Europe’s new qualifying format for the 2026 World Cup includes a 16-team second round, with four pods of four teams fighting for UEFA’s final spots in next summer’s tournament.
Four-time champion Italy finds itself in the playoffs and will need to win two matches to avoid missing out on a third consecutive World Cup. UEFA has 16 places in the 2026 World Cup, one-third of the expanded field and 12 teams have already secured their spots.
The semifinals will be played on March 26, 2026, with the higher-ranked teams hosting and the final in each bracket set for March 31.
Here’s what to know for the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs:
UEFA World Cup playoffs bracket, qualifiers for 2026
Path A
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Northern Ireland at Italy
Bosnia and Herzegovina at Wales
Final – March 31, 2026
Northern Ireland/Italy winner at Bosnia and Herzegovia/Wales winner
Path B
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Sweden at Ukraine
Albania at Poland
Final – March 31, 2026
Albania/Poland winner at Sweden/Ukraine winner
Path C
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Romania at Turkey
Kosovo at Slovakia
Final – March 31, 2026
Romania/Turkey winner at Kosovo/Slovakia winner
Path D
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
North Macedonia at Denmark
Republic of Ireland at Czechia
Final – March 31, 2026
North Macedonia/Denmark winner at Republic of Ireland/Czechia winner
When is the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff?
All eight semifinals will be played on March 26, 2026, and the four finals on March 31.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
