This Tuesday, March 31, both the UEFA World Cup playoffs and inter-confederation playoffs are taking place to decide the final six spots remaining for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup beginning on June 11, the tournament is just a few months away and the full field of participating teams will be set at the conclusion of Tuesday’s matches.
The UEFA World Cup playoffs will decide four of the remaining six spots, with teams earning their place in the tournament either through being one of the twelve runner-ups from the first round of qualification or being one of four Nations League group winners that finish outside of the top two in their qualifying group. After the first round of matches last Thursday, the remaining teams in the tournament are Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Poland, Kosovo, Turkey, Czech Republic and Denmark. Half of these teams will advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the other half being sent home.
All four matches will be taking place at 2:45 p.m. ET, as each team looks to secure their spot in the prestigious tournament. The winner of Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina will go on to join Group B, which consists of Canada, Switzerland and Qatar. For Italy, a return to the FIFA World Cup would be redemption for missing the 2022 rendition of the tournament, as the team has a storied history in the tournament. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, it would mark just their second time qualifying, with the first coming in 2014.
Sweden and Poland will be facing off against one another, with the winner joining Group F, which consists of Japan, the Netherlands and Tunisia. Poland played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, advancing to the round of 16, while Sweden last played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, making it to the quarter-finals. Both teams will look to resume where they left off in the tournament.
Kosovo and Turkey will be the third match taking place, with a win being historic for both teams. Kosovo has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and Turkey has only made the tournament twice, however, in their last appearance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team finished in third place. The winner of the match will join Group D, which consists of the United States, Australia and Paraguay.
The final match of the UEFA World Cup playoffs is Czech Republic vs. Denmark. For the Czech Republic, a qualification would be a return to form for the club that has not qualified since the 2006 tournament, despite consistent appearances from the 1930s to 1990s. Denmark last played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but was unable to advance past the group stages. The winner of this match will play in Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
The remaining two spots will be decided through the inter-confederation playoffs, featuring a collection of teams playing in different soccer confederations across the globe. The first match, which will be played at 5 p.m., features DR Congo and Jamaica. Neither team’s history spans far, as DR Congo qualified once in 1974 under the name Zaire, while Jamaica’s only qualification was in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
The second and final match to determine the field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be between Iraq and Bolivia, taking place at 11 p.m. The winner of the match will play in Group I, which consists of France, Norway and Senegal. Both teams are currently in lengthy droughts at the tournament, with Iraq last playing in the 1986 FIFA World Cup and Bolivia playing in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, though only one team will be able to end its drought by qualifying for the tournament.
By Wednesday morning, the entire field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially be set, with many of the teams currently making bids to compete in the tournament looking to end decades-long droughts. If any of the teams are able to overcome the odds and make it all the way to the final match of the tournament, they will be coming to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals is being held.