2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group L
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group L was one of the twelve UEFA groups in the World Cup qualification tournament to decide which teams would qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.[1] Group L consisted of five teams: Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar and Montenegro. The teams played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format from March to November 2025. However, as Croatia were involved in the Nations League A quarter-finals in March, they began their qualifying campaign in June 2025.
The group winners, Croatia, qualified directly for the World Cup finals, while the runners-up, the Czech Republic, advanced to the second round (play-offs).
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|
|
|
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Croatia
|
8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 4 | +22 | 22 | Qualification for 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Czech Republic
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 8 | +10 | 16 | Advance to play-offs | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | |
| 3 | Faroe Islands
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 12 | 0–1 | 2–1 | — | 4–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Montenegro
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 17 | −9 | 9 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–0 | — | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | Gibraltar
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 28 | −25 | 0 | 0–7 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 1–2 | — |
Matches
The fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 13 December 2024 following the draw.[2][3][4] Times are CET/CEST,[note 1] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
| Czech Republic | 2–1 | Faroe Islands |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
|
| Montenegro | 1–0 | Faroe Islands |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Gibraltar | 0–7 | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé (Portugal)[note 2]
Attendance: 1,516[10]
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
| Faroe Islands | 2–1 | Gibraltar |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
|
| Faroe Islands | 4–0 | Montenegro |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Goalscorers
There were 66 goals scored in 20 matches, for an average of 3.3 goals per match.
6 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
- Martin Erlić
- Toni Fruk
- Joško Gvardiol
- Luka Modrić
- Petar Musa
- Mario Pašalić
- Luka Sučić
- Lukáš Červ
- Tomáš Chorý
- Vladimír Coufal
- David Douděra
- Adam Hložek
- Robin Hranáč
- Jan Kliment
- Pavel Šulc
- Patrik Johannesen
- Géza Dávid Turi
- Gunnar Vatnhamar
- Dan Bent
- Liam Jessop
- James Scanlon
- Vasilije Adžić
- Stevan Jovetić
- Edvin Kuč
- Adam Marušić
- Milutin Osmajić
- Marko Tući
1 own goal
- Edvin Kuč (against Croatia)
- Milan Roganović (against Faroe Islands)
Discipline
A player or team official was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[25]
- Receiving a red card (red card suspensions could be extended for serious offences)
- Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions were carried forward to the play-offs, but not the finals or any other future international matches)
The following suspensions were served during the qualifying matches:[26]
| Team | Player | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic |
Vladimír Coufal |  vs Montenegro (6 June 2025) vs Croatia (9 June 2025) |
vs Montenegro (5 September 2025) |
| Ladislav Krejčí | vs Montenegro (5 September 2025) vs Faroe Islands (12 October 2025) |
vs Gibraltar (17 November 2025) | |
| Faroe Islands |
Odmar Færø | vs Czech Republic (22 March 2025) vs Croatia (5 September 2025) |
vs Gibraltar (8 September 2025) |
| Jóannes Danielsen | vs Czech Republic (22 March 2025) vs Czech Republic (12 October 2025) |
vs Croatia (14 November 2025) | |
| Gibraltar |
Dan Bent | vs Montenegro (22 March 2025) vs Faroe Islands (9 June 2025) |
vs Faroe Islands (8 September 2025) |
| Louie Annesley | vs Czech Republic (25 March 2025) vs Montenegro (14 November 2025) |
vs Czech Republic (17 November 2025) | |
| Montenegro |
Marko Vešović | vs Faroe Islands (25 March 2025) vs Czech Republic (6 June 2025) |
vs Czech Republic (5 September 2025) |
| Marko Janković | vs Gibraltar (22 March 2025) vs Czech Republic (6 June 2025) |
vs Croatia (8 September 2025) | |
| Andrija Bulatović |  vs Croatia (8 September 2025) |
vs Faroe Islands (9 October 2025) |
Incidents
Groups of Croatian fans were attacked on 16 November 2025 in Montenegro, between Budva and Cetinje, on the way to a match in Podgorica.[27] On the match day, around 600 Croatian fans were escorted to the stadium under heavy security measures ahead of the match.[28]
Notes
- ^ CET (UTC+1) for matches until 29 March and from 26 October (matchday 1–2 and 9–10), and CEST (UTC+2) for matches from 30 March to 25 October 2025 (matchday 3–8).
- ^ a b Gibraltar played two home matches at Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal, due to the redevelopment of their regular stadium Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar.
References
- ^ "Draw Procedures for the UEFA Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26" (PDF). FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ "European Qualifiers for 2026 World Cup: All the fixtures and results". UEFA. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "European Qualifiers 2024–26 (FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition) – Group stage fixtures by matchday" (PDF). UEFA. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "European Qualifiers 2024–26 (FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition) – Group stage fixtures by group" (PDF). UEFA. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Montenegro v Gibraltar" (PDF). UEFA. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Czechia v Faroe Islands" (PDF). UEFA. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Gibraltar v Czechia" (PDF). UEFA. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Montenegro v Faroe Islands" (PDF). UEFA. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Czechia v Montenegro" (PDF). UEFA. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Gibraltar v Croatia" (PDF). UEFA. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Faroe Islands v Gibraltar" (PDF). UEFA. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Croatia v Czechia" (PDF). UEFA. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Faroe Islands v Croatia" (PDF). UEFA. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Montenegro v Czechia" (PDF). UEFA. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Gibraltar v Faroe Islands" (PDF). UEFA. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Croatia v Montenegro" (PDF). UEFA. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Czechia v Croatia" (PDF). UEFA. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Faroe Islands v Montenegro" (PDF). UEFA. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Faroe Islands v Czechia" (PDF). UEFA. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Croatia v Gibraltar" (PDF). UEFA. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Gibraltar v Montenegro" (PDF). UEFA. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Croatia v Faroe Islands" (PDF). UEFA. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Czechia v Gibraltar" (PDF). UEFA. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Full Time Report Qualifying round – Montenegro v Croatia" (PDF). UEFA. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Regulations: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA. June 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "FIFA World Cup 2026: Booking List before European Qualifiers Matchday 10" (PDF). UEFA. 17 November 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Napadnuta skupina hrvatskih navijača između Budve i Cetinja" [Group of Croatian fans attacked between Budva and Cetinje]. sport.hrt.hr (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT). 16 November 2025.
- ^ "Hrvatski navijači na stadionu u Podgorici" [Croatian fans at the stadium in Podgorica]. sport.hrt.hr (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT). 17 November 2025.
External links
- Official FIFA World Cup website
- Qualifiers – UEFA, FIFA.com
- European Qualifiers, UEFA.com