The draw ceremony for the UEFA play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Sixteen teams will compete for four World Cup spots, with Italian star Materazzi and Swedish star Dahlin serving as draw guests.
Draw Results of European Playoffs
Partition A
Semifinal 1: Italy vs Northern Ireland
Semifinal 2: Wales vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
Final: Winner vs Winner
Partition B
Semifinal 3: Ukraine vs Sweden
Semifinal 4: Poland vs Albania
Final: Winner vs Winner
Partition C
Semifinal 5: Turkey vs Romania
Semifinal 6: Slovakia vs Kosovo
Final: Winner vs Winner
Partition D
Semifinal 7: Denmark vs North Macedonia
Semifinal 8: Czech Republic vs Ireland
Final: Winner vs Winner
Participating Teams
Second Team in the Group
(*The number in parentheses is the latest world ranking*)
First Tier: Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28)
Second Tier: Poland (31), Wales (32), Czech Republic (44), Slovakia (45)
Third Tier: Ireland (59), Albania (63), Bosnia and Herzegovina (71), Kosovo (80)
UEFA Nations League Channel
Fourth Tier: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland
Playoff Rules
The 12 second-placed teams from the European qualifying groups and 4 teams that advanced through the UEFA Nations League pathway will form the European play-off teams. These 16 teams will be divided into 4 groups, and within each group of 4 teams, there will be two single-leg semi-finals and one single-leg final. The semi-final pairings will be determined based on seeding, with the first-seeded team hosting the fourth-seeded team at home, and the second-seeded team hosting the third-seeded team at home. The home venue for the final will be determined by a draw. The seeding for the draw will be determined based on the world rankings, but teams that advanced through the UEFA Nations League will automatically be placed in the fourth seed.
The European Playoff Semi-Finals will be held on March 26, 2026, and the Final will take place on March 31.
All play-off matches are single-leg knockout matches. If there is a draw in 90 minutes, it will enter overtime, and if there is a draw in overtime, it will enter a penalty shootout.