Who will fill the last six open spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
(NEXSTAR) – There are less than three months left until the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, but the list of competing countries is not yet complete.
There are still six spots open in the tournament, and we’ll find out who will get their tickets on March 31st.
UEFA Play-off Group A
March 26: Italy vs Northern Ireland – 15:45 ET – Bergamo, Italy
Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina – 15:45 ET – Cardiff, Wales
Considering their historical successes, Italy is a strong favorite to qualify for this summer’s World Cup by defeating Northern Ireland and their opponent in the final. However, if they lose, the Azzurri will miss the World Cup for the third consecutive time.
Wales will be without Gareth Bale, their all-time leading goalscorer, who retired after helping them qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina are likely to rely on 40-year-old forward Edin Džeko to secure their place in this playoff final.
The winners of both matches will then face each other in the final on March 31, and the winner of the Wales-Bosnia and Herzegovina match will be the host country.
The winner will join Qatar, Switzerland, and co-host Canada in Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
UEFA Play-off Group B
March 26: Ukraine vs Sweden – 15:45 ET – Valencia, Spain
Poland vs Albania – 15:45 ET – Warsaw, Poland
Perhaps the most balanced playoff group is formed by the aging Sweden and Poland facing the rising Ukraine and Albania.
Due to the war in Ukraine, the matches against Sweden will be played on neutral ground in Spain. Ukraine put on an impressive performance in the qualifiers, but they couldn’t achieve the necessary results to qualify directly for the tournament. On the other hand, Sweden is looking for a new star to fill the shoes of the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Alexander Isak hopes to fill that void. However, Isak is injured and will not be able to play in the playoff match.
At the helm of Poland is 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski, who helped them reach the 2022 World Cup but couldn’t replicate the same performance in the tournament.
The winners of both matches will face each other on March 31; the winner of the Ukraine-Sweden match will play at home, but if Ukraine wins, the match will still be played in Spain.
The winner will join the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia in Group F at the World Cup this summer.
UEFA Play-off Group C
March 26: Turkey vs Romania – 1:00 PM ET – Istanbul, Turkey
Slovakia vs Kosovo – 3:45 PM ET – Bratislava, Slovakia
Turkey enters these playoffs as a strong favorite to qualify for the tournament. In terms of talent, they have the most skilled roster among the four teams in Play-off C. However, matches are not only evaluated based on the starting eleven, and they will face a Romanian squad aiming to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Considering the potential political impact of the Slovakia-Kosovo match and the history between the two countries, the winner of this encounter will host Turkey or Romania for a chance to qualify for the World Cup.
The final match will be played on March 31, and the winner will join Paraguay, Australia, and host the USA in Group D.
UEFA Play-off Group D
March 26: Denmark vs North Macedonia – 15:45 ET – Copenhagen, Denmark
Czech Republic vs Ireland – 15:45 ET – Prague, Czech Republic
Another group in which at least one team is seen as the favorite. The Danish national football team hopes that their skills will be sufficient to defeat North Macedonia, who advanced to the playoffs by defeating Italy in the qualifiers.
Ireland has hit a magical run of results to get to this position and will be hoping to continue that magic against the Czech Republic. The winner of the match between the two teams will host the final match on March 31 and will have the chance to join Group A this summer along with South Korea, South Africa, and host Mexico.
Intercontinental Playoff Group A – Guadalajara, Mexico
March 26 New Caledonia vs Jamaica – 10:00 PM ET March 31 Winner vs Democratic Republic of the Congo – 5:00 PM ET
Unlike UEFA play-offs, intercontinental play-offs are played on neutral ground. It was thot that Jamaica would qualify directly for the World Cup due to the top three countries in CONCACAF (the USA, Mexico, and Canada) qualifying as hosts. Instead, the Reggae Boyz played a much easier match against a small French territory in New Caledonia. However, even if they win, they will face the tough Democratic Republic of the Congo team, which has eliminated some top CAF opponents on the road to the playoffs.
The winner of this playoff group will join Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in Group K of the World Cup.
Intercontinental Playoff Group B – Monterrey, Mexico
March 26 Bolivia vs Suriname – 7:00 PM ET March 31 Winner vs Iraq – 11:00 PM ET
After moving their home stadiums to El Alto, which is located at an altitude of 13,615 feet, Bolivia managed to achieve a series of good results.
Meanwhile, Suriname surpassed Honduras by earning crucial points in the CONCACAF qualifiers and secured the last spot in the playoffs.
The winner will face Iraq, who advanced to the playoffs by defeating the UAE in the elimination match.
The winner of this play-off will join Group I, which will likely be called the “Group of Death,” alongside the tournament favorite France, the surprise team Norway, and the Africa Cup of Nations champion Senegal.
