World Cup: 16 UEFA teams to participate in play-off tournament for four World Cup spots
Mateo Retegui of Italy in action during the FIFA 2026 european Qualifier football match between Italy and Norway at San Siro stadium. Milan (Italy), November 16th, 2025 (Photo by Elianton/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will hold its second round play-off to determine the final four teams that will compete for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The backstory:
Twelve European nations have already secured direct qualification for the World Cup after finishing top of their respective groups. That leaves four remaining slots left to claim.
A total of 16 teams will enter the play-offs, 12 runners-up from the European qualifiers and four additional teams selected based on their performance in the UEFA Nations League.
What we know:
The 16 teams have been sorted into four pots:
- 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. Ireland
The teams from each pot will be divided into four separate paths, each consisting of a semifinal and a final to determine the four winners. The Pot 1 team will host the Pot 4 team and the Pot 2 team will host the Pot 3 team.
The playoffs are being held in stadiums across Europe.
Timeline:
All 12 matches will take place on March 26 and March 31. The four semifinal matches on March 26 and the finals are set for March 31.
The Source: Information in this article is from previous FOX LOCAL reporting and official FIFA World Cup 2026 reports. This story was reported from Orlando.