The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest tournament in history, with 48 teams vying for the top prize. 22 teams remain in contention, but only six spots remain on offer. This fortnight, those teams will fight it out to see who will get the chance to play on the grandest stage.
The inter-confederation playoff expands to include two teams from this edition onwards, and two different pathways hold the key. Six teams from far and wide fly into Mexico this week in the first truly global round of the World Cup. The two with the highest FIFA rankings – Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq – have earned byes to the final.
The winner of New Caledonia vs Jamaica will play against the DRC in Guadalajara, the winner of which will then proceed to the World Cup finals – similarly, the winner of Bolivia and Suriname will face Iraq, this time in Monterrey. Those matches will be ninety of the most nervous minutes that any of these players will likely face in their careers.
Meanwhile, in the UEFA Qualification Playoffs, sixteen teams are alive, but only four make it through. The teams participating in this playoff system are a mixture of the twelve group runners-up from the first round of qualification, plus the four highest-ranking UEFA Nations League placers who didn't already qualify.
The deal is simple for teams like Italy, Denmark, and Turkey, all of whom will believe they are good enough to make it to the finals: win twice, and play at the World Cup. Lose once, and watch from home.
