With the final round of direct qualifiers concluding, 42 teams have secured their spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leaving just six spots up for grabs – four in Europe and two across other regions. The upcoming continent playoffs will feature 22 nations vying for these last coveted positions, promising an intense March period in Europe and an exciting intercontinental clash involving teams from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.
European playoffs will determine the final four UEFA berths through play-offs in March, featuring 16 teams. This includes 12 group runners-up from the regular qualifying phase and the top four UEFA Nations League group champions. The participating teams will be split into four playoff paths and four pots, with three pots containing the 12 group runners-up and the fourth pot housing the remaining four teams. Each path will consist of two single-leg semifinals and one single-leg final. The draw for the paths is set to take place on Thursday at 11:00 pm Bangladesh time. The semifinals are scheduled for March 26, with the finals set for March 31.
The European play-off teams are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Wales, Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and North Macedonia.
In the intercontinental playoffs, six nations from four confederations will compete for the final two non-European World Cup berths. The top two seeds, Iraq and DR Congo, have secured direct entry into the finals. The remaining four teams will face off in two semifinals to earn the opportunity to challenge the seeded teams for a spot in the World Cup. The fixture schedule for the intercontinental playoffs is yet to be confirmed.
The intercontinental playoff teams are Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname.
As for the teams already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, the co-hosts are Canada, Mexico, and the USA. In addition, Africa has nine qualified teams, Asia has eight, Europe has 12, Oceania has one, and the Americas have nine teams ready for the prestigious tournament.