorra 0-1 England
Matchday 5
Saturday September 6: England 2-0 Andorra
Matchday 6
Tuesday September 9: Serbia 0-5 England
Matchday 8
Tuesday October 14: Latvia vs England
Matchday 9
Thursday November 13: England vs Serbia
Matchday 10
Sunday November 16: Albania vs England – kick-off 5pm
How many European teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
In total, 16 UEFA nations will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly for the World Cup; the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.
How do play-offs for the 2026 World Cup work?
The 12 group runners-up will participate in the play-offs, along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League that did not finish their European Qualifiers group stage in first or second place.
The 16 teams who enter the play-offs will be drawn into four play-off paths, with four teams in each. Play-off matches will be played in single-leg semi-finals followed by single-leg finals within the same international window in March 2026.
When and where is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament will take place across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first time a World Cup has been hosted by three nations.
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
An expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams – 16 more than in Qatar 2022 – and take place across three host nations for the first time.
World Cup 2026 schedule
Group stage: June 11-27 Round of 32: June 28 to July 3 Round of 16: July 4-7 Quarter-finals: July 9-11 Semi-finals: July 14-15 Third-place play-off (‘Bronze final’): July 18 Final: July 19
