Key Takeaways
- Germany qualified in both draws, beating Great Britain 2-1 in the men’s competition and Denmark by the same score in the women’s event.
- Victory over Belgium sent the Netherlands men through, while Great Britain’s women completed an unbeaten European qualifying campaign by sweeping Poland 2-0.
- The Doha field now includes 30 of the 32 teams, with Kuwait hosting the battle for the remaining 2 places from 26 to 30 October.
Madrid qualifiers award four European berths
Four national teams earned places at the FIP World Cup 2026 after the European qualification stage concluded in Madrid. Doha, Qatar, will host the men’s and women’s tournaments from 2 to 7 November, with 32 national squads taking part.
By qualifying in both the men’s and women’s draws, Germany delivered the strongest overall performance of the competition. The other places went to the Netherlands in the men’s event and Great Britain in the women’s bracket.
Germany survives two three-match qualification battles
Three close matches ended with Germany defeating Great Britain 2-1 in the men’s qualification decider. Lindmeyer and Fitzon put Germany ahead by rallying past Jones and Salisbury 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. Great Britain drew level when Loughlan and Harris overcame Reca and Wunner 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, winning both of the final sets in tie-breaks. Böhnke and Merten then secured the decisive point, recovering to defeat Patacho and Medina Murphy 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.
The German women also recovered from an early deficit to win 2-1, this time against Denmark. Rasmussen and Haxen opened the tie with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Renić and Höfer, but Kurz and Blaschke pulled Germany level by beating Wiese and Skov 6-3, 6-7, 6-4. Qualification was clinched emphatically by Plümer and Hering, who defeated Alipieva and Ferrigno 6-0, 6-2.
Doha places secured by Dutch men and British women
Belgium’s defeat in the men’s bracket earned the Netherlands a place in Doha. The opening match went to Richters and Roper, who outlasted De Roose and Geens 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 after winning a third-set tie-break. De Kroon and Prins completed the job by defeating De Weerdt and Coene 6-3, 6-4.
A 2-0 victory over Poland allowed Great Britain to leave Madrid with a perfect record, having not lost a tie during the qualifiers. Gibson and Rose defeated Pacocha and Kiszczynska 6-0, 6-2 before Nicolas and De La Mare sealed qualification by overcoming Rosolka and Pioekowska 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Kuwait to host last qualification stage
Just 2 Doha berths remain available after the Madrid qualifiers. Kuwait will stage the FIP World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Asia-Africa from 26 to 30 October, when the final place in both the men’s and women’s draws will be determined.
| 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 |
