Ireland to face Portugal or Denmark, Hungary, Armenia in World Cup 2026 qualifying

Initial thoughts, it’s not a glamour group but it’s one Ireland will feel they can pick up points in. Certainly could have been a lot worse.

Group F

1. Winner of Portugal v Denmark (Nations League quarter-final next March)
2. Hungary
3. Republic of Ireland
4. Armenia

With Pot 5 now done, the draw has been completed. Here it is in full:

Group A

1. Winner of Germany v Italy
2. Slovakia
3. Northern Ireland
4. Luxembourg

Group B

1. Switzerland
2. Sweden
3. Slovenia
4. Kosovo

Group C

1. Loser of Portugal v Denmark
2. Greece
3. Scotland
4. Belarus

Group D

1. Winner of France v Croatia
2. Ukraine
3. Iceland
4. Azerbaijan

Group E

1. Winner of Spain v Netherlands
2. Turkey
3. Georgia
4. Bulgaria

Group F

1. Winner of Portugal v Denmark
2. Hungary
3. Republic of Ireland
4. Armenia

Group G

1. Loser of Spain v Netherlands
2. Poland
3. Finland
4. Lithuania
5. Malta

Group H

1. Austria
2. Romania
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina
4. Cyprus
5. San Marino

Group I

1. Loser of Germany v Italy
2. Norway
3. Israel
4. Estonia
5. Moldova

Group J

1. Belgium
2. Wales
3. North Macedonia
4. Kazakhstan
5. Liechtenstein

Group K

1. England
2. Serbia
3. Albania
4. Latvia
5. Andorra

Group L

1. Loser of France v Croatia
2. Czechia
3. Montenegro
4. Faroe Islands
5. Gibraltar

Here is the draw so far after Pot 4.

Group A

Winner of Germany v Italy

Slovakia

Northern Ireland

Luxembourg

Group B

Switzerland

Sweden

Slovenia

Kosovo

Group C

Loser of Portugal v Denmark

Greece

Scotland

Belarus

Group D

Winner of France v Croatia

Ukraine

Iceland

Azerbaijan

Group E

Winner of Spain v Netherlands

Turkey

Georgia

Bulgaria

Group F

Winner of Portugal v Denmark

Hungary

Republic of Ireland

Armenia

Group G

Loser of Spain v Netherlands

Poland

Finland

Lithuania

Group H

Austria

Romania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cyprus

Group I

Loser of Germany v Italy

Norway

Israel

Estonia

Group J

Belgium

Wales

North Macedonia

Kazakhstan

Group K

England

Serbia

Albania

Latvia

Group L

Loser of France v Croatia

Czechia

Montenegro

Faroe Islands

The last team in Ireland’s group – Armenia

So, Ireland’s four-team group is now complete: Winner Portugal v Denmark, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia

Here is the draw so far after Pot 3.

Group A

Winner of Germany v Italy

Slovakia

Northern Ireland

Group B

Switzerland

Sweden

Slovenia

Group C

Loser of Portugal v Denmark

Greece

Scotland

Group D

Winner of France v Croatia

Ukraine

Iceland

Group E

Winner of Spain v Netherlands

Turkey

Georgia

Group F

Winner of Portugal v Denmark

Hungary

Republic of Ireland

Group G

Loser of Spain v Netherlands

Poland

Finland

Group H

Austria

Romania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Group I

Loser of Germany v Italy

Norway

Israel

Group J

Belgium

Wales

North Macedonia

Group K

England

Serbia

Albania

Group L

Loser of France v Croatia

Czechia

Montenegro

Republic of Ireland are last out of Pot 3 and have been drawn in Group F, alongside the winner of Portugal v Denmark, and Hungary

Northern Ireland have been drawn in Group A, alongside the winner of Germany v Italy, and Slovakia.

Here’s the draw after Pot 2. Ireland up next in Pot 3

Group A

Winner of Germany v Italy

Slovakia

Group B

Switzerland

Sweden

Group C

Loser of Portugal v Denmark

Greece

Group D

Winner of France v Croatia

Ukraine

Group E

Winner of Spain v Netherlands

Turkey

Group F

Winner of Portugal v Denmark

Hungary

Group G

Loser of Spain v Netherlands

Poland

Group H

Austria

Romania

Group I

Loser of Germany v Italy

Norway

Group J

Belgium

Wales

Group K

England

Serbia

Group L

Loser of France v Croatia

Czechia

Here is the draw from Pot 1

Group A

Winner of Germany v Italy

Group B

Switzerland

Group C

Loser of Portugal v Denmark

Group D

Winner of France v Croatia

Group E

Winner of Spain v Netherlands

Group F

Winner of Portugal v Denmark

Group G

Loser of Spain v Netherlands

Group H

Austria

Group I

Loser of Germany v Italy

Group J

Belgium

Group K

England

Group L

Loser of France v Croatia

Pot 1 is up.........

First out of the bowl - Winner of Germany v Italy. Group A.

Wait.....an explainer video first.

And still no sign of Rod Stewart.

Looks like the real business of the day is about to get started.

To be fair, it remains one of the most stunning and iconic trophies in world sport.

Gianni Infantino has entered the fray. He’s had some week of it. He has the mic, a continent holds its......

Game on.......the preamble has kicked off in Zurich

In the draw for the Euro 2024 qualifiers Ireland didn’t get much good fortune with their opponents from Pots 1 and 2 - getting placed in a group alongside Netherlands and France, so perhaps we are due a slice of good luck today.

Okay, just under 15 minutes to go. And just realised it’s Friday the 13th, so what can go wrong? Let’s put ‘em under pressure.....

Any chance the powers that be have called up the king of draws to help out this morning? Nobody has ever nailed a football draw quite like Rod Stewart nailed it. Iconic

Muireann Duffy has put together a list of everything you need to know about the draw, which is just over half an hour away now. The excitement!!!!!!

[ World Cup 2026 European qualifiers draw: All you need to know about Ireland’s potential groupOpens in new window ]

Here’s a closer look by David Gorman on today’s draw and what potentially awaits Ireland.

[ 2026 World Cup draw: Ireland’s path looks complicated, good luck would be welcomeOpens in new window ]

Good morning and thanks for joining us ahead of today’s eagerly anticipated draw (It is eagerly anticipated, right?) It’s Gordon Manning here, I’ll be blogging the draw live so please stick around as we find out who Ireland will face in their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

A Friday morning blog on a football draw, a few weeks before Christmas, is the important stuff in life. So, if you are meant to be working right now and this is impacting on your productivity levels, just remember you didn’t spend hours out in the back garden as a kid dreaming of spreadsheets – you were pretending to be Ray Houghton or Roy Keane or somebody else in green scoring the winning goal in a World Cup.

And if your output levels are questioned this afternoon, just remind your boss that my sports editor deems this to be work……..

Here’s a look at the pots ahead of the draw, which is due to begin at 11am.

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

Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czechia, Norway.

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

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

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