Overview of the World Cup 2026 European Play-offs: Teams, Format, and Broadcast Details

The European play-offs for the 2026 World Cup are poised to feature an exciting mix of 16 teams vying for four final spots in the tournament. Following the conclusion of the UEFA qualification phase, which confirmed 12 automatic qualifiers, the identities of the last four teams will be determined in March 2026.

The competition will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where a total of 16 UEFA teams will participate. GOAL provides an overview of how the European play-offs will function, including essential information regarding seeding and how to watch the live draw.

**When is the World Cup 2026 play-off draw?**
The draw is scheduled for November 20, 2025, in Zurich, Switzerland. It will occur following the intercontinental play-off tournament draw, which begins at 12:00 PM GMT (7:00 AM ET).

**Where to watch the World Cup 2026 play-offs draw**
The draws will be streamed worldwide on FIFA+ and the official FIFA website. Additionally, FIFA’s media partners will broadcast the draw in their respective regions. In the United States, Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish) will air the draw, available for live streaming on fuboTV. In the UK, the draw will be available for live streaming on the BBC Sport website, as BBC and ITV share the broadcast rights.

**Teams in the UEFA play-offs for World Cup 2026**
The play-offs will include 16 teams: the 12 runners-up from the qualification groups and four top-ranked teams from the Nations League.

**Second-placed Teams:**
– Slovakia
– Kosovo
– Denmark
– Ukraine
– Turkiye
– Ireland
– Poland
– Bosnia-Herzegovina
– Italy
– Wales
– Albania
– Czech Republic

**Nations League Teams:**
– Romania
– Sweden
– Northern Ireland
– North Macedonia

**World Cup 2026 UEFA play-offs seeding pots**
Teams will be categorized into four seeding pots based on the FIFA World Ranking as of November 19, 2025. The 12 group runners-up will be distributed across pots one to three, while the four Nations League teams will occupy pot four as unseeded teams. Each semi-final will feature a seeded team pitted against an unseeded team: Pot 1 teams will face Pot 4 teams, and Pot 2 teams will compete against Pot 3 teams.

**Seeded Teams:**
– **Pot 1:** Italy, Denmark, Ukraine, Poland
– **Pot 2:** Wales, Turkey, Czechia, Slovakia

**Unseeded Teams:**
– **Pot 3:** Ireland, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo
– **Pot 4:** Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia

**How the World Cup 2026 European play-offs work**
The European play-offs will consist of four distinct paths—A, B, C, and D—each featuring four teams drawn from the respective pots. Each path will include two semi-finals, with the winners advancing to a final for a chance to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup. Notably, seeded teams will face unseeded teams in the semi-finals, establishing matchups such as Italy (Pot 1) against Sweden (Pot 4).

**Match Structure:**
– **Path A:** Semi-final 1: Pot 1 vs Pot 4, Semi-final 2: Pot 2 vs Pot 3, Final: Winner Pot 1/4 vs Winner Pot 2/3
– **Path B:** Same format
– **Path C:** Same format
– **Path D:** Same format

**When will the World Cup 2026 European play-offs be played?**
The fixtures for the play-offs are set for March 2026, with semi-finals scheduled for March 26, 2025, and finals on March 31, 2025.