World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
16 playoff matches to determine the final 6 spots at the 2026 tournament
Qualifiers Overview
- Total Matches
- 16 playoff matches (10 semi-finals + 6 finals)
- Playoff Dates
- March 26-27, 2026 (semi-finals) and March 31 - April 1, 2026 (finals)
- UEFA Playoffs
- 4 paths (A-D), each with 2 semi-finals and 1 final. 4 winners qualify.
- Intercontinental Playoffs
- 2 pathways (IC1, IC2), each with 1 semi-final and 1 final. 2 winners qualify.
- Total Spots
- 6 qualification spots (4 UEFA + 2 Intercontinental)
- Path A Winner
- Qualifies as POA to Group B
- Path B Winner
- Qualifies as POB to Group F
- Path C Winner
- Qualifies as POC to Group D
- Path D Winner
- Qualifies as POD to Group A
- IC1 Winner
- Qualifies as PO1 to Group K
- IC2 Winner
- Qualifies as PO2 to Group I
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The qualification playoffs take place in March 2026. Semi-finals are on March 26-27, and finals are on March 31 - April 1, 2026. All matches are single-leg knockout format with extra time and penalties if needed.
Six teams will qualify through the playoffs: 4 from UEFA (Paths A-D) and 2 from Intercontinental playoffs (IC1 and IC2). These are the final 6 spots in the 48-team World Cup.
Each UEFA path has 4 teams playing in a knockout format. Two semi-finals are played on March 26, then the two winners meet in the final on March 31. Each path winner qualifies for a specific World Cup group: Path A → Group B, Path B → Group F, Path C → Group D, Path D → Group A.
The Intercontinental playoffs feature teams from different confederations competing for the final 2 spots. IC1 has OFC (New Caledonia) vs CONCACAF (Jamaica) with the winner facing CAF (DR Congo). IC2 has CONMEBOL (Bolivia) vs CONCACAF (Suriname) with the winner facing AFC (Iraq). All matches are played in Mexico.
UEFA semi-finals are played at home venues of seeded teams: Bergamo (Italy), Cardiff (Wales), Valencia (Ukraine), Warsaw (Poland), Istanbul (Turkey), Bratislava (Slovakia), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Prague (Czechia). Finals locations are TBD. Intercontinental playoffs are hosted in Mexico at Zapopan and Guadalupe.
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