Soccer
2026 World Cup Play-offs: format, date, and which countries will participate
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The World Cup is 73 days away, with the 2026 tournament the biggest ever finals .
Co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, 48 teams will compete for the game's most prestigious prize in a bumper month of action that kicks off on June 11.
Before we can get there, though, there are still six places still up for grabs at the tournament, which will be filled by next week via the World Cup play-offs.
DAZN News guides you through the format and who's playing who as they look to book their place at the 2026 World Cup.
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2026 World Cup Play-offs: How they work and format
The 2026 World Cup play-offs will feature an expanded format due to the increased number of participating teams. FIFA has implemented a play-off route involving 18 teams to determine the final six spots for the World Cup.
Six teams will participate in the intercontinental playoff and 12 in the European playoff. The tournament will be played as a mini single-elimination competition, with one-leg matches.
Intercontinental Playoff
- Bolivia
- Suriname
- Jamaica
- New Caledonia
- DR Congo
- Iraq
UEFA Playoff
- Turkey
- Slovakia
- Kosovo
- Denmark
- Ukraine
- Ireland
- Poland
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Italy
- Wales
- Albania
- Czech Republic
2026 World Cup Play-offs: matches, teams, and participating countries
The World Cup playoff draw took place on November 20 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Below are the intercontinental and European play-off matchups for qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
Intercontinental Playoff
Semi-finals (March 26, 2025)
- Bolivia 2-1 Suriname
- Jamaica 1-0 New Caledonia
Finals (March 31, 2025)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo vs Jamaica
- Iraq vs Bolivia
UEFA Play-off
Semifinals (March 26, 2025)
Path 1
- Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland
- Wales 1-1 (2-4) Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path 2
- Ukraine 0-3 Sweden
- Poland 2-1 Albania
Path 3
- Turkey 2-1 Romania
- Slovakia 3-4 Kosovo
Path 4
- Denmark 4-0 North Macedonia
- Czech Republic 2-2 (4-3p) Republic of Ireland
Finals (March 31, 2025)
Path 1
- Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy
Path 2
- Sweden vs Poland
Path 3
- Kosovo vs Turkey
Path 4
- Czech Republic vs Denmark
2026 World Cup in Mexico, United States and Canada: Groups, Schedule and Dates
GROUP A
- Mexico
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Winner of Playoff D
GROUP B
- Canada
- Winner of Playoff A
- Qatar
- Switzerland
GROUP C
- Brazil
- Morocco
- Haiti
- Scotland
GROUP D
- United States
- Paraguay
- Australia
- Winner of Playoff C
GROUP E
- Germany
- Curacao
- Ivory Coast
- Ecuador
GROUP F
- Netherlands
- Japan
- Winner of Playoff B
- Tunisia
GROUP G
- Belgium
- Egypt
- Iran
- New Zealand
GROUP H
- Spain
- Cape Verde
- Saudi Arabia
- Uruguay
GROUP I
- France
- Senegal
- Winner of Playoff 2
- Norway
GROUP J
- Argentina
- Algeria
- Austria
- Jordan
GROUP K
- Portugal
- Winner of Playoff 1
- Uzbekistan
- Colombia
GROUP L
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Panama
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