As the final stages of World Cup qualifying approach, many nations are eagerly awaiting the play-offs that will determine the last few teams to secure their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With the group stages nearing completion, the focus shifts to the crucial play-off draws and the matches themselves.

When is the Draw?

The draw for both the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament and the European Play-Offs is scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 20, 2025. The event will be held at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The UEFA play-off draw will specifically occur at 12pm GMT. Football fans can follow the draw live on FIFA.com, FIFA+, and through various media partners.

The draw will determine the pathways for the teams competing for the final spots in the 48-team World Cup. For the inter-confederation play-offs, the teams will be seeded based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking as of November 19, 2025.

When are the Play-Offs?

The play-off matches are scheduled to be held in March 2026.

• Inter-Confederation Play-Offs: This tournament, officially named the FIFA World Cup 26 Play-Off Tournament, will take place in North America. It is reported that the matches will be held in two venues in Mexico. The tournament will occur during the FIFA window of March 23–31, 2026. This mini-tournament will feature six teams vying for two World Cup places in a knockout round.
• European Play-Offs: The semi-finals are scheduled for March 26, 2026, and the finals on March 31, 2026.

Who is Involved?

• Inter-Confederation Play-Offs: This tournament will involve six teams from five confederations. CONCACAF will have two slots, while the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC will each have one.
• European Play-Offs: The European play-offs will consist of 12 group runners-up from the World Cup qualifying groups, along with the four best-ranked group winners from the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League who did not finish in the top two of their qualifying group. These 16 teams will be drawn into four play-off paths, each containing four teams. The play-off matches will be single-leg semi-finals, followed by single-leg finals to determine the final four European participants in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Format of Inter-Confederation Play-Offs

The six teams will be split into two brackets of three teams each. In each bracket, two unseeded teams will play a semi-final match, with the winner advancing to the final against a seeded team. The winners of both brackets will qualify for the World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 promises to be a global football spectacle. As teams battle for the remaining qualification spots, fans worldwide are keen to know when and how their nation can secure a place in this expanded tournament.