The ultimate six locations within the shall be decided over the subsequent week as a part of the qualification playoffs.
The FIFA playoffs will characteristic New Caledonia, Jamaica, DR Congo, Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq. The six groups play a tournament-style format to find out two of the qualifiers.
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DR Congo and Iraq are the highest two seeds, which permits them to advance on to their respective pathway’s last.
The UEFA playoffs will characteristic Italy, Northern Eire, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania, Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, and Eire. The 16 European groups shall be a part of a mini-bracket that includes a semifinal and last for every particular person path.
Opening playoff video games will happen Thursday and the ultimate day of the playoff qualifiers shall be held Tuesday, March 31.
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Within the FIFA playoff, the 12 nations collaborating within the UEFA playoffs have been draw into 4 separate paths. Every pathway options two semifinals and one last. Every match is single elimination.
The six qualifiers out of those playoffs will be part of the for this summer season’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
2026 World Cup playoff schedulePathway 1
March 26, 2026: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica – 10 p.m. ET (FS1)
March 31, 2026: DR Congo vs. New Caledonia/Jamaica winner – 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
The winner of Pathway 1 shall be part of with Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Pathway 2
March 26, 2026: Bolivia vs. Suriname – 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
March 31, 2026: Iraq vs. Bolivia/Suriname winner – 11 p.m. ET (FS1)
The winner of Pathway 2 shall be part of with France, Senegal and Norway.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – JANUARY 28: FIFA World Cup 26 shirts with the FIFA World Cup 26 emblem are on show on the market in a store on January 28, 2026, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The 2026 FIFA World Cup host nations are Canada, Mexico, and the USA. (Photograph by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)
(Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)UEFA Path A bracket
March 26, 2026: Italy vs. Northern Eire – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 26, 2026: Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – 3:45 p.m. ET (FS1)
March 31, 2026: Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina winner vs. Italy/Northern Eire winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path A shall be part of with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
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UEFA Path B bracket
March 26, 2026: Ukraine vs. Sweden – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 26, 2026: Poland vs. Albania – 3:45 p.m. ET (FS2)
March 31, 2026: Ukraine/Sweden winner vs. Poland/Albania winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path B shall be part of with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.
UEFA Path C bracket
March 26, 2026: Türkiye vs. Romania – 1 p.m. ET (FS2)
March 26, 2026: Slovakia vs. Kosovo – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 31, 2026: Slovakia/Kosovo winner vs. Türkiye/Romania winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path C shall be part of with the USA, Paraguay and Australia.
Troy Parrott 2nd R of Eire celebrates with teammates after the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualifiers soccer match between Hungary and Eire in Budapest, Hungary, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Photograph by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua by way of Getty Photographs)
(Xinhua Information Company by way of Getty Photographs)UEFA Path D bracket
March 26, 2026: Denmark vs. North Macedonia – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 26, 2026: Czechia vs. Eire – 3:45 p.m. ET
March 31, 2026: Czechia/Eire winner vs. Denmark/North Macedonia winner – 3:45 p.m. ET
The winner of UEFA Path D shall be part of with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.