The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Play-Off took place on Thursday in Zurich, Switzerland, confirming both the intercontinental qualification fixtures and the final UEFA play-off brackets that will determine the last teams to join the expanded 48-team tournament.
Intercontinental Play-Off Fixtures
Six teams from five confederations, AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and OFC, will battle for the final two World Cup slots through a six-nation tournament scheduled to hold in Mexico (Guadalajara and Monterrey) during the FIFA window of March 23 to 31, 2026.
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DR Congo and Iraq, the two highest-ranked sides, received byes to their respective play-off finals.
Path 1
New Caledonia vs Jamaica (Semi-final)
Winner vs DR Congo (Final, World Cup slot)
Path 2
Bolivia vs Suriname (Semi-final)
Winner vs Iraq (Final, World Cup slot)
Only the winners of Path 1 and Path 2 will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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UEFA Play-Off Fixtures
Twelve European teams also discovered their knockout routes, with UEFA’s unforgiving format featuring single-leg semi-finals and finals across four paths.
Path A
Italy vs Northern Ireland
Wales vs Bosnia-Herzegovina
Path B
Ukraine vs Sweden
Poland vs Albania
Path C
Slovakia vs Kosovo
Turkey vs Romania
Path D
Denmark vs North Macedonia
Czechia vs the Republic of Ireland
The UEFA semi-finals will be played on March 26, 2026, with the route finals scheduled for March 31, 2026.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition with 48 teams across 12 groups, expanding the competition to 104 matches across three host nations.
