"Two teams will book a place at USA, Mexico and Canada via the Inter-Continental Play-Offs, which will be staged in Mexico next March, while sixteen European nations, including four-time World Cup winners Italy, are set to battle it out for the final four UEFA qualification berths. And the path to World Cup is now clear for the twenty-two nations still dreaming of a place at the finals next summer."
"The UEFA playoffs involve 16 teams: the 12 group stage runners-up, plus the four best-ranked group winners from the UEFA Nations League who did not finish in the top two in World Cup qualifying. The teams will be divided into four pots according to FIFA ranking, with the Nations League group winners assigned to Pot 4 and drawn into four routes, each with four teams"
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup begins in 203 days and six qualification slots remain available through Inter-Continental and UEFA European Play-Offs. Two teams will qualify via the inter-continental play-offs in Mexico next March; sixteen European nations will compete for four UEFA berths. A draw at FIFA HQ in Zurich confirmed the Play-Off ties and set March 26 semifinals and March 31 finals dates. UEFA's 16-team playoff field comprises 12 group runners-up and four best-ranked Nations League group winners who missed top-two qualifying spots. Teams are seeded into four pots by FIFA ranking, with Nations League group winners placed in Pot 4; Path 1 contains Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Read at ESPN.com
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