Overview

• Qualifying resumes this week with France visiting Ukraine in neutral Wroclaw, Germany opening at Slovakia, and Spain starting in Bulgaria before tougher dates with Turkey and Georgia.
• Europe holds 16 berths for 2026: 12 group winners advance in November, while 12 runners-up join four Nations League group winners in March playoffs to decide the final four slots.
• Four-team groups concentrate fixtures into three monthly windows, increasing the cost of absences such as Germany’s loss of Jamal Musiala after his July leg injury.
• Italy remain in a hole after June’s 3-0 loss in Norway and a switch to coach Gennaro Gattuso, with Estonia at home and Israel next in neutral Debrecen, Hungary.
• England have three straight clean-sheet wins under Thomas Tuchel, while Portugal play their first matches since Diogo Jota’s death with away trips to Armenia and Hungary.