Teams, schedule, and bracket for the 2026 World Cup European playoffs, as UEFA nations compete for the final four berths.

With all but six of the 48 teams at next year's World Cup now confirmed, attention turns to the playoff rounds.

There are two separate mini-tournaments — one for UEFA nations, the other for representatives of the other confederations — that will take place in March 2026 to determine the final few spots at the World Cup in North America.

The final matchday of the European group stage was concluded on November 18, meaning we now know which nations will enter the playoffs. All that remains is to determine who they will face.

AllSportsPeople breaks down everything you need to know about this playoff phase. This page will be updated once the draw is completed.

MORE: All you need to know about how the World Cup draw works

The 2026 World Cup UEFA playoffs will feature which teams?

The UEFA playoffs comprise 16 teams divided into four brackets.

Ten of the competitors secured their spot in the drawing by coming in second within their European qualification pools. The remaining six teams consisted of the top-performing UEFA Nations League group victors who hadn't yet secured a World Cup berth.

UEFA playoff timetable, tournament bracket

The schedule for the UEFA playoffs will be determined at the draw on Thursday, November 20.

This page will be updated once the draw has been completed.

The semifinals are anticipated for March 26, 2026, and the finals for each bracket are scheduled for March 31.

Pathway 1

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 2

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 3

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 4

Semifinal

Final

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Playoff winners will join the following World Cup groups:

The World Cup group-stage draw is scheduled for December 5, so the playoff winners' group assignments remain unknown.

Nations are assigned to one of four containers based on their FIFA standing. The top-ranked countries are in Container 1, followed by the next highest in Container 2, and continuing in this manner.

A look at the mechanics of UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs

Another adjustment was necessary for the 2026 UEFA World Cup qualifying format, due to the increased number of teams participating in the final competition.

A total of 54 UEFA nations were allocated to 12 distinct qualifying groups. These groups featured a round-robin format for matches played throughout 2025, wrapping up in November. The teams that secured first place in their respective groups earned automatic qualification for The World Cup, while the 12 second-place finishers advanced to the playoffs.

The four top-ranked group winners from the most recent UEFA Nations League, who didn't secure automatic World Cup qualification, were also included in the playoffs.

The draw has established four distinct paths, each featuring a semifinal and a final. Semifinal matches will take place at the grounds of the seeded (top-ranked) competitors, whereas the locations for each final will be determined by a separate drawing.

The semifinals and finals are single-elimination matches, where extra time and penalties are employed if needed. Those who win the four finals will secure a spot in the World Cup.

MORE: Updated list of teams to have qualified for the biggest World Cup ever

The history of the UEFA World Cup playoffs

Since 2010, UEFA has implemented a playoff system, which saw European teams allocated to a distinct playoff bracket separate from other confederations.

During the initial phase of the UEFA playoff, eight teams advanced and were randomly assigned to four two-game series, with the winners moving on. This structure persisted until the 2022 season, at which point it was altered to the present system.

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