Mateo Retegui of Italy in action during the FIFA 2026 european Qualifier football match between Italy and Norway at San Siro stadium. Milan (Italy), November 16th, 2025 (Photo by Elianton/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will hold its second round play-off to determine the final four teams that will compete for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The backstory:
Twelve European nations have already secured direct qualification for the World Cup after finishing top of their respective groups. That leaves four remaining slots left to claim.
A total of 16 teams will enter the play-offs, 12 runners-up from the European qualifiers and four additional teams selected based on their performance in the UEFA Nations League.
What we know:
The 16 teams have been sorted into four pots:
- Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland, Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden, Poland vs. Albania.
- Path C: Turkey vs. Romania, Slovakia vs. Kosovo.
- Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia, Czech Republic vs. Ireland
The teams from each pot will be divided into four separate paths, each consisting of a semifinal and a final to determine the four winners. The Pot 1 team will host the Pot 4 team and the Pot 2 team will host the Pot 3 team.
The playoffs are being held in stadiums across Europe.
Timeline:
All 12 matches will take place on March 26 and March 31. The four semifinal matches on March 26 and the finals are set for March 31.
The Source: Information in this article is from previous FOX LOCAL reporting and official FIFA World Cup 2026 reports. This story was reported from Orlando.