UEFA has never sent this many teams to a World Cup. Thirteen European nations will represent the continent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico – the biggest allocation in the tournament’s history. From Norway’s goal machine to England’s defensive fortress, the qualifying campaign threw up records, surprises, and plenty of data worth digging into.
This is your complete guide to every UEFA qualifier – campaign records, key stats, top scorers, and more. All data powered by Statz. Click any team link to explore their full squad data.
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Qualifying Campaign Leaders
The standout numbers from across UEFA qualifying. Explore the full competition data on Statz.
Haaland (NOR)
Odegaard (NOR)
Norway
England
Belgium
Haaland (NOR)
Norway were the team of the qualifying campaign – no debate. Eight wins from eight, 37 goals scored, and Erling Haaland with 16 goals and 18 goal involvements. England were the polar opposite – immovable at the back, not a single goal conceded across eight games. Belgium and Croatia were the entertainers. Spain and the Netherlands reminded everyone why they are genuine tournament threats. Thirteen teams, one destination: North America 2026.
Norway
Perfect qualifying record – P8 W8 D0 L0 – 37 goals scored
Norway were simply unstoppable. Eight played, eight won, 37 goals scored – that is not a qualifying campaign, that is a statement. When you have Erling Haaland leading the line, goals are guaranteed. Martin Odegaard pulled the strings with 7 assists – a partnership that will terrify defences in North America. Norway averaged 4.63 goals per game. That number is not a typo.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Erling Haaland – 16 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Martin Odegaard – 7 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/norway
England
Unbeaten with a perfect clean sheet record – P8 W8 D0 L0 – 0 goals conceded
England did not just qualify – they steamrolled their group without conceding a single goal across eight matches. Twenty-two scored, zero against. That defensive record is extraordinary. Harry Kane top-scored with 8 goals and Declan Rice chipped in with 4 assists from midfield. England averaged 7.50 corners per game – one of the highest set-piece volumes in the entire qualifying round.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Harry Kane – 8 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Declan Rice – 4 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/england
Croatia
Unbeaten qualifying run – P8 W7 D1 L0 – 26 goals scored
Croatia keep rolling out World Cup campaigns like they were born for it – because they were. Seven wins and a draw from eight qualifiers, 26 goals scored, and one of the highest corner counts in Europe at 8.75 per game. Andrej Kramaric led the attack with 6 goals. A seasoned squad with big-tournament pedigree – do not write them off at the finals.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Andrej Kramaric – 6 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Ivan Perisic – 3 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/croatia
Netherlands
Unbeaten – P8 W6 D2 L0 – highest GD in qualifying (+23)
The Netherlands posted the best goal difference in all of European qualifying at +23 from 8 games. Twenty-seven goals scored, four conceded. Memphis Depay was outstanding – 8 goals and 4 assists, the complete forward. Cody Gakpo matched him on 4 assists from the left. Unbeaten, with depth in attack – the Dutch are going to be dangerous.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Memphis Depay – 8 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Memphis Depay 4 assists / Cody Gakpo 4 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/netherlands
France
Unbeaten in qualifying – P6 W5 D0 L0 – qualified with games to spare
France glided through their six-game qualifying campaign without dropping a point. Five wins, 16 goals scored, four conceded – efficient, if not always eye-catching. Les Bleus carry world-class individual talent throughout the squad and that always counts come tournament time. Individual player stat leaders are not available in the qualifying data – head to Statz for the full picture.
Key Players
- 📊 Full squad stats: View full squad stats at statz.ai/team/france
Spain
Unbeaten – P6 W5 D0 L0 – 21 goals, just 2 conceded
Spain are the reigning European Champions and they looked the part in qualifying. Twenty-one goals from six games, only two conceded – a near-perfect attacking and defensive balance. Mikel Merino and Mikel Oyarzabal both hit 6 goals, with Oyarzabal adding 4 assists too. Spain at 3.50 goals per game were the most prolific of the six-game qualifying groups. La Roja arrive in North America as genuine favourites.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorers: Mikel Merino – 6 goals / Mikel Oyarzabal – 6 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Mikel Oyarzabal – 4 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/spain
Germany
Five wins from six – P6 W5 D0 L1 – 16 goals scored
Germany got the job done. Five wins and one defeat from six qualifying games – that single loss was the only blip in an otherwise controlled campaign. Sixteen goals scored, just three conceded. Die Mannschaft are rebuilding with a younger core and the tournament at home in 2024 gave them momentum. Individual player leaders are not available in the qualifying data – full squad detail is on Statz.
Key Players
- 📊 Full squad stats: View full squad stats at statz.ai/team/germany
Switzerland
Unbeaten – P6 W4 D2 L0 – watertight defence, just 2 goals conceded
Switzerland are one of the most consistent sides in international football and qualifying proved it again. Unbeaten in six, four wins and two draws, only two goals conceded. They are never glamorous but they are rarely beaten. Compact, organised, and hard to break down – Switzerland always punch above their weight at major tournaments. Full player-level detail available on Statz.
Key Players
- 📊 Full squad stats: View full squad stats at statz.ai/team/switzerland
Italy
P8 W6 D0 L2 – qualified but not without scares – 12.88 fouls/game
Italy qualified – that is the headline after missing two consecutive World Cups would have been catastrophic. Six wins from eight but two defeats show this is not a vintage Azzurri squad. They scored 21 goals and averaged 7.20 corners per game, but conceded 12 times – the defensive frailty is a concern. Moise Kean led the scoring with 6 goals, Mateo Retegui added 5, and Federico Dimarco provided 4 assists from left back.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Moise Kean – 6 goals / Mateo Retegui – 5 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Federico Dimarco – 4 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/italy
Belgium
Unbeaten – P8 W5 D3 L0 – most corners/game in qualifying (10.38)
Belgium’s golden generation may be ageing but they still have the quality to cause problems. Unbeaten in eight, five wins and three draws, 29 goals scored – the highest total among teams with unbeaten records. Their corner output is extraordinary at 10.38 per game, the most in all of European qualifying. Kevin De Bruyne hit 6 goals, Jeremy Doku racked up 8 goal involvements, and Alexis Saelemaekers provided 4 assists. Still plenty of firepower left.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Kevin De Bruyne – 6 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Alexis Saelemaekers – 4 assists
- 🔥 Goal Involvements: Jeremy Doku – 8
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/belgium
Portugal
P6 W4 D1 L1 – 20 goals scored – Ronaldo still adding to the tally
Portugal qualified despite that one defeat, finishing with four wins, a draw, and a loss from six games. Twenty goals scored at 3.33 per game shows there is no shortage of firepower. Cristiano Ronaldo added 5 more qualifying goals to his staggering career total. Bruno Fernandes continued to be the creative engine in midfield. Portugal always deliver at World Cups – and they have more than just one star to rely on now.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo – 5 goals
- 🎯 Assists: Bruno Fernandes – key creative contributor
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/portugal
Denmark
P6 W4 D2 L1 – 16 goals, 13.67 fouls/game – combative midfield
Denmark grinded their way through qualifying with four wins, two draws, and one defeat from six. Not the smoothest campaign but they got there. Rasmus Hojlund hit 5 goals and Mikkel Damsgaard contributed 7 goal involvements to show there is real quality going forward. Their foul rate of 13.67 per game tells you they do not back down from a fight – that physical edge could serve them well in a knockout tournament.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Rasmus Hojlund – 5 goals
- 🔥 Goal Involvements: Mikkel Damsgaard – 7
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/denmark
Austria
P8 W6 D1 L1 – 22 goals, 14.13 fouls/game – tenacious qualifiers
Austria have quietly become a well-organised, competitive side and they backed it up in qualifying. Six wins, one draw, one defeat from eight games. Twenty-two goals scored, just four conceded – strong on both ends. Marko Arnautovic led the line with 8 goals and Marcel Sabitzer chipped in with 3 assists from midfield. At 14.13 fouls per game, Austria are the most combative qualifiers in Europe – they will not make life easy for anyone in North America.
Key Players
- ⚽ Top Scorer: Marko Arnautovic – 8 goals
- 🎯 Top Assists: Marcel Sabitzer – 3 assists
- 📊 Full squad stats: View on statz.ai/team/austria
Explore Every Stat on Statz
Player profiles, team rankings, bet builder projections, and more. All 13 UEFA World Cup qualifiers are tracked in full on Statz.