Futsal EURO 2026 Preliminary Round Draw Unveils Groups

The preliminary stage of Futsal EURO 2026 has seen the formation of three groups, each comprising four teams. These 12 teams will engage in competition throughout April, vying for the final six spots in the main round.  The draw took place 2 days ago and here are the results:

Preliminary Round Draw

Group A: Cyprus, Andorra, Estonia, Northern Ireland

Group B: Israel, Bulgaria, Austria, San Marino

Group C: Switzerland, Malta, Gibraltar, Scotland

Matches are scheduled between 8 and 17 April, with the exact group dates and hosts to be confirmed.

Co-hosts Latvia and Lithuania secure automatic progression to the finals. In the preliminary round, 12 nations out of the 48 entrants participate while the top 34 qualifying contenders, determined by the UEFA Futsal National Team coefficient ranking as of December 2023, directly enter the main round.

The 12 preliminary round contenders are drawn into three groups of four teams, competing in mini-tournaments between 8 and 17 April. Hosts for these matches are yet to be confirmed.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, featuring home-and-away fixtures starting in December.

Teams Entering Directly in Main Round:
Portugal (holders), Spain, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, France, Finland, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Georgia, Netherlands, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, Belgium, Belarus, Moldova, Germany, North Macedonia, Sweden, Montenegro, Kosovo, England, Denmark, Albania, Norway, Greece, Türkiye

Futsal EURO 2026 Dates:

Preliminary round: 8–17 April 2024
Main round draw: 30 May 2024
Main round: 9–18 December 2024, 27 January–5 February 2025, 3–12 March 2025, 7–16 April 2025
Play-off draw: 15 May 2025
Play-offs: 15–24 September 2025
Final tournament: Between 18 January and 8 February 2026

With two nations progressing to the main round of the competition,  both Northern Ireland and Scotland have been drawn in groups that present them with an opportunity to progress to the next stage for the first time. Northern Ireland are currently in the middle of recruiting a new head coach, what level of coach they recruit will be interesting to see, will they recruit a novice to the international stage or seek experience, we look forward with interest to see whom and what direction they choose to take.

Organ Donation

Futsal Focus is a supporter of Dáithí Mac Gabhann and his family’s campaign to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We encourage our readers to learn more about Organ Donation: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

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