2026 FIFA World Cup Playoff Draw: Date, Time, Teams & Schedule

The 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff draw will determine the final six teams heading to next summer’s tournament. Twenty-two nations face their last chance to qualify for football’s biggest event.

The expanded 48-team World Cup represents a historic shift. The United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Right now 42 teams have secured their spots. Six places remain open through two separate playoff competitions.

When and Where is the Playoff Draw?

The draw takes place on Thursday, November 20, 2025 at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The ceremony starts at 13:00 CET (12:00 GMT / 7:00 AM ET / 4:00 AM PT).

You can watch live for free on FIFA.com, FIFA+ and the FIFA YouTube channel. BBC Sport streams it in the UK. FOX and Telemundo will broadcast it in the United States.

Intercontinental Playoff: 6 Teams Battle for 2 Spots

Six nations from different continents compete for just two World Cup berths. All matches happen in Mexico during March 2026.

The Six Teams:

Iraq (Asia) ranks 60th and earned their spot after defeating UAE 3-2 on aggregate. They scored a dramatic penalty in the 107th minute of stoppage time.

DR Congo (Africa) ranks 56th and shocked Nigeria by winning on penalties in the African playoff final.

Jamaica (CONCACAF) ranks 70th as one of two Caribbean representatives.

Bolivia (South America) ranks 76th after finishing seventh in CONMEBOL qualifying.

Suriname (CONCACAF) ranks 121st and joins Jamaica from the Caribbean region.

New Caledonia (Oceania) ranks 148th despite losing the Oceanic final to New Zealand.

How It Works:

The format favors the top-ranked teams. Iraq and DR Congo get automatic passes to the finals in their pathways. They wait while the other four teams compete in semifinals.

Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia and New Caledonia must win semifinal matches first. The two semifinal winners then face Iraq and DR Congo in separate finals. Only the two final winners reach the World Cup.

Venues and Schedule:

Estadio Akron in Guadalajara hosts two matches. Estadio BBVA in Monterrey stages two more games. Both stadiums will also host World Cup matches next summer.

Play starts around March 23, 2026. Every match uses single elimination. Tied games go to extra time and penalties.

UEFA European Playoff: 16 Teams Chase 4 Berths

Europe already has 12 qualified teams. Four more spots go through the playoff system involving 16 nations.

The 16 Teams by Pot:

Pot 1 (Top Seeds): Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine

Pot 2 (Seeds): Poland, Wales, Czechia, Slovakia

Pot 3 (Unseeded): Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo

Pot 4 (Nations League Route): Northern Ireland, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia

Italy faces potential elimination from a third straight World Cup after missing 2018 and 2022. Poland’s Robert Lewandowski needs this playoff for possibly his final World Cup appearance. Ireland’s Troy Parrott scored a hat-trick against Hungary to secure their playoff spot.

Sweden remarkably reached the playoff despite winning zero group stage games.

Playoff Format:

The draw creates four separate paths (A, B, C, D). Each path contains four teams with one from each pot.

Semifinals pair Pot 1 against Pot 4 and Pot 2 against Pot 3. The higher-ranked teams host these single-leg matches.

Semifinal winners meet in path finals. A separate draw determines which team hosts each final. The four path winners qualify for the World Cup.

Schedule:

The semifinals will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Finals take place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Teams must confirm host venues by December 19, 2025.

What Happens After the Draw

The November 20 draw reveals all playoff matchups. Teams get four months to prepare for their March showdowns.

The main World Cup draw will take place on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. That event places qualified teams into groups. Playoff teams receive placeholder spots until winners are determined in March.

By March 31 the complete 48-team lineup will be set. The tournament begins just over two months later with Mexico playing the opening match in Mexico City on June 11.

Why These Playoffs Matter

Major nations risk missing the World Cup entirely. Italy could fail to qualify for three consecutive tournaments. Iraq seeks just their second World Cup appearance after qualifying once in 1986.

DR Congo eliminated four-time African champions Nigeria in one of qualifying’s biggest upsets. Curacao already made history as the smallest nation ever to qualify with a population of only 156,000 people.

The financial stakes run high. World Cup qualification brings massive revenue through sponsorships and broadcasting deals. Tourism increases and national pride soars for qualifying nations.

2026 World Cup Playoff Draw FAQ