1. World Cup 2026
2. Qualification
3. Qualification play-offs

World Cup 2026 Qualification Play-offs

Everything about the World Cup 2026 qualification play-offs from 26 to 31 March 2026. The European play-offs form the second phase of the 2026 World Cup qualification in Europe.

Following the approval of the new tournament format in August 2023, this pathway is contested by 16 countries, who compete for the final four European tickets for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Schedule of the play-offs

The play-off schedule consists of four separate paths ^[ref], and each path contains:

• two semi-finals;
• one final.

Within each path, a seeded team is paired with an unseeded team, according to the principle:

• pot 1 - pot 4
• pot 2 - pot 3

Path A Play-offs World Cup 2026

#1) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path A
Italy		20:45		Northern Ireland
#2) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path A
Wales		20:45		Bosnia and Herzegovina
#3) Tue 31 Mar 20:45		Path A
Wales/Bosnia and Herz.		20:45		Italy/Northern Ireland

Path B Play-offs World Cup 2026

#1) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path B
Ukraine		20:45		Sweden
#2) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path B
Poland		20:45		Albania
#3) Tue 31 Mar 20:45		Path B
Ukraine/Sweden		20:45		Poland/Albania

Path C Play-offs World Cup 2026

#1) Thu 26 Mar 18:00		Path C
Turkey		18:00		Romania
#2) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path C
Slovakia		20:45		Kosovo
#3) Tue 31 Mar 20:45		Path C
Slovakia/Kosovo		20:45		Turkey/Romania

Path D Play-offs World Cup 2026

#1) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path D
Denmark		20:45		Macedonia
#2) Thu 26 Mar 20:45		Path D
Czech Republic		20:45		Ireland
#3) Tue 31 Mar 20:45		Path D
Czechia/Ireland		20:45		Denmark/Macedonia

All ties are decided over a single match, and all seeded teams have home advantage in the semi-finals. The winners of both semi-finals in a path then play that path’s final. Before the tournament, a draw is already held to determine which semi-final winner will play at home in the final.

UEFA determines the complete schedule. According to the plan, the semi-finals will take place on Thursday 26 March 2026, followed by the finals on Tuesday 31 March 2026. Kick-off times follow the standard slots: 20:45 or 18:00.

Match dates for the European World Cup 2026 play-offs

• Semi-finals: Thursday 26 March 2026
• Finals: Tuesday 31 March 2026

Draw result and complete paths of the play-offs

The sixteen European countries that take part in the World Cup 2026 qualification play-offs now know who their opponents are. During the draw in Zurich, it became clear how the four play-off paths are structured and which teams will meet each other in the semi-finals and possible finals ^[ref]. Through this route, four remaining European berths can still be earned for the 2026 World Cup.

Path A

In Path A, Italy host Northern Ireland, while Wales face Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Italy - Northern Ireland
• Wales - Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Final: Wales/Bosnia and Herz. - Italy/Northern Ireland

Path B

Ukraine play Sweden in the semi-final, while Poland take on Albania.

• Ukraine - Sweden
• Poland - Albania
• Final: Ukraine/Sweden - Poland/Albania

Path C

In Path C, Türkiye face Romania, and Slovakia meet Kosovo.

• Türkiye - Romania
• Slovakia - Kosovo
• Final: Slovakia/Kosovo - Türkiye/Romania

Path D

Denmark host Macedonia, while Czechia play at home against Ireland.

• Denmark - Macedonia
• Czechia - Ireland
• Final: Czechia/Ireland - Denmark/Macedonia

The draw determined not only the semi-final ties, but also which winner of a semi-final will play at home in the final of its path. As a result, the route in each path is fully fixed even before the first ball is kicked.

The four winners will join the twelve European countries that have already qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The ceremony was hosted by Melanie Winiger. The draw itself was conducted by Manolo Zubiria (Chief Tournament Officer), assisted by Christian Karembeu, Marco Materazzi and Martin Dahlin.

Seeding for the play-off draw

The seeding for the draw of the play-off matches consists of four pots with sixteen countries ^[ref]. The sixteen countries that play the play-offs are ranked as follows:

• The 12 runners-up from the qualifying groups are seeded from position 1 to 12, based on the FIFA ranking of November 2025.
• The 4 countries that enter via the Nations League are then placed in positions 13 to 16.

After that, four pots are formed:

• Pot 1: countries 1–4 (seeded)
• Pot 2: countries 5–8 (seeded)
• Pot 3: countries 9–12 (unseeded)
• Pot 4: countries 13–16 (unseeded)

Pot 1
Italy
Denmark
Turkey
Ukraine

Pot 2
Poland
Wales
Czech Republic
Slovakia

Pot 3
Ireland
Albania
Bosnia and Herz.
Kosovo

Pot 4
Sweden
Romania
Macedonia
Northern Ireland

Procedure for the play-off draw

For the play-off draw, FIFA has established a procedure ^[ref]. The draw is conducted in order from pot 1 to pot 4.

The construction of the four paths works as follows:

1. Pot 1: the four highest-ranked teams are allocated to semi-finals 1, 3, 5 and 7, in the order in which they are drawn.
2. Pot 2: these teams are placed in the first vacant slot of semi-finals 2, 4, 6 and 8.
3. Pot 3: is assigned to the remaining positions in semi-finals 2, 4, 6 and 8.
4. Pot 4: these teams go into the vacant positions in semi-finals 1, 3, 5 and 7.

From each path one winner emerges, meaning that four countries qualify for the 2026 World Cup and complete the European contingent.

Participants in the play-offs

The 16 teams that take part in the play-offs are divided over four play-off routes, each containing four teams. The play-off matches consist of semi-finals and finals, both played as single-leg ties within the same international match window in March 2026.

The 12 runners-up from the groups will participate in the play-offs, together with the four highest-ranked group winners from the 2024/25 Nations League who did not finish first or second in their European World Cup qualifying group.

The participating countries are:

• Albania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Italy
• Kosovo
• Macedonia
• Northern Ireland
• Poland
• Ireland
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Sweden
• Türkiye
• Ukraine
• Wales

All About the Intercontinental FIFA Play-offs for the 2026 World Cup

In March 2026, the intercontinental FIFA play-off tournament will take place, where six nations compete for the final two spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These intercontinental matches are played between countries from different confederations, except Europe, as UEFA holds its own play-offs.

The FIFA play-offs feature two teams from Concacaf, complemented by one representative each from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC. The matches will be played during the international window from 23 to 31 March 2026.

The participating nations have been confirmed: Bolivia, Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname have secured a place in the play-off tournament.

• Bolivia
• Congo
• Iraq
• Jamaica
• New Caledonia
• Suriname

The format works as follows: the four lowest-ranked countries on the FIFA World Ranking begin in the semifinals of the bracket. The two highest-ranked teams enter directly in the final stage of their respective path. The winners of these finals claim the last available tickets for the 2026 World Cup.

Match Schedule for the 2026 FIFA Play-off Tournament

The schedule for the FIFA play-offs, played in a single-match knockout format, divides the teams into two separate paths ^[ref].

The matches are played in Guadalajara and Monterrey, each hosting two fixtures ^[ref]. Guadalajara Stadium hosts Path 1, featuring New Caledonia, Jamaica, and Congo. Monterrey Stadium hosts Path 2, featuring Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq.

On Thursday, 26 March, the semifinals will be played in both cities. The winners advance to the decisive final on Tuesday, 31 March, where the last two World Cup spots will be awarded.

Path 1 – Guadalajara

• Semifinal: New Caledonia – Jamaica
• Final: winner of semifinal – DR Congo

Path 2 – Monterrey

• Semifinal: Bolivia – Suriname
• Final: winner of semifinal – Iraq

The Draw for the 2026 FIFA Play-off Tournament

The draw for the play-off tournament takes place on 20 November 2025 at 13:00 at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland ^[ref]. During this ceremony, the match-ups in the knockout bracket are determined.

The ceremony was hosted by Melanie Winiger, with Chief Tournament Officer Manolo Zubiria responsible for drawing the teams. Former internationals Christian Karembeu, Marco Materazzi and Martin Dahlin assisted.

The draw is an important moment in the build-up to the tournament, as the bracket layout directly affects the qualification chances of teams from Asia, Africa, Concacaf, South America, and Oceania.

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4 teams will qualify via the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-offs. All about the teams, schedule and explanation of the format of the World Cup play-offs.

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