International football is finished for the year as the final stages of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying provided another bout of drama.
All but six of the 48 nations competing at next summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico have been confirmed, with the remaining participants decided by the all-important playoffs next March.
A total of 22 teams from all six confederations are battling it out for those final half-dozen spots. Four of those qualifiers will come from the 16-team UEFA playoffs with the remaining two emerging from an eclectic slice of international teams.
The draw to determine the matchups for these playoffs will be crucial to deciding the final makeup of World Cup participants. Here is everything you need to know about this intriguing process.
When Is the 2026 World Cup Playoff Draw?
The playoff draw for the World Cup will be staged at FIFA’s Home of Football in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 a.m. ET (4 a.m. PT, 12 p.m. GMT).
The draw for the Inter-confederation playoff will take place immediately before the process for UEFA’s teams gets underway.
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Playoff Draw?
The group stage draw can be viewed across the world on FIFA’s official website and YouTube channel.
In the United Kingdom, BBC Sport’s website will offer a live streaming service of the event.
Which Teams Feature in the 2026 World Cup Playoffs?
There are two separate play-off paths for the remaining six places at the World Cup.
The inter-confederation playoff features six nations from five different confederations. There are two separate pathways, with DR Congo (CAF) and Iraq (AFC) having already qualified for their respective finals. New Caledonia (OFC), Bolivia (CONMEBOL), Jamaica (CONCACAF) and Suriname (CONCACAF) will compete for a place in the two finals against either DR Congo or Iraq.
There is also a UEFA-specific playoff, from which four teams will qualify for the World Cup. 16 teams are competing, with 12 of those being group-stage runners-up from World Cup qualification and the remaining four featuring on the basis of their UEFA Nations League performances.
There are four separate paths for UEFA teams, with the 16 sides divided into four equal pots based on FIFA ranking. The highest rated nations in Pot 1 will host a Pot 4 side in the semifinals while Pot 2 welcome their Pot 3 counterparts. The winners of each semifinal in a distinct path face each other in a final, the location of which will be determined by Thursday’s draw.
Italy are the most high-profile nation involved in the UEFA play-offs, while Denmark, Türkiye, Sweden, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland also among those taking part.
Inter-confederation Playoff Format
UEFA Playoff Teams Seeding
Which Teams Have Already Qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
42 nations have qualified for the tournament, including the three host nations—who already know which group they will be in for December’s draw. Mexico are in Group A, Canada in Group B and the USMNT in Group D. /UEFA have the most representatives with 12—a further four European sides will qualify via the play-offs—while the OFC have just one competitor for the time being in New Zealand. Nine CAF, eight AFC, six CONMEBOL and six Concacaf nations—including the hosts—make up the remainder of the 42.
Projected Pots for 2026 World Cup
The pots are yet to be finalized for the 2026 World Cup, To view the projected pots, click here.
When Does the 2026 World Cup Start?
Next summer’s World Cup commences on June 11, 2026 and runs for a little over a month, ending on July 19, 2026.
There will be a total of 104 matches across the group stage and knockout phase.
2026 World Cup Dates
Who Won the Most Recent World Cup?
Argentina head into the tournament as defending champions after their triumph in Qatar. La Albiceleste won their third title during a first-ever winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and they will be among the favorites next summer having breezed through qualification.
Their South American rivals Brazil were the team who won the last World Cup staged in the U.S. back in 1994, with the Seleção also winning the 1970 tournament in Mexico. Argentina won the 1986 tournament in Mexico, however.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Is the 2026 World Cup Playoff Draw?.
