Road to the 2026 World Cup: How the Final Spots Will Be Decided
Guide | Key dates, format, and everything to know about the World Cup playoffs
The 2026 World Cup is approaching quickly, and the final picture is starting to take shape. While more than 40 national teams have already secured their ticket to the tournament, several spots are still up for grabs in both the UEFA playoffs and the FIFA intercontinental playoff. In this guide, you’ll find an updated breakdown of the squads still in contention, how each playoff works, and how to enjoy the tournament by creating your own soccer pool with friends, coworkers, or even your entire organization.
🌍 Teams Already Qualified
As of now, 42 national teams have confirmed their place at the 2026 World Cup, including the three host nations:
- 🇺🇸 United States
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
Other qualified contenders include several major football powers:
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇲🇦 Morocco
- 🇦🇺 Australia
Since the expanded tournament includes 48 teams, six World Cup spots are still undecided.
🔍 What’s Still Missing?
The remaining World Cup berths will be defined as follows:
- UEFA Playoffs (Europe): 4 spots
- FIFA Intercontinental Playoff: 2 spots
🇪🇺 UEFA Playoffs: How Europe Will Award Its Final 4 Spots
Key Dates:
- Draw: November 20, 2025
- Semi-finals: March 21, 2026
- Finals: March 25, 2026
The UEFA playoffs include 16 European teams coming from the Qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League. They are divided into four knockout paths, each featuring two semi-finals and a final, all played as single-leg matches. The winner of each path earns direct qualification to the World Cup.
Confirmed Pots
- Pot 1: 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇹🇷 Türkiye, 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- Pot 2: 🇵🇱 Poland, 🏴 Wales, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇸🇮 Slovenia
- Pot 3: 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇦🇱 Albania, 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 🇽🇰 Kosovo
- Pot 4: 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇲🇰 North Macedonia, 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland
🌎 FIFA Intercontinental Playoff: 2 Tickets for 6 Teams
Key Dates:
- Draw: November 20, 2025
- Matches: March 23–31, 2026
- Host country: To be confirmed
The intercontinental playoff brings together six national teams from different confederations, divided into two pathways. In each pathway, the highest-ranked team advances directly to the final, while the remaining four teams play preliminary semi-finals. The winners of each final claim the last two World Cup spots.
Qualified Teams
- Seeded (advance to final): 🇨🇩 DR Congo, 🇮🇶 Iraq
- Semi-finalists: 🇯🇲 Jamaica, 🇸🇷 Suriname, 🇧🇴 Bolivia, 🇳🇨 New Caledonia
⚽ Experience the World Cup with Pollaya
The World Cup becomes even more exciting when you can compete with predictions. With Pollaya, you can create your own soccer pool, invite friends or coworkers, and score points as the tournament progresses. For companies, we also offer business plans designed to deliver an engaging, branded and interactive experience for your entire team.