European champions Spain, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland have secured their places in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Spain, Austria and Switzerland qualified despite being held to draws, while Belgium cruised through with a dominant 7–0 victory over Liechtenstein.

Spain draws, but makes it past qualifiers
Spain has locked its spot at the 2026 World Cup following a 2-2 draw with Turkey in Seville on Tuesday, finishing the qualifiers unbeaten and at the top of Group E.

The European champions took an early lead through Dani Olmo in the fourth minute. However, Turkey, which needed an almost impossible seven-goal victory to claim the group, managed to equalise through Deniz Gul in the 42nd minute. Turkey then stunned the home crowd by taking the lead in the 54th minute thanks to a Salih Ozcan strike from the edge of the box.

However, Mikel Oyarzabal levelled the match eight minutes later to avoid what would have been Spain’s first home defeat in a qualifier, and Turkey had to settle for a place in the playoffs for next year’s finals in North America.

“We didn’t celebrate as euphorically as we would have liked. We wanted to finish with another win and another clean sheet. It’s a bittersweet feeling… But we’re happy to have qualified for the World Cup,” Olmo told TVE.

Switzerland Group B’s top runner
Switzerland qualifies for the 2026 World Cup, topping Group B despite a 1-1 draw with Kosovo. Although Ruben Vargas put the team ahead with the first goal of the match, Kosovo’s Florent Muslija cancelled it out with a goal in the 74th minute.

Switzerland finished with 14 points, topping the group and completing an unbeaten qualifying campaign. Kosovo secured second place with 11 points and a berth in March’s European playoffs, as they chase a first-ever World Cup appearance.

Switzerland edged the better of a subdued first half, with Michel Aebischer drawing a sharp save from Arijanet Muric after six minutes in one of the few clear sights of goal. Kosovo rarely threatened but came close just before halftime when Fisnik Asllani unleashed a fierce drive from the edge of the box, only for a Swiss defender to make a vital block.

Vargas finally broke the deadlock 90 seconds after the restart, slipping in behind to meet a through ball from Djibril Sow and beating Kosovo goalkeeper Arijanet Muric with a low finish. Kosovo equalised in the 74th minute through Muslija, who pounced on a loose ball just outside the area and unleashed a superb curling strike into the top-right corner, leaving Gregor Kobel with no chance.

Belgium, a clear winner
Belgium claimed its spot at the 2026 World Cup, hammering Liechtenstein 7-0 and finishing its campaign unbeaten, with five wins in a total of eight games. Belgium earned 18 points to top Group J, two more than runners-up Wales, and earned them a place at next year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the US.

Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere both scored twice, and there were goals for Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele and Alexis Saelemaekers, with the home side netting four times in a furious seven-minute, second-half spell.

Belgium will be competing at their 15th World Cup finals, having twice reached the semis.

Austria to make first World Cup appearance since 1998
Austria tops Group H, drawing 1-1 with Bosnia after a 77th-minute equaliser by Michael Gregoritsch, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. This would mark the nation’s first appearance at a World Cup since 1998. 

Bosnia finished second in the group, two points behind on 17, and goes into a playoff in March for a spot at next year’s tournament. Needing a win to top the group and secure automatic qualification to their second World Cup after their maiden appearance in 2014, Bosnia stunned the home crowd when Haris Tabakovic headed in from close range to give them a 12th-minute lead.

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria bounced back, retook control and put the ball in the net on the stroke of halftime, but Konrad Laimer’s effort was overruled for a foul after a lengthy VAR review.