# 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group E
**UEFA Group E** was one of twelve groups in the European Qualifiers for the 2026 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup), contested by Spain, Türkiye, Georgia, and Bulgaria between September and November 2025. Spain won the group with a perfect record until the final matchday and qualified directly for the finals; Türkiye finished second and advanced to the play-offs, where it won Path C to claim a finals place.[1](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-all-you-ne/) • [2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029f-1f318027c4dd-8e9bab478b48-1000--world-cup-2026-which-european-teams-have-qualified/) • [3](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Teams | Spain, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria[1](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-all-you-ne/) |
| Draw | 13 December 2024, Zurich; group stage played September to November 2025[1](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-all-you-ne/) |
| Winner | Spain, unbeaten, qualifying directly for the World Cup[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029f-1f318027c4dd-8e9bab478b48-1000--world-cup-2026-which-european-teams-have-qualified/) |
| Runner-up | Türkiye, three points behind Spain, entering play-offs Path C[3](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified) |
| Decisive result | Final-day 2-2 draw between Spain and Türkiye left a three-point gap at the top[3](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified) |
| Play-off outcome | Türkiye beat Romania and Kosovo 1-0 each to reach the finals for the first time since 2002[3](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified) |
## Format and context
The European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ran from March 2025 to the play-offs in March 2026, with teams drawn into 12 groups of four or five teams in Zurich on 13 December 2024. Each group was played on a home-and-away, all-play-all basis. The 12 group winners qualified directly for the 48-team finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States; the 12 runners-up entered play-offs, joined by the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 [UEFA Nations League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-nations-league) that did not finish first or second in their qualifying group. Play-off semi-finals and finals were single-leg matches on 26 and 31 March 2026.[1](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-all-you-ne/)
Group E placed the reigning European champions Spain against Türkiye, Georgia, and Bulgaria. Georgia counted [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia](https://www.edgepedia.org/khvicha-kvaratskhelia) and [Giorgi Mamardashvili](https://www.edgepedia.org/giorgi-mamardashvili) among its leading players, while Bulgaria arrived from a solid Nations League campaign in League C.[4](https://as.com/futbol/mundial/estos-son-los-grupos-para-la-clasificacion-del-mundial-2026-partidos-fechas-y-emparejamientos-n/)
## Group stage
**September 2025.** Türkiye opened with a 3-2 win away to Georgia in Tbilisi on 4 September, Mert Müldür scoring an early header and Kerem Aktürkoğlu adding a goal in each half.[5](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044211--georgia-vs-turkiye/) Spain began with a 3-0 win in Sofia against Bulgaria.[6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/spain-world-cup-2026-squad) On matchday two Spain won 6-0 away to Türkiye in Konya, a match played before a full house of about 42,000 spectators.[7](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/deporte/06-recital-recuerdo-espana-turquia-clasificacion-mundial.html)
**October 2025.** Spain beat Georgia 2-0 in Elche on 11 October, Yeremy Pino opening the scoring in the 24th minute and [Mikel Oyarzabal](https://www.edgepedia.org/mikel-oyarzabal) adding a direct free-kick; Spain held more than 80 percent of possession and Mamardashvili saved a [Ferran Torres](https://www.edgepedia.org/ferran-torres) penalty. The win, Spain's third in three matches, left it top of the group with nine points.[8](https://elpais.com/deportes/futbol/2025-10-11/espana-georgia-en-directo-el-partido-de-clasificacion-para-el-mundial-2026-en-vivo.html) The same evening Türkiye won 6-1 away to Bulgaria in Sofia, with four goals in a 16-minute spell early in the second half; [Arda Güler](https://www.edgepedia.org/arda-guler) scored the opener and created two assists.[9](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044275/) On matchday four, 14 October, Türkiye kept the pressure on the leaders by beating Georgia 4-1 at home, while Spain extended its perfect record with a 4-0 win over Bulgaria in Valladolid built on two Mikel Merino headers, an own goal, and an Oyarzabal penalty. Türkiye trailed Spain by three points ahead of the concluding fixtures.[10](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029e-1eeba1581bf0-f1ad83579d94-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-world-cup-highlights-spa/)
**November 2025.** Spain sealed the group in the final round. Goals from [Dani Olmo](https://www.edgepedia.org/dani-olmo) and Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain a 2-2 draw against Türkiye, leaving a three-point gap at the top of the group and sending Türkiye to the play-offs.[3](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified) Spain finished unbeaten, with the final-day draw the only match it did not win.[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029f-1f318027c4dd-8e9bab478b48-1000--world-cup-2026-which-european-teams-have-qualified/)
## Outcome
Spain's group title took the European champions to the finals, where it was drawn into a group with Cabo Verde among its opponents.[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029f-1f318027c4dd-8e9bab478b48-1000--world-cup-2026-which-european-teams-have-qualified/) • [11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/how-did-cape-verde-qualify-for-world-cup-2026) Türkiye entered play-offs Path C as a runner-up and won it, defeating Romania and Kosovo 1-0 in each match to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since it reached the semi-finals in 2002.[3](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified) Georgia and Bulgaria did not advance.[1](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-all-you-ne/)
## References
1. [European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup: All you need to know, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0292-1c1a655f1be0-84538c15a736-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-all-you-ne/)
2. [World Cup 2026: Which European teams have qualified?, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029f-1f318027c4dd-8e9bab478b48-1000--world-cup-2026-which-european-teams-have-qualified/)
3. [World Cup 2026: Every team to have qualified, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/world-cup-2026-every-team-to-have-qualified)
4. [Estos son los grupos para la clasificación del Mundial 2026, AS.com](https://as.com/futbol/mundial/estos-son-los-grupos-para-la-clasificacion-del-mundial-2026-partidos-fechas-y-emparejamientos-n/)
5. [Georgia-Türkiye, European Qualifiers 2026, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044211--georgia-vs-turkiye/)
6. [Spain World Cup 2026 squad, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/spain-world-cup-2026-squad)
7. [0-6: Recital para el recuerdo de España ante Turquía, HuffPost España](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/deporte/06-recital-recuerdo-espana-turquia-clasificacion-mundial.html)
8. [España - Georgia, El País](https://elpais.com/deportes/futbol/2025-10-11/espana-georgia-en-directo-el-partido-de-clasificacion-para-el-mundial-2026-en-vivo.html)
9. [Spain-Georgia, European Qualifiers 2026, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044275/)
10. [European Qualifiers highlights: England first to qualify, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/029e-1eeba1581bf0-f1ad83579d94-1000--european-qualifiers-for-the-2026-world-cup-highlights-spa/)
11. [How did Cape Verde qualify for World Cup 2026?, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/how-did-cape-verde-qualify-for-world-cup-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › National team seasons and results archives › Senior national team tournaments*
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