FIFA will hold the playoff draws on November 20 in Zurich to fill the final six spots for the 48-team 2026 World Cup. This has been confirmed by the global soccer authority.
The European playoffs will host 16 teams, likely featuring four-time champions Italy, competing for four spots in the tournament set for June and July in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Additionally, six non-European teams will vie for two additional places in intercontinental playoffs, which Mexico is expected to host. Bolivia and New Caledonia have already secured their qualifications.
The playoffs are scheduled for March 26-31. The six playoff spots will emerge from the lowest-ranked pot 4 in the World Cup draw on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., where U.S. President Donald Trump is anticipated to be present.
FIFA will seed the playoffs based on the upcoming men’s world rankings set to be published on November 19.
The European playoffs will consist of four separate brackets, each with four teams, playing single-game semifinals and finals. Teams enter by finishing as runners-up in the 12 qualifying groups, complemented by four teams that led Nations League groups last year, which may include Wales and Sweden.
The top 12 teams from qualifying groups, concluding on November 18, already including England, will progress straight to the finals of the tournament.
The intercontinental playoffs will feature the four lowest-ranked teams matched in two semifinals for a chance to face off against the top-ranked teams at the finals.
