2026 World Cup: 6 spots still up for grabs... All you need to know about the play-offs

With 42 teams already qualified, six final spots remain to be claimed through the European and intercontinental play-offs.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup play-off qualifiers will take place this Thursday in Zurich. The decisive matches are scheduled for next March.

In the European play-offs, 16 teams—including Italy, Denmark, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, and Wales—will battle it out for four coveted tickets to the Americas.

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As for the representatives from other continents, six teams will compete in the intercontinental play-offs on March 23 and 31 in Mexico. DR Congo, winners of the African play-offs, and Iraq have been seeded thanks to their superior FIFA rankings compared to the other four teams, and will therefore go straight to the finals.

It’s also worth noting that the group stage draw for the 2026 World Cup is set for December 5 in Washington.

European play-offs:

• Slovakia

• Northern Ireland

• Sweden

• Ukraine

• Republic of Ireland

• Poland

• Romania

• Italy

• Albania

• Czechia

• Kosovo

• Denmark

• Turkey

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Wales

• North Macedonia

Intercontinental play-offs:

• New Caledonia

• Bolivia

• DR Congo

• Iraq

• Jamaica

• Suriname

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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