TL;DR
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification playoffs will determine the final six competing teams.
- Italy is a prominent nation participating in the European playoff tournament for a spot.
- The intercontinental playoff involves six teams from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC.
- The UEFA playoffs feature 16 nations competing for four qualification berths.
The qualification cycle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost at an end, with 42 of the 48 teams competing in next year's tournament now known.
The remaining spots will be claimed by the victors from the six playoff routes across the UEFA and intercontinental competitions.
Europe's playoff tournament will feature the likes of four-time world champions Italy and will offer four teams the chance to qualify for next year's finals via four brackets. The inter-confederation setup sees representatives from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and OFC compete for two spots in the group stage.
Today in Zurich, Switzerland, the playoff bracket draw will occur. AllSportsPeople will provide the most current information.
MORE: How the World Cup playoffs work
World Cup 2026 playoff draw live
All times ET
7 a.m.: The draw has officially begun. FIFA is treating us to a nice World Cup montage first. That Pele guy was quite good, wasn't he?
6:45 a.m.: A reminder of the seedings for today's draw:
UEFA:
Pot 1: Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine.
Pot 2: Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia.
Pot 3: Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo.
Pot 4: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.
Pots 1 and 2 are the seeded teams and get a home draw for their semifinals.
INTERCONTINENTAL:
Seeded: DR Congo, Iraq
Unseeded: Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, New Caledonia
The two seeded teams are given a bye to their pathway finals.
6:19 a.m.: If you needed a reminder, these are the teams who have already qualified for next year's World Cup. The final six berths will be claimed by the playoffs. Italy stands out as the most prominent nation still vying for a spot; it's unlikely they'd fail to qualify for the finals for a third consecutive occasion, wouldn't they?
The draw is due to start in a little over 30 minutes.
5:40 a.m.: Today's proceedings will see the two different playoff draws take place back to back, so all teams involved will know their pathway towards World Cup qualification. Here is how all that works.
As a reminder, the World Cup group-stage draw is on December 5.
5 a.m.: Today's World Cup playoffs draw is here! The event in Zurich, Switzerland, will establish the routes for The European and inter-confederation tournaments, scheduled for Next March.
The World Cup playoff teams
The intercontinental playoff will feature six teams, determining the last two World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, the UEFA tournament will see 16 nations vying for two additional berths in the main event.
UEFA
| Nation | Qualified via | FIFA rank |
| Slovakia | Group A runner-up | 46 |
| Kosovo | Group B runner-up | 84 |
| Denmark | Group C runner-up | 20 |
| Ukraine | Group D runner-up | 27 |
| Turkey | Group E runner-up | 26 |
| Rep. Of Ireland | Group F runner-up | 62 |
| Poland | Group G runner-up | 33 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Group H runner-up | 75 |
| Italy | Group I runner-up | 9 |
| Wales | Group J runner-up | 34 |
| Albania | Group K runner-up | 61 |
| Czechia | Group L runner-up | 44 |
| Romania | UEFA Nations League | 47 |
| Sweden | UEFA Nations League | 40 |
| Northern Ireland | UEFA Nations League | 69 |
| North Macedonia | UEFA Nations League | 65 |
Intercontinental
| Nation | Confederation | Qualified via | FIFA rank |
| Iraq | AFC | AFC playoff winner | 57 |
| DR Congo | CAF | CAF playoff winner | 60 |
| Jamaica | CONCACAF | Highest-ranking group runner-up | 68 |
| Suriname | CONCACAF | Second highest-ranking group runner-up | 126 |
| Bolivia | CONMEBOL | Seventh-place finisher | 76 |
| New Caledonia | OFC | Qualifying tournament runner-up | 150 |
MORE: All you need to know about December's World Cup draw
World Cup 2026 playoffs info
AllSportsPeople will provide updates on this page once the draw is complete and the paths for both playoff tournaments are established.
UEFA playoffs schedule
The semifinals are anticipated for March 26, 2026, and the finals for each bracket are scheduled for March 31.
Pathway 1
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 31, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Pathway 2
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 31, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Pathway 3
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 31, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Pathway 4
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
| March 26, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| March 31, 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Intercontinental playoffs calendar
Prior to the draw, it was understood that DR Congo and Iraq, as the top-ranked teams participating, were granted byes into the finals of their respective qualification routes.
The games are anticipated to take place in Mexico, specifically at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.
Pathway 1
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | TBD | TBA |
| March 2026 | TBD | TBA |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | DR Congo vs. Semifinal winner | TBA |
Pathway 2
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | TBD | TBA |
| March 2026 | TBD | TBA |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | Iraq vs. Semifinal winner | TBA |
MORE: Updated list of teams to have qualified for the biggest World Cup ever
The confirmation of the World Cup playoff match dates is pending.
Game dates and start times will be finalized within two days after Thursday's draw.
World Cup draw date?
The 2026 World Cup group stage draw is scheduled for December 5, 2025. This event will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., commencing at noon ET.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to commence on June 11, 2026.
Mexico City will host the World Cup's inaugural match on June 11, 2026. The championship game is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.