Second chance. World Cup 2026 qualifying play-offs: Who will battle for the final spots at the Mundial?
Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
Only 6 spots remain at the World Cup.
Details: Today, the participants of the play-off stage for the 2026 World Cup qualifying in Europe and the intercontinental play-offs have been determined.
In the European qualifiers, the following teams are getting a second chance:
- Slovakia.
- Kosovo.
- Denmark.
- Ukraine.
- Turkey.
- Ireland.
- Poland.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Italy.
- Wales.
- Albania.
- Czechia.
- North Macedonia.
- Sweden.
- Romania.
- Northern Ireland.
These 16 teams have been split into the following groups:
- 1: Italy, Ukraine, Turkey, and Denmark.
- 2: Wales, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia.
- 3: Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo.
- 4: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.
The playoff paths will unfold as follows:
- Pot 1 will face Pot 4 (in the semifinals).
- Pot 2 will face Pot 3 (in the semifinals).
As for the final round, the winners from Pots 1 and 4 will meet the winners from the Pot 2 and 3 pairings.
The semifinal clashes are set for March 26, with the finals scheduled for March 31, 2026.
Turning to the intercontinental qualifiers, here's how things stand:
Advanced to the play-off round:
- Jamaica.
- Suriname.
- Iraq.
- DR Congo.
- Bolivia.
- New Caledonia.
Only two teams from the intercontinental qualifiers will clinch a World Cup 2026 berth. The format splits the teams into two brackets based on FIFA rankings.
Thus, Iraq and DR Congo are seeded and go straight to the final qualifying round, while Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia, and New Caledonia will battle for the right to face one of the finalists.
The winners of the two finals will punch their tickets to the Mundial. Intercontinental play-off matches are slated for March 2026.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-offs will take place tomorrow, November 20, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The event kicks off at 13:00 CET.
Reminder: World Cup 2026 participants: Who has already secured their ticket to the USA, Mexico, and Canada?
