Boluwatife Kehinde In the race for the final qualification places, FIFA has unveiled the matchups for both the inter-confederation and European playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The announcement was made at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. With 42 nations already through to the tournament via direct qualification, six more teams will secure their places through these playoffs—two from the inter-confederation path and four from the European route. The inter-confederation draw features six teams representing four regions—CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF, and the OFC—divided into two mini-brackets. The winners of each bracket will advance to the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Both the semi-finals and finals will be single-match ties, with the semi-finals set for Thursday, March 26, 2026, and the finals following on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. All inter-confederation playoff games will be held in Mexico. Inter-Confederation Playoff Schedule Semi-finals: New Caledonia vs Jamaica Bolivia vs Suriname Finals: New Caledonia/Jamaica vs DR Congo Bolivia/Suriname vs Iraq European Playoff Schedule Semi-finals: Path A Italy vs Northern Ireland Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Path B Ukraine vs Sweden Poland vs Albania Path C Turkey vs Romania Slovakia vs Kosovo Path D Denmark vs North Macedonia Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland Finals: Winner of Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Winner of Italy/Northern Ireland Winner of Ukraine/Sweden vs Winner of Poland/Albania Winner of Slovakia/Kosovo vs Winner of Turkey/Romania Winner of Czech Republic/Republic of Ireland vs Winner of Denmark/North Macedonia Post navigation Nigeria rise to 38th in latest FIFA men’s world rankings Tinubu’s cancelled trips are mere tokenism, says PDP
