World Cup 2026 playoffs draw results: Winners and losers as Italy, Sweden, Jamaica and more find their paths

The playoffs draw takes place on Thursday, deciding the matchups set for March

The 2026 World Cup is getting closer and while the draw for the upcoming summer tournament will take place on Dec. 5 in Washington D.C., but there are still some spots in the tournament up for grabs. The most important soccer competition in the world, which will take place next summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico will have 48 teams for the first time. In total, 42 national teams have already clinched a spot for the World Cup, while four European teams will need to clinch it through the UEFA playoffs and the inter-confederation playoffs will determine the last two non-European spots for the World Cup. 

The inter-confederation playoffs are scheduled for March 23–31, with dates still to be confirmed. All four matches will be played in Mexico, split between two World Cup venues: the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, with each stadium hosting two fixtures. Both arenas will also serve as host venues during the 2026 World Cup next summer. 

The European playoffs will also be played in a single-match format. Each path consists of two semifinals, with one seeded team facing one unseeded team. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, March 26, with the finals to follow on March 31. Here's the result of the draw, winner and losers and more: 

Inter-confederation playoffs draw

PATH 1

Semifinal: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica 

Final: Congo DR vs. New Caledonia/Jamaica 

PATH 2

Semifinal: Bolivia vs. Suriname

Final: Iraq vs. Bolivia/Suriname

European playoffs draw

PATH A

Semifinal: Italy vs. Northern Ireland 

Semifinal: Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Final: Wales/Bosnia vs. Italy/Northern Ireland 

PATH B 

Semifinal: Ukraine vs. Sweden 

Semifinal: Poland vs. Albania 

Final: Ukraine/Sweden vs. Poland/Albania

PATH C

Semifinal: Turkiye vs. Romania 

Semifinal: Slovakia vs. Kosovo 

Final: Slovakia/Kosovo vs. Turkiye/Romania 

PATH D

Semifinal: Denmark vs. North Macedonia 

Semifinal: Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland 

Final: Czechia/Republic of Ireland vs. Denmark/North Macedonia 

Winner: Italy

The Azzurri desperately need to avoid a third elimination in the playoffs in a row after the past two editions when in 2017 they were eliminated by Sweden under Gian Piero Ventura's management and then in 2022 were defeated by North Macedonia in the semifinal only a few months after winning the 2020 UEFA Euro under coach Roberto Mancini. The Italian national team is facing a big crisis as the Azzurri's last appearance in the World Cup was in 2014 when they were eliminated at the group stages, which also happened in 2010, four years after winning their last World Cup in Germany. Gennaro Gattuso's team draw was quiet good as they avoided potentially facing both Poland and Sweden in the final, but they will have to play the potential final away if they beat Northern Ireland in the semifinal. 

Loser: Sweden 

Talking about Sweden, the team coached by Graham Potter were not that lucky as they will play Ukraine in the semifinal and then also potentially meet Poland in what would be the most awaited final of the playoffs aside of Italy's match. After defeating Italy in the 2017 playoffs to secure a place at the 2018 World Cup, Sweden missed out on qualification for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Now, they have a new opportunity to return to the world stage under their recently appointed coach, the former Chelsea manager who took charge in October 2025 with the clear goal of guiding them back to the World Cup. 

Loser: Denmark 

Although the draw may appear favorable for Denmark at first glance, the reality is far more challenging than it seems. Brian Riemer's team will face North Macedonia in the semifinal, the same team that kicked out Italy of the last World Cup's playoff before potentially facing a challenging away final against either Czechia or Republic of Ireland. The second matchup, in particular, could face a major challenge. Heimir Hallgrímsson's side is in excellent form and secured their playoff place thanks to an unforgettable last minute 3–2 victory over Hungary, one of those moments that can redefine a team's history and a World Cup qualification 

[Nov 20, 2025 at 7:29 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

PATH A

Semifinal: Italy vs. Northern Ireland 

Semifinal: Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Final: Wales/Bosnia vs. Italy/Northern Ireland 

PATH B 

Semifinal: Ukraine vs. Sweden 

Semifinal: Poland vs. Albania 

Final: Ukraine/Sweden vs. Poland/Albania

PATH C

Semifinal: Turkyie vs. Romania 

Semifinal: Slovakia vs. Kosovo 

Final: Slovakia/Kosovo vs. Turkyie/Romania 

PATH D

Semifinal: Denmark vs. North Macedonia 

Semifinal: Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland 

Final: Czechia/Republic of Ireland vs. Denmark/North Macedonia 

[Nov 20, 2025 at 7:17 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

While we wait for the European playoffs draw, let's take a look at the projected World Cup draw pots after November's international break, with FIFA set to officially announce the pots in the coming days. The FIFA 2026 World Cup Final Draw will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on December 5 at 12 p.m. ET: 

Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4
Spain	Croatia	Norway	Jordan
Argentina	Morocco	Panama	Cape Verde
France	Colombia	Egypt	Ghana
England	Uruguay	Algeria	Curacao
Brazil	Switzerland	Scotland	Haiti
Portugal	Japan	Paraguay	New Zealand
Netherlands	Senegal	Tunisia	European Playoff 1
Belgium	Iran	Ivory Coast	European Playoff 2
Germany	South Korea	Uzbekistan	European Playoff 3
United States	Ecuador	Qatar	European Playoff 4
Mexico	Austria	Saudi Arabia	Inter-confederation Playoff 1
Canada	Australia	South Africa	Inter-confederation Playoff 2

[Nov 20, 2025 at 7:14 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

PATH 1

Semifinal: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica 

Final: Congo DR vs. New Caledonia/Jamaica 

PATH 2

Semifinal: Bolivia vs. Suriname

Final: Iraq vs. Bolivia/Suriname

[Nov 20, 2025 at 7:07 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, is now speaking ahead of the draw that is taking place shortly. It's time for the draw now! 

[Nov 20, 2025 at 6:50 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

We're almost ready for the draws to start! Stay tuned for all you need to know... 

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:50 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

The inter-confederation playoff format splits the six national teams into two groups of three. In each group, the two lower-ranked sides face off in a semifinal, with the winner advancing to face the top-seeded team in the final. The winner of each final secures one of the two remaining spots for the 2026 World Cup. On Thursday, the draw will determine the matchups and every game will be with no return leg. Let's now take a look at the current FIFA rankings ahead of the draw: 

FIFA Ranking	National Team
56	Democratic Republic of Congo
58	Iraq
70	Jamaica
76	Bolivia
123	Suriname
149	New Caledonia

• Top seeded teams: Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq
• Unseeded teams: Jamaica, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Suriname

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:50 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

The draw will set the eight playoff semifinals and the four final matchups. The 12 group runners-up will be allocated to the top three pots according to their FIFA ranking, while the four UEFA Nations League group winners will be placed in Pot 4. One team from each pot will then be drawn into four distinct playoff paths: Path A, Path B, Path C, and Path D. In every path, the Pot 1 team will face the Pot 4 team in a single-legged semifinal, while the Pot 2 and Pot 3 teams will meet in the other semifinal. The winners of each semifinal will advance to the final, also played as a single match, with the four path winners qualifying for the tournament.

Based on the FIFA rankings, the 16 teams are divided into four pots as follows:

Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4
Italy	Poland	Republic of Ireland	Romania
Denmark	Wales	Albania	Sweden
Turkyie	Czechia	Bosnia and Herzegovina	North Macedonia
Ukraine	Slovakia	Kosovo	Northern Ireland

The four play-off paths will be formed in this way:

• Pot 1: the four top-seeded EQ teams are allocated to semifinals 1, 3, 5 and 7 in the order drawn.
• Pot 2: the four seeded EQ teams are drawn to the first available position of semifinals 2, 4, 6 and 8.
• Pot 3: the four unseeded EQ teams are drawn to the first available position of semifinals 2, 4, 6 and 8.
• Pot 4: the four unseeded UNL teams are drawn to the first available position of semifinals 1, 3, 5 and 7.

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:51 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

The inter-confederation playoffs are scheduled for March 23–31, with dates still to be confirmed. All four matches will be played in Mexico, split between two World Cup venues: the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, with each stadium hosting two fixtures. Both arenas will also serve as host venues during the 2026 World Cup next summer.

The European playoffs will also be played in a single-match format. Each path consists of two semifinals, with one seeded team facing one unseeded team. The seeded sides will host their respective semifinals, while the venue for each path's final will be determined in Thursday's draw. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, March 26, with the finals to follow on March 31.

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:49 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

A total of six teams will take part in the inter-confederation playoffs, featuring nations from each of the non-European confederations. Meanwhile, 16 European teams will compete in the European playoffs, which will determine the final four European spots at the 2026 World Cup with that draw also taking place Thursday. The remaining two spots will be awarded through the inter-confederation playoffs, completing the list of 48 teams for the tournament. Let's take a look at the six teams that will be part of the draw on Thursday:

AFC: Iraq

CONMEBOL: Bolivia

CAF: Democratic Republic of Congo 

CONCACAF: Jamaica, Suriname

OFC: New Caledonia

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:49 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

16 teams participate in the European play-offs: 12 runners-up from the European qualifiers group stage plus four teams that have qualified via the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League*.

Group runners-up: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Wales

Nations League route: Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia

*The four additional teams were selected on the basis of the interim overall 2024-25 Nations League rankings, starting with the best-ranked group winners that have neither qualified directly for the final competition as European qualifiers group winners, nor entered the playoffs already as group runners-up.

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:34 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

Let's now take a look at the 42 teams that already clinched a spot for the 2026 World Cup. Since the 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by three nations, they all receive an automatic spot in the tournament: 

World Cup hosts: United States, Mexico, Canada

AFC Qualifiers: Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

Concacaf Qualifiers: Haiti, Curacao, Panama

OFC Qualifier: New Zealand

CONMEBOL Qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay

CAF Qualifiers: Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast

UEFA qualifiers: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium 

[Nov 20, 2025 at 5:34 am ET · Francesco Porzio]

Good morning from Francesco Porzio! This is a crucial day for the remaining teams that are hoping to clinch a spot at the 2026 World Cup next summer. 42 teams have already qualified but there are six more spots available: Four European teams will need to clinch it through the UEFA playoffs and the inter-confederation playoffs will determine the last two non-European spots for the World Cup. Let's get into it!