FIFA World Cup 2026 playoffs draw result: Italy vs Northern Ireland; Ukraine to face Sweden
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
42 nations have already booked their place directly in the competition.
The World Cup playoff draw was held on Thursday at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Italy are set to face Troy Parrott’s Northern Ireland in an attempt to earn a spot for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
There are still some spots up for grabs in the World Cup. Many nations that failed to qualify directly from the group stage qualifier games are set to play in the playoffs to learn their qualification fate for the World Cup.
42 nations have booked their place in the tournament for next year, but there are still six nations yet to qualify for the competition. Few will face each other in March in the hope of securing their place in the event.
16 countries from UEFA are set to face each other, and a total of eight will play in the final of the playoffs. Among them, four winning nations will fly to North America for the competition.
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European playoff draw
PATH A
SF 1: Italy vs Northern Ireland
SF 2: Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Final: Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 (home)
PATH B
SF 4: Poland vs Albania
Final: Winner SF 3 (home) vs Winner SF 4
PATH C
SF 5: Turkiye vs Romania
SF 6: Slovakia vs Kosovo
Final: Winner SF 5 vs Winner SF 6 (home)
PATH D
SF 7: Denmark vs North Macedonia
SF 8: Czechia vs the Republic of Ireland
Final: Winner SF 7 vs Winner SF 8 (home)
With the European playoff set, six teams from the other continents will compete for two berths in the competition. New Caledonia, Jamaica, Bolivia, and Suriname will compete for the remaining two semi-finals, while Iraq and the Congo DR, who started the playoffs as the top seeds, will face the winners in the final.
A spot in the 2026 World Cup will be awarded to the winners of the two finals.
PATH A
Semifinal 1: New Caledonia vs Jamaica – Winner faces Congo DR for qualification
PATH B
Semifinal 2: Bolivia vs Suriname – Winner faces Iraq for qualification
When will the FIFA World Cup 2026 Playoffs take place?
They are set to be played in March 2026.
How many nations from UEFA are playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Playoffs?
A total of 16 nations from UEFA are playing in the playoffs.
When is the FIFA World Cup draw?
It’s on 5th December.
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