Playoff draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Who will face whom?

This week, the main phase of qualification for the 2026 World Cup concluded across all regions, and we now know the 42 teams that have booked their tickets for the tournament. However, several spots remain up for grabs and will be decided through the playoffs.

On Thursday, November 20, the draw for the World Cup qualification playoffs took place, revealing the matchups for the battle to reach the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The Dailysports team has prepared the full list of playoff pairings.

First, the intercontinental playoff was determined:

• New Caledonia/Jamaica – DR Congo
• Bolivia/Suriname – Iraq

European playoff path for World Cup qualifying:

Semifinals

• Italy – Northern Ireland
• Wales – Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ukraine – Sweden
• Poland – Albania
• Turkey – Romania
• Slovakia – Kosovo
• Denmark – North Macedonia
• Czech Republic – Ireland

Final

• Italy/Northern Ireland – Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ukraine/Sweden – Poland/Albania
• Turkey/Romania – Slovakia/Kosovo
• Denmark/North Macedonia – Czech Republic/Ireland

The semifinal matches are scheduled for March 26, with the finals set for March 31, 2026.

Reminder: The participants of both the European qualification play-offs and the intercontinental play-offs for the final places at the 2026 World Cup have now been confirmed.

The Dailysports team breaks down which nations have already locked in their spot in North America.