{"id":1411550,"date":"2025-11-20T12:46:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T12:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=news&p=1411550"},"modified":"2025-11-21T10:46:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T10:46:05","slug":"world-cup-2026-play-off-fixtures","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup-2026-play-off-fixtures\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup 2026 play-off draw confirmed: Date, fixtures and format for European places"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 2026 World Cup<\/a> European play-off draw has taken place, meaning we now know the fixtures for the semi-final matches and potential finals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12 of Europe\u2019s 16 prized places have already been filled for the tournament from the group phase, with the remaining four spots to be decided via the nerve-jangling play-offs, which feature 16 European countries, who each have a second chance to book their ticket to North America next summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, we break down the teams involved, the fixtures, key dates, and the full play-off format as we gear up for what promises to be a dramatic finale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which countries are in the play-offs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First of all, let\u2019s run through the 16 European countries that will feature in the play-offs and the Pots they were allocated for the draw, which were based on world rankings and Nations League performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pot 1<\/th>Pot 2<\/th>Pot 3<\/th>Pot 4<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Italy<\/td>Wales<\/td>Kosovo<\/td>Romania<\/td><\/tr>
Ukraine<\/td>Slovakia<\/td>Republic of Ireland<\/td>Northern Ireland<\/td><\/tr>
Turkey<\/td>Poland<\/td>Bosnia-Herzegovina<\/td>Sweden<\/td><\/tr>
Denmark<\/td>Czech Republic<\/td>Albania<\/td>North Macedonia<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Wales have all made it through to the play-offs as group runners-up, while Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and North Macedonia have entered via the Nations League, and have all been placed in Pot 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of those 16 countries, Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo have never qualified for a World Cup. Northern Ireland\u2019s last World Cup dates back to 1986, while four-time winners Italy are in danger of missing out for the third tournament in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When are the play-offs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The World Cup play-offs will take place in March 2026. The semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday 26th March, and the finals are on Tuesday 31st March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s the format of the play-offs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The play-offs are split into four separate paths, each producing one qualifier for the World Cup. Every path contains four teams, one from each Pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each path begins with two single-leg semi-finals, structured as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n