England, Sweden and the Netherlands remain among the strongest names in the bracket. The reigning European champions, who were also runners-up at the 2023 World Cup, begin against Greece. Sweden face Lithuania, while the Netherlands meet Hungary.
Those ties give established contenders an immediate opportunity to control their route through the competition. The first legs are scheduled for 7 October, with the return matches following on 13 October.
Other first-round matchups include:
The winners advance to another two-legged knockout round between 26 November and 5 December. That stage is likely to separate the traditional powers from the teams capable of producing a sustained qualifying run.
England or Greece could face Slovakia or Ukraine, while Sweden or Lithuania are projected to meet the winner of the Czech Republic-Scotland tie. The bracket also keeps potential contests between Portugal and Croatia, and between the Netherlands and Hungary, in view.
Winning the knockout route will not be the only factor. The report says the seven best-ranked playoff winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the eighth enters the intercontinental playoff for one of the tournament’s remaining places.
That system raises the pressure beyond simply surviving each tie. A narrow progression through the bracket may not guarantee the same reward as a dominant campaign against stronger opposition.
Denmark, France, Germany and Spain have already qualified from the league phase, which involved 53 teams. The next storyline is whether England, Sweden or the Netherlands can join them directly-or whether one of Europe’s established powers is forced into the intercontinental route.