2026 World Cup playoffs explained: 6 spots up for grabs, teams involved and how to watch
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2026 World Cup playoffs explained: 6 spots up for grabs, teams involved and how to watchSix nations will join the 48-team World Cup field via this month's playoffs
Sean LeahyContributing writerTue, March 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC·3 min read
The final six places in the 2026 World Cup will be determined over the next week as part of the qualification playoffs.
The FIFA playoffs will feature New Caledonia, Jamaica, DR Congo, Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq. The six teams play a tournament-style format to determine two of the qualifiers.
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DR Congo and Iraq are the top two seeds, which allows them to advance directly to their respective pathway’s final.
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The UEFA playoffs will feature Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania, Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, and Ireland. The 16 European teams will be part of a mini-bracket featuring a semifinal and final for each individual path.
Opening playoff games will take place Thursday and the final day of the playoff qualifiers will be held Tuesday, March 31.
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In the FIFA playoff, the 12 nations taking part in the UEFA playoffs have been draw into four separate paths. Each pathway features two semifinals and one final. Each match is single elimination.
The six qualifiers out of these playoffs will join the 48-team field for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
2026 World Cup playoff schedulePathway 1 -
March 26, 2026: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica - 10 p.m. ET (FS1)
March 31, 2026: DR Congo vs. New Caledonia/Jamaica winner - 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
The winner of Pathway 1 will be a part of Group K with Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Pathway 2 -
March 26, 2026: Bolivia vs. Suriname - 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
March 31, 2026: Iraq vs. Bolivia/Suriname winner - 11 p.m. ET (FS1)
The winner of Pathway 2 will be a part of Group I with France, Senegal and Norway.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - JANUARY 28: FIFA World Cup 26 shirts with the FIFA World Cup 26 logo are on display for sale in a shop on January 28, 2026, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The 2026 FIFA World Cup host countries are Canada, Mexico, and the United States. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)UEFA Path A bracket -
March 26, 2026: Italy vs. Northern Ireland – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 26, 2026: Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – 3:45 p.m. ET (FS1)
March 31, 2026: Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina winner vs. Italy/Northern Ireland winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path A will be a part of Group B with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUEFA Path B bracket -
March 26, 2026: Ukraine vs. Sweden – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 26, 2026: Poland vs. Albania – 3:45 p.m. ET (FS2)
March 31, 2026: Ukraine/Sweden winner vs. Poland/Albania winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path B will be a part of Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.
UEFA Path C bracket -
March 26, 2026: Türkiye vs. Romania – 1 p.m. ET (FS2)
March 26, 2026: Slovakia vs. Kosovo – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 31, 2026: Slovakia/Kosovo winner vs. Türkiye/Romania winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path C will be a part of Group D with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
Troy Parrott 2nd R of Ireland celebrates with teammates after the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualifiers football match between Hungary and Ireland in Budapest, Hungary, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua via Getty Images) (Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)UEFA Path D bracket -
March 26, 2026: Denmark vs. North Macedonia – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 26, 2026: Czechia vs. Ireland – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 31, 2026: Czechia/Ireland winner vs. Denmark/North Macedonia winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path D will be a part of Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
Complete 2026 World Cup schedule featuring match dates and start times
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Source: “AOL Sports”
