Sixteen teams who failed to win their qualifying groups will discover the adversaries barring their way to a berth at next year’s World Cup via a draw on Thursday in the Swiss city of Zurich for the two matches in the European playoffs.
Sides will be ranked one to 16 and put in four pots. The top eight in pots one and two will play the first game – dubbed a semi-final – at home.
Teams from pot three will play away at the outfits from pot two. And the four sides in pot four will be pitted against those in pot one. If a semi were to end level after extra time, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout.
A separate draw at the headquarters of World Cup organisers Fifa will determine which side hosts the one-off “final”.
The final teams to join the likes of Italy, Wales, Ukraine, Turkey and Kosovo in the playoffs was decided on Tuesday night.
Late heartbreak for Danes in Glasgow
Denmark entered second-half stoppage time against Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow at 2-2 and with a slot at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
But a sumptuous strike from 25 metres from the Celtic defender Kieran Tierney gave the hosts the lead. As the Danes pressed for salvation, Kenny McLean broke up a Danish attack, advanced upfield and from just inside his own half, sent a shot over the Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to seal the victory and Scotland’s place at the tournament for the first time since 1998.
"What a gigantic drama!" the Danish sports website Bold said on Wednesday after the game.
"Denmark is not sure of making it to the World Cup next summer and the Danish defeat [to Scotland] must be described as a huge disappointment and failure.
"Football is a brutal game. And on one night at Hampden Park, Denmark felt the brutality firsthand," the website added.
"The downturn is a failure for the Danish national team. Coach Brian Riemer had said that Denmark had to live up to its status as the favourite. They didn’t."
Cape Verde add new line to list of old names from Africa at 48-team World Cup
Bosnia-Herzegovina also suffered late heartbreak to go into the playoffs.
They were 1-0 up against Austria – and heading to the World Cup for the second time – following Haris Tabakovic’s 12th minute opener at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna.
But Michael Gregoritsch equalised 13 minutes from time to push the Austrians into the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
The semi-finals will be played on 26 March and the finals on 31 March.
The 2026 World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams since the inception of the competition in 1930, kicks off on 11 June at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The football fest ends with the final on 19 July at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey.
