World Cup 2026 play-off draw LIVE!
Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will all discover their fate as the draws for the 2026 World Cup play-offs take place this afternoon. All eyes are on FIFA headquarters in Zurich, where 16 teams enter the European play-offs following a thrilling end to UEFA qualifying that saw so many memorable moments, including Troy Parrott’s crucial last-gasp hat-trick goal for the Irish in Hungary and Scotland’s incredible late heroics to defeat Denmark and seal automatic progress to their first World Cup since 1998.
The 12 runners-up from the European groups - including Italy - are joined by the four best Nations League group winners who did not manage to secure a top-two finish in qualifying. There are four different pathways ahead, each featuring two one-legged semi-final ties and a final, with four World Cup places on offer in March. Seeded Wales will be at home in their semi-final, though the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will both be away.
The final two spots in North America next summer will be decided in the separate intercontinental play-offs, the draw for which is coming up first on Thursday with Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname all involved. Follow the World Cup play-off draws live below!
World Cup play-off draw latest news
- Intercontinental play-off ties confirmed
- How to watch: FIFA channels and BBC
- Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland await fate
- European draw pots and seeds confirmed
- How does the European play-off draw work?
European play-off draw confirmed
12:44 , George FloodPath A
Semi-final 1: Italy vs Northern Ireland
Semi-final 2: Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
Semi-final 3: Ukraine vs Sweden
Semi-final 4: Poland vs Albania
Path C
Semi-final 5: Turkey vs Romania
Semi-final 6: Slovakia vs Kosovo
Path D
Semi-final 7: Denmark vs North Macedonia
Semi-final 8: Czechia vs Republic of Ireland
European play-off draw
12:41 , George FloodDenmark vs North Macedonia
European play-off draw
12:41 , George FloodTurkey vs Romania
European play-off draw
12:40 , George FloodUkraine vs Sweden
European play-off draw
12:40 , George FloodItaly vs Northern Ireland
European play-off draw
12:39 , George FloodA tough old draw that for Wales, facing Bosnia and then potentially Italy if they get through.
The Republic of Ireland are off to Prague, with Denmark possibly awaiting in the final.
Now time to complete the draw with pot four, which contains Northern Ireland.
European play-off draw
12:38 , George FloodCzechia vs Republic of Ireland
European play-off draw
12:38 , George FloodSlovakia vs Kosovo
European play-off draw
12:37 , George FloodPoland vs Albania
European play-off draw
12:37 , George FloodWales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
European play-off draw
12:36 , George FloodOn to pot two, with Wales drawn first into path A - which also contains Italy.
Poland are into path B, where Ukraine are in the other semi-final.
Slovakia are in path C, in a separate semi-final to Turkey.
That means it’s Czechia in path D, where they could go on to play Denmark.
Now we move on to pot three to get the first batch of semi-final ties completed.
European play-off draw
12:33 , George FloodMarco Materazzi draws Italy first out of pot one.
They are followed swiftly by Ukraine, Turkey and Denmark in that order.
All four seeded teams from pot one will be at home in their one-legged semi-final ties against unseeded teams from pot four.
European play-off draw coming up
12:24 , George FloodRight, host Melanie Winiger and FIFA president Gianni Infantino are back on stage in Zurich and it’s time for the 16-team European play-off draw.
Here we go. Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi is among those helping with proceedings.
Intercontinental play-off draw confirmed
12:18 , George FloodShort and sweet then for the Intercontinental play-off draw.
A tough test for New Caledonia, who lost 3-0 to New Zealand in the final stages of Oceania qualifying.
They face Jamaica in the first semi-final tie in Mexico in March, with DR Congo awaiting the winners.
Johann Sidaner’s side and Suriname are both bidding to become the latest World Cup debutants in next summer’s expanded 48-team tournament in North America, joining Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao.
Suriname joined Jamaica as the two best-placed runners-up in the third stage of CONCACAF qualifying, narrowly edging out Honduras.
They meet Bolivia, who finished seventh in CONMEBOL qualifying, behind Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay.
Bolivia or Suriname will face Iraq in the second final.
Intercontinental play-off draw
12:14 , George FloodPathway 2
Bolivia vs Suriname (winners to face Iraq in final)
Intercontinental play-off draw
12:14 , George FloodPathway 1
New Caledonia vs Jamaica (winners to face DR Congo in final)
Intercontinental play-off draw
12:13 , George FloodHere we go with our first draw of the afternoon, with New Caledonia-born ex-France star Christian Karembeu helping to conduct proceedings.
The highest seeds as per the latest FIFA world rankings, DR Congo and Iraq, are confirmed as automatic play-off finalists.
Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso and team manager Gianluigi Buffon are looking nice and relaxed as they desperately hope to avoid being placed on a path today that will see them miss out on the World Cup finals for the third tournament in a row.
Graham Potter is also in attendance with Sweden posing a very dangerous threat from pot four, despite their woeful qualifying form...
Draw coverage underway
12:06 , George FloodThe draw coverage is underway at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, with president Gianni Infantino now on stage.
We’ll be underway very soon!
When will the World Cup play-off ties take place?
11:59 , George FloodThe European play-off semi-finals and finals will all take place during the March 2026 international break, with the losing semi-finalists set to play friendlies against each other.
The inter-confederation play-offs are also set for March 2026 in Mexico, who are also co-hosts for the World Cup itself.
Those four matches will all take place across two confirmed venues - the Estadio Akron and Estadio BBVA, home of Guadalajara and Monterrey respectively.
Who could Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland face?
11:47 , George FloodWales are seeded in pot two for today’s draw, so know they will have a home semi-final tie against a team from pot three.
That could be the Republic of Ireland, or Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Kosovo.
The Republic of Ireland are unseeded in pot three, so will be away in their semi-final against Poland, Wales, Czechia or Slovakia.
Northern Ireland are unseeded in pot four, so will be away against a team from pot one in their semi-final tie.
That will be Italy, Denmark, Turkey or Ukraine.
How does the European play-off draw work?
11:39 , George FloodThere are four pathways in the European play-offs, each comprised of two one-legged semi-final ties and a final.
Each of those semi-finals will see a seeded team drawn at home against an unseeded team.
Seeded teams from pot 1 will face unseeded teams from pot 4, while seeded teams from pot 2 will face unseeded teams from pot 3.
After the semi-finals, there will be another draw to determine which of the winners from those ties will be at home in the respective one-off play-off finals.
Intercontinental play-off draw coming up first
11:21 , George FloodWe should mention again that today’s 16-team European World Cup play-off draw will be preceded at FIFA headquarters in Zurich by the draw for the wider six-team inter-confederation play-offs, a separate tournament set to take place in Mexico in March.
Iraq and the DR Congo - the latter of whom outlasted Nigeria on penalties in Rabat last weekend - are seeded in that competition and advance straight through to the respective finals in separate pathways.
This afternoon’s draw will determine who plays who of the unseeded teams in the semi-finals.
They are Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname and New Caledonia.
Jamaica of course are now without Steve McClaren, who emotionally resigned this week after their 0-0 draw with Curacao.
The Reggae Boyz would have qualified directly for a first World Cup since 1998 with a win in Kingston on Wednesday and saw a stoppage-time penalty award overturned by VAR.
The game ended goalless and Curacao - managed by veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat - became the smallest nation ever to reach the finals.
European draw pots and seeds confirmed
11:10 , George FloodHere are the pots and seeds for the European play-off draw.
We’ll explain more on the procedure and exactly how it works shortly...
Pot 1 (seeded)
Italy
Denmark
Turkey
Ukraine
Pot 2 (seeded)
Poland
Wales
Czechia
Slovakia
Pot 3 (unseeded)
Republic of Ireland
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo
Pot 4 (unseeded)
Sweden
Romania
North Macedonia
Northern Ireland
Which teams have qualified for European play-offs?
11:05 , George FloodAlbania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales are the 12 teams who reached the European play-offs as group runners-up in qualifying.
They are joined in today’s 16-nation draw in Zurich by the four best Nations League group winners who did not manage a top-two finish in World Cup qualification.
Those teams are Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland and North Macedonia.
Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland await fate
10:59 , George FloodEngland - who did not concede a single goal in eight matches - topped Group K with ease to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a 100 per cent record and two games to spare, while Scotland's last-gasp heroics in a stunning 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park on Wednesday night saw them snatch first place in Group C and a first finals berth since 1998 at the last.
The Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, are still alive after they stunned Portugal in Dublin with Cristiano Ronaldo sent off before Troy Parrott's dramatic hat-trick goal in stoppage time in Budapest last weekend saw them remarkably beat Hungary 3-2 and pip them to the runners-up berth in Group F.
Wales join them in the 16-team UEFA play-offs in their own confident mood after hitting North Macedonia for seven in Cardiff on Tuesday to secure second spot behind Belgium in Group J.
Northern Ireland finished behind both Germany and Slovakia after winning only three games in Group A and edging out Luxembourg 1-0 in Belfast, but are into the World Cup play-offs anyway as one of the four best Nations League group winners who finished outside the top two in qualifying.
How to watch World Cup 2026 play-off draw
10:27 , George FloodToday’s World Cup play-off draws are available to watch live on FIFA+ and FIFA’s official website.
You can also follow along live via the BBC Sport website and app.
World Cup 2026 play-off draw live
10:25 , George FloodGood morning and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of today’s World Cup 2026 play-off draws.
Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - as well as the likes of Italy - will all learn their fate in the 16-team European draw coming up at FIFA headquarters from 12pm GMT in Zurich this afternoon.
Also on the agenda is the draw for the separate six-team inter-confederation play-offs scheduled for March, which includes Jamaica and the DR Congo among others.
Stay tuned for live updates, with the final six places at next summer’s expanded 48-team finals in north America up for grabs.
