FIFA World Cup 2026 playoff tournaments will start in March
The European and Intercontinental playofss will decide the final six teams to secure qualification
See the teams involved, the full schedule, and more below
The FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature its largest-ever roster of 48 teams. With qualifiers now complete, two playoff tournaments in March will decide the final six places for this expanded edition.
Four European teams and two teams from other continents will earn their spots. Sixteen nations will compete in the UEFA playoffs, while FIFA's intercontinental playoffs involve six. The successful teams will join 42 other qualified nations for the World Cup, which runs through June and July in the host countries.
Know all about the two FIFA World Cup 2026 playoffs – the European and Intercontinental playoffs – below.
FIFA World Cup 2026 European Playoffs
Twelve runners-up from European qualifying groups advanced to these playoffs. Four further teams progressed as the highest-ranked group winners from the UEFA Nations League, as they did not finish in the top two of their European qualifying groups.
Group runners-up include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Wales. The Nations League group winners are Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and North Macedonia.
Officials will place teams in a seeded draw from four pots, based on the FIFA ranking position of the 12 runners-up. The top eight teams will be seeded, while the bottom four runners-up and the Nations League qualifiers will be unseeded.
The four top-seeded squads in Pot 1 are guaranteed semi-finals against the Nations League qualifiers. Eight semi-finals will take place, with seeded teams playing at home.
These seeded teams include: Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine (Pot 1); and Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia (Pot 2). The semifinal winners will advance to four finals.
These matches will determine which European teams qualify for next year's World Cup. Semifinals will be played on March 26, with the finals scheduled for March 31.
European Playoffs Full Schedule
Path A
Semifinal 1: Pot 1 Team vs Pot 4 Team on March 26
Semifinal 2: Pot 2 Team vs Pot 3 Team on March 26
Final: Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 on March 31
Path B
Semifinal 3: Pot 1 Team vs Pot 4 Team on March 26
Semifinal 4: Pot 2 Team vs Pot 3 Team on March 26
Final: Winner SF 3 vs Winner SF 4 on March 31
Path C
Semifinal 5: Pot 1 Team vs Pot 4 Team on March 26
Semifinal 6: Pot 2 Team vs Pot 3 Team on March 26
Final: Winner SF 5 vs Winner SF 6 on March 31
Path D
Semifinal 7: Pot 1 Team vs Pot 4 Team on March 26
Semifinal 8: Pot 2 Team vs Pot 3 Team on March 26
Final: Winner SF 7 vs Winner SF 8 on March 31
FIFA World Cup 2026 Intercontinental Playoffs
The intercontinental playoff tournament will bring together six teams from around the world, vying for two qualifying places. Two teams from CONCACAF, and one each from Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania will compete.
The playoff teams are Iraq (AFC), DR Congo (CAF), Jamaica and Suriname (CONCACAF), Bolivia (CONMEBOL), and New Caledonia (OFC).
Iraq and Democratic Republic of Congo, the two highest-ranked teams, are seeded, meaning they automatically advance to one of two playoff finals. The four lowest-ranked teams are unseeded and will be drawn to play in two semifinals. The winners of these semifinals will advance to one of the two playoff finals.
The two winning teams from the finals will secure their World Cup qualification. These international playoffs will be held between March 23 and 31.
Intercontinental Playoffs Full Schedule
Path 1
Semifinal: Playoff Team 1 vs Playoff Team 2 on TBD March 2026
Final: 2nd Seeded Team vs Winner SF on TBD March 2026
Path 2
Semifinal: Playoff Team 3 vs Playoff Team 4 on TBD March 2026
Final: 2nd Seeded Team vs Winner SF on TBD March 2026
World Cup Draw Details
Officials will hold the draw for the FIFA World Cup in Washington, D.C., on December 5. This event will take place before they confirm all teams advancing via the playoffs. The FIFA World Cup will kick off on June 11, 2026, with the final match scheduled for July 19.
(With AP Inputs)
