Key Takeaways
- Germany secured qualification in both the men’s and women’s categories with 2-1 victories over Great Britain and Denmark, respectively.
- The Netherlands men defeated Belgium to qualify, while the British women swept Poland 2-0 to finish the European qualifiers unbeaten.
- A total of 30 of the 32 teams are now locked in for the Doha tournament, with the final 2 spots to be decided in Kuwait from 26 to 30 October.
Four European spots decided in Madrid qualifiers
The European qualifying stage for the FIP World Cup 2026 reached its conclusion in Madrid, sending four national squads through to the showpiece event in Qatar. The tournament, scheduled to take place in Doha from 2 to 7 November, will feature 32 national teams across the men’s and women’s events.
Germany emerged as the standout performer of the competition by earning qualification in both brackets. The Netherlands claimed the remaining men’s berth, while Great Britain secured the final women’s slot.
German squads battle through three-match ties
In the men’s qualifying decider, Germany edged Great Britain 2-1 in a series of tightly contested fixtures. The German pair of Lindmeyer and Fitzon struck first, overcoming Jones and Salisbury 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. Loughlan and Harris responded for Great Britain by edging Reca and Wunner in two consecutive tie-breaks, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. The decisive point fell to Böhnke and Merten, who rallied to beat Patacho and Medina Murphy 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Germany’s women mounted an identical 2-1 comeback against Denmark. Rasmussen and Haxen gave Denmark the early advantage by downing Renić and Höfer 6-3, 6-1. Kurz and Blaschke leveled the tie with a 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 victory over Wiese and Skov, before Plümer and Hering closed out the qualification with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 triumph against Alipieva and Ferrigno.
Netherlands men and Great Britain women book Doha berths
The Netherlands secured their travel tickets to Doha by turning aside Belgium in the men’s bracket. Richters and Roper survived a grueling opener against De Roose and Geens, taking the third-set tie-break to win 5-7, 6-4, 7-6. De Kroon and Prins then sealed the contest with a 6-3, 6-4 win over De Weerdt and Coene.
Great Britain completed an unblemished campaign in Madrid by defeating Poland 2-0 without dropping a tie throughout the qualifiers. Gibson and Rose handled Pacocha and Kiszczynska 6-0, 6-2, and Nicolas alongside De La Mare wrapped up qualification with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Rosolka and Pioekowska.
Final qualification stage moves to Kuwait
Following the Madrid qualifiers, only 2 berths remain unassigned for the Doha competition. The final spots—1 in the men’s draw and 1 in the women’s—will be decided at the FIP World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Asia-Africa, running from 26 to 30 October in Kuwait.
| Category | Qualified nations |
|---|---|
| Men | Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, France, Chile, Sweden, USA, Mexico, Paraguay, Qatar, Netherlands, Germany |
| Women | Spain, Argentina, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Brazil, Belgium, USA, Paraguay, Chile, Qatar, Great Britain, Germany |
