There are still six spots left in the 2026 World Cup. The 22 teams battling it out for those half-dozen golden tickets now know the opponents they will directly be up against in the upcoming playoffs.
In their infinite wisdom, FIFA have divided these playoffs into two separate competitions. There will be a 16-team tournament for UEFA nations which will produce four finalists scheduled in March across the continent, with the likes of Italy, Republic of Ireland and Denmark headlining an intriguing pool of contenders.
A separate inter-confederation competition involving the six nations of DR Congo, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Iraq, Jamaica and Suriname will simultaneously unfold in Mexico.
2026 World Cup UEFA Playoff Bracket
The standout fixture of UEFA’s one-legged semifinals sees Italy host Northern Ireland. The four-time World Cup winners once again failed to automatically qualify for a third successive tournament, having missed out altogether in 2018 and 2022 (while winning Euro 2020 in between).
The winner of that tie will face the triumphant semifinalist between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Craig Bellamy’s Red Dragons are in confident form after thumping North Macedonia 7–1 last time out and will back themselves against either Italy or an all-British affair against Northern Ireland, especially as they will have home advantage.
Republic of Ireland find themselves against Czechia in Path D, keeping them away from Italy and Wales. However, the Irish may have to overcome Denmark, who very nearly qualified automatically and are up against North Macedonia, in a potential final which would be hosted in Dublin.
Despite their wealth of attacking talent, Sweden endured a ruinous qualification campaign. Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres and co. snuck into the playoff by virtue of their Nations League triumph and have landed themselves in an eminently winnable Path B. If they are to overcome a semifinal against Ukraine, Graham Potter’s side will face one of Poland or Albania on home soil.
Path A
Path B
Path C
Path D
2026 World Cup Inter-Confederation Playoff Bracket
From CONCACAF, Jamaica may be without a manager following former the departure of former Manchester United coach Steve McClaren, but they do have a playoff spot. Tiny OFC nation New Caledonia are standing in Jamaica’s way of making it to their first World Cup since 1998 as their semifinal opponents. The winners will be up against DR Congo who are waiting in a final to decide one of the two available qualification spots.
Bolivia lost 10 games in CONMEBOL qualifying yet still booked their spot in the inter-confederation playoff. The South American outfit have been paired with CONCACAF outfit Suriname, who are bidding to compete in the World Cup proper for the first time in their history.
The winners of that semifinal will face Iraq for the chance of securing a spot in North America next summer.
All these matches will take place at an undefined point in March 2026 in fixtures hosted across the two Mexican cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Pathway 1
Pathway 2
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 World Cup Playoff Draw: Full Bracket Revealed.
