With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just a few months away, the field of participating teams for the tournament is all but set. There are six remaining spots in the tournament that have yet to be decided. Four of the teams will be decided at the UEFA World Cup playoffs, while the remaining two will be decided through the inter-confederation playoffs. Both playoffs kick off on March 26 and will conclude on March 31.
UEFA World Cup Playoffs
The UEFA World Cup playoffs features sixteen teams, offering them a second opportunity to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Twelve of the teams participating were the twelve runner-ups for the World Cup qualifying stage, with the other four being awarded a spot due to their performance in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League.
The twelve teams that qualified as runner-ups are Kosovo, Slovakia, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Wales, Albania and Czechia. The four teams that earned a spot through the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League are Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland.
The teams are split into four different paths, consisting of two single-leg semifinals matches, with the winner of each semifinals match moving on to the finals. The winner of the finals match for each designated path will qualify for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The paths and their matchups can be found listed below.
Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland & Wales vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden & Poland vs. Albania
Path C: Turkey vs. Romania & Slovakia vs. Kosovo
Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia & Czechia vs. Rep. of Ireland
Seven of the eight semifinals matches will be played on Thursday, March 26, with the lone exception being Turkey vs. Romania, which will occur on Friday, March 27. The winners of each semifinals match will move onto the finals, where they will be just one win away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
One of the biggest stories for the UEFA World Cup playoffs is Italy, a team that has won the FIFA World Cup four times, tied for the second most in its history. After missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup, one of the tournament’s most iconic teams is looking for redemption. Two of the teams participating in the UEFA World Cup playoffs, Poland and Wales, played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Inter-confederation Playoffs
The inter-confederation playoffs offers a second avenue for teams to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, however, there are only two spots on the table. The slot allocation was decided by the FIFA Council and granted two spots to CONCACAF and one to AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC.
The six teams participating in the event are Iraq (AFC), DR Congo (CAF), Bolivia (CONMEBOL), New Caledonia (OFC), Jamaica and Suriname (CONCACAF). The tournament’s structure contains two semifinals games, with Iraq and DR Congo already clinching a spot in the finals. The winners of their respective semifinals games will advance to the final match. The schedule of matches can be found listed below.
- New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (Winner faces DR Congo in final)
- Bolivia vs. Suriname (Winner faces Iraq in final)
Both semifinals matches will be held on March 26 and the finals will be held on March 31. All games will be held across two of the biggest soccer venues in Mexico, offering a large capacity for the most important games of the year for these teams.
By April 1, the field will officially be set once the winners of each respective playoff qualifier are decided. As the excitement for the 2026 FIFA World Cup builds, the teams featured in these playoffs will hope to find their way to MetLife Stadium, where a round of 32 match, round of 16 match and the final game of the tournament will all be held.
