Overview of the 2026 World Cup European Play-offs

The European play-offs for the 2026 World Cup are set to feature an exciting competition among 16 teams vying for four coveted spots at the tournament. As the UEFA qualification phase draws to a close, the identities of the final four teams will be revealed in March 2026. A total of 16 UEFA teams will participate in the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, with 12 teams qualifying automatically and four entering through the play-off phase.

The draw for the World Cup 2026 play-offs will take place in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, November 20, 2025. This event will occur following the inter-continental play-off tournament draw, scheduled to begin at 12 noon GMT (7 AM ET).

Fans can watch the World Cup 2026 play-offs draw on FIFA+ and the official FIFA website, which will stream the event globally. In the United States, the draw will be broadcast on Fox (in English) and Telemundo (in Spanish), with live streaming available on fuboTV. In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch the draw live on the BBC Sport website, as both BBC and ITV share the broadcast rights for the World Cup.

The 16 teams participating in the UEFA play-offs will include the 12 runners-up from the qualification groups and the four highest-ranked teams from the Nations League path. The lineup of second-placed teams includes:
– Germany or Slovakia
– Kosovo or Switzerland
– Denmark or Scotland
– Ukraine
– Spain or Turkey
– Ireland
– Netherlands or Poland
– Austria or Bosnia-Herzegovina
– Italy
– Belgium or North Macedonia or Wales
– Albania
– Czech Republic.

The Nations League teams competing are Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and either North Macedonia or Wales.

Seeding for the play-offs will be determined based on the FIFA World Ranking as of November 19, 2025, with the teams categorized into four pots—two seeded and two unseeded. The 12 group runners-up will occupy pots one to three, while the four Nations League teams will be placed in pot four as unseeded teams. Each of the eight semi-finals will feature matchups between seeded and unseeded teams: teams from Pot 1 will face those from Pot 4, and teams from Pot 2 will play against teams from Pot 3.

The European play-offs will be organized into four paths: A, B, C, and D. Each path will consist of four teams drawn from the respective pots. Each pathway will hold two semi-finals, with the winners competing in a final for a chance to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup.

The play-off matches are scheduled for March 2026, with semi-finals taking place on March 26, 2026, and the finals on March 31, 2026.