The FIFA World Cup 2026 is now just months away, and there are just a handful of spaces remaining for teams to book their place at the summer’s 48-team competition set to be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada.
For European nations, just four spots are up for grabs via the UEFA play-offs to join the World Cup, and a host of major countries are still battling to avoid missing out on the world’s most prestigious competition.
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Read on to find out how the UEFA play-offs work and the route to the 2026 World Cup:
There are 16 teams set to compete in the European play-offs for a space at the FIFA World Cup, made up of 12 runners-up from the qualifying group stage and four teams that earned their places through their performances in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League.
Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Wales, Albania, Czechia and, most notably, Italy, are the teams who are in the play-offs due to finishing as runners-up in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland all have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup thanks to their performances in the Nations League.
UEFA playoffs explained:
These 16 teams have been divided into four separate paths, each labelled from A-D, with four teams in each.
In each of these paths, there will be two single-leg semi-finals and one single-leg final, with the winners of each path being rewarded with qualification into the upcoming summer tournament.
Teams ranked higher in UEFA’s coefficient list will host the semi-finals, while the host of the finals were randomised in November’s draw.
Playoff route to World Cup:
Path A –
Italy vs Northern Ireland (Semi-final)
Wales vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Semi-final)
Wales/Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Italy/Northern Ireland (Final)
Path B –
Ukraine vs Sweden (Semi-final)
Poland vs Albania (Semi-final)
Ukraine/Sweden vs Poland/Albania (Final)
Path C –
Turkey vs Romania (Semi-final)
Slovakia vs Kosovo (Semi-final)
Turkey/Romania vs Slovakia/Kosovo (Final)
Path D –
Denmark vs North Macedonia (Semi-final)
Czechia vs Republic of Ireland (Semi-final)
Denmark/North Macedonia vs. Czechia/Republic of Ireland (Final)
The eventual winners of each path will then book their place in the World Cup, where they have already been drawn as Pot 4 sides during December’s group-stage draw:
The Path A winners will join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.
The Path B winners will join Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia in Group E.
The Path C winners will join USA, Paraguay and Australia in Group C.
The Path D winners will join Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A.
Make sure you bet on the most markets in Nigeria for every play-off clash on the Road to the World Cup!
