Europe’s 2026 World Cup playoff draw confirmed
Sports Desk, (EFE).
Italy–Northern Ireland, Poland–Albania, and Turkey–Romania are the most prominent matchups in the first round of the European playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, which will award four berths.
The draw held on Thursday at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, also determined the remaining matchups for the other ten European teams: Ukraine–Sweden, Slovakia–Kosovo, Czech Republic–Ireland, Denmark–North Macedonia, and Wales–Bosnia.
The eight winners of the opening round will advance to four single-leg finals that will decide Europe’s remaining four places at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The first round will be played on March 26 next year, with the four finals scheduled five days later, on the 31st.
Having been placed in pots one and two due to their higher FIFA rankings, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, and Slovakia will play the opening round at home.
The draw also established the pathways to the four finals.
If Italy eliminates Northern Ireland, it will face the winner of Wales–Bosnia, with the particularity that the Azzurri would play that match away.
After finishing second in the group won by Norway, the Gennaro Gattuso-led Azzurri will compete in the playoffs for the third consecutive time, having been eliminated in the previous two, against Sweden for Russia 2018 and against North Macedonia ahead of Qatar 2022.
Italy’s last World Cup appearance dates back to Brazil 2014.
The winner of Poland–Albania will face the winner of Ukraine–Sweden, who will have home advantage in the final.
If Turkey eliminates Romania, it will play for its World Cup berth away against the winner of Slovakia–Kosovo.
The winner of Denmark–North Macedonia will also play its final away, against the victor of Czech Republic–Ireland.
Of the sixteen European teams competing in the playoffs, twelve qualified as runners-up in their groups, while four—Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia, and Northern Ireland—qualified via the Nations League.
In addition to the four European berths, two more places are available for teams from other continents. Bolivia, Suriname, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of Congo will compete for these spots.
Bolivia will face Suriname, a former Dutch colony north of Brazil.
The winner will meet Iraq, which has a direct bye to the final, as does Congo, which will play the winner of Jamaica–New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific aiming for its first World Cup appearance.
The six teams emerging from the playoffs will complete the list of 48 participants at the 2026 World Cup, the largest in history.
The group-stage draw will take place on December 5 in Washington.
The 42 teams already qualified are:
United States, Canada, and Mexico (hosts)
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Asia: Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Central America: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
Oceania: New Zealand and Australia.
