ZURICH: Thomas Tuchel’s first official duty as England coach on Friday was to see his new team drawn in a 2026 World Cup qualifying group with Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.
Tuchel starts work in January as the first German coach of the 1966 World Cup winner but was at FIFA headquarters to see the 54 European teams drawn into 12 qualifying groups. Games start in March for some groups, while others will begin in June or September.
“It’s a difficult group, is my first impression,” said Tuchel, who must wait for FIFA to approve the fixture list to see if his England debut will be a qualifying game in March or a warm-up friendly.
Europe will send 16 teams to the first 48-team World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The 12 group winners next November advance directly and runners-up go to a playoff in March 2026, joined by four more teams who won a Nations League group last month.
England are one of the few top-seeded teams to already know their qualifying opponents. Most groups are still incomplete as eight top-seeded teams will be placed based on the results of their Nations League quarterfinals in March.
The winner of the quarterfinal between European champion Spain and the Netherlands faces a tough Group E with Turkiye, Georgia and Bulgaria.
Spain ended Georgia’s impressive run at their first major tournament, winning 4-1 in the round of 16 at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Georgia coach Willy Sagnol acknowledged “it will be a difficult group,” with Turkiye having lost a Euro 2024 quarterfinal to the Netherlands.
The loser between Spain and the Netherlands be in a five-team group with Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta that shapes to be less challenging.
The winner between France and Croatia in March will head Group D with Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan. The loser of that Nations League quarterfinal will be in the five-team Group L with the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faeroe Islands and Gibraltar.
For Germany and Italy, the group draw could be an added incentive to win their Nations League meeting and land in Group A.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged it would be “a bit easier” to play in a four-team group with Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. The loser will face Erling Haaland and Norway in a five-team group that also includes, Israel, Estonia and Moldova. Israel have been unable to host games for security reasons since the Hamas attacks in October last year, and likely will continue playing home games in Hungary.
Russia were excluded from Friday’s draw because their teams are banned from international competitions by FIFA and UEFA since the military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia’s military ally Belarus, which will play in a group with either Portugal or Denmark, plus Greece and Scotland, have been forced to host games in neutral countries because of the war.
One security challenge could arise in England’s group, with Serbia set to host Albania for the first time since the famous “drone game” in 2014 between the Balkan near-neighbors.
A decade ago, the game in Belgrade abandoned after a fan outside the stadium flew a drone over the field with an Albanian nationalist banner, leading to clashes between players and a field invasion by Serbian fans. UEFA awarded Serbia a win by default that was overturned on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, ultimately sending Albania to their tournament debut at Euro 2016.
Soccer relations between Serbia and Albania — at federation level, if not among ultras fan groups — are much improved and they are set to be confirmed Monday as co-hosts of the Under-21 Euros in 2027.
England and new coach Tuchel land in 2026 World Cup qualifying group with Serbia and Albania
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England and new coach Tuchel land in 2026 World Cup qualifying group with Serbia and Albania
- “It’s a difficult group, is my first impression,” said Tuchel
- Europe will send 16 teams to the first 48-team World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico
McIlroy soars to the top of the leaderboard at Dubai Invitational
- Scotland’s Connor Syme, Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under
- There was a minute’s silence held at 1.30 p.m. for the 40 victims of the Crans-Montana fire during New Year celebrations
DUBAI: Rory McIlroy declared his opening round of 66 as a “nice way to start the year” as he held a one-shot lead at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The world number two made a rapid start with seven birdies and a bogey after 10 holes to send a daunting message to the rest of the field as he led by three shots at six under par.
His momentum stalled as he carded a dropped shot and seven pars to close his first round of the year in 66 and take the clubhouse lead at five under.
Matt Wallace rolled in four straight birdies around the turn to surge ahead at seven under, but two dropped shots and a double bogey saw him slip down the leaderboard.
Scotland’s Connor Syme and Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under.
“It was good. I got off to a great start, played a very good first nine,” McIlroy said.
“Then the wind got up a little bit and felt like that front nine, which was our second nine, was the trickier one.
“I made a silly bogey on three and then didn’t capitalize on the par-five after that.
“So, I felt like I left a few out on that side, but I played a really good nine holes of golf. Overall, a nice way to start the year.”
McIlroy, who started at the 10th, was inches from an opening eagle before he climbed to two under at the 11th with a close-range birdie.
He slid a four-foot par putt by at the 12th, but responded immediately with birdies at the 13th and the par-three 14th thanks to a stunning tee-shot.
The Northern Irishman took the outright lead at four under with another gain at the 17th and when finished his front nine with another birdie, he was two shots clear.
McIlroy was in relentless form as he rolled in his seventh birdie of the day, and third in a row, at the first to extend his advantage to three strokes at six under.
However, Oliver Lindell closed in on the early leader courtesy of a stunning birdie blitz from the ninth to the 13th.
McIlroy bogeyed the third to slip back alongside the Finn to share the lead at five under and they were joined by Guerrier, starting on the back nine, who briefly made it a three-way tie after his seventh birdie of the round at the sixth to go with his double bogey at the ninth before fading away.
Matt Wallace opened with a bogey, but bounced back with a birdie at the third and a chip-in eagle at the fourth.
Another gain followed at the sixth before he surged to the summit courtesy of four straight birdies from the eighth to move two ahead at seven under.
The Englishman dropped a shot at the 12th, double bogeyed the 16th and closed with a bogey as his two-shot lead evaporated.
Syme and Puig were one shot behind McIlroy at four under following five birdies and a bogey in their 67s.
Wallace endured a rollercoaster card of an eagle, six birdies, three dropped shots and a double bogey to finish to sit in a tie for fifth at three under, Lindell double bogeyed the last in his 68, while French pair Guerrier and Antoine Rozner and Spaniard Angel Ayora were also at that mark.
There was a minute’s silence held at 1.30 p.m. for the 40 victims of the Crans-Montana fire during New Year celebrations, which included rising Italian talent Emanuele Galeppini, who was about to start his tenure as Junior Captain at Dubai Creek Resort.
Black ribbons were worn by players, caddies and DP World Tour staff as a mark of respect.
