Serbia and the 2030 World Cup

Chances at the 2030 World Cup

Serbia qualify in 18.7% of simulated campaigns: outsiders, but with a route that opens up often enough to be worth playing for. The single most likely outcome is not qualifying (81.3% of cycles).

When they are at the finals, Serbia get out of their group 52.0% of the time; a quarter-final comes up in 0.5% of all cycles.

A 64-team World Cup would change the picture: with the extra places the simulator assumes for that format, Serbia qualify in 28.0% of campaigns instead of 18.7%.

Share of 20,000 simulated cycles, from first qualifier to final, in which Serbia got at least this far. How the simulation works · All 211 nations

The route to the finals

Europe's qualifying is played in twelve groups: each group winner qualifies, and the eight best runners-up play off for the last two places. Serbia come in at the group stage.

There are 14 places for the 53 nations that have to qualify.

UEFA qualifying in full: format, what is official and every nation's odds.

How strong are they?

Serbia have 1482.24 points in the FIFA ranking published on 7 October 2026, which places them 44th in the world and 23rd of the 55 nations in Europe. The simulator uses that points total directly as the team's rating.

Their attack score is 50 and their defence score 62, on a scale of 1 to 100 built from the last 30 internationals. The scores describe a side built on defence: fewer goals scored than its rating would suggest, and fewer conceded.

Around them in UEFA

Serbia at the World Cup

They have played at 13 World Cups, the first in 1930 and the most recent in 2022. Their best finish is fourth place, in 1930 and 1962. The figures include those of Yugoslavia and of Serbia and Montenegro, as FIFA counts them. They did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup.