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By Seyi Babalola
The race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup heated up on Thursday as both the intercontinental and European playoffs were drawn, paving the way for a tight and dramatic qualification conclusion across continents.
With spots in the enlarged 48-team tournament on the line, nations now know exactly how to schedule their flights to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The intercontinental playoffs were the first to be decided, leaving two fascinating routes.
In Path 1, New Caledonia will face Jamaica in the semifinals, with the winner going to the final against DR Congo for a spot in the World Cup.
In Path 2, Bolivia will face Suriname in the semifinals, with the winner moving on to play Iraq in the final.
The intercontinental playoff tournament will take place during the FIFA international window from March 23 through March 31.
New Caledonia vs Jamaica (the winner faces DR Congo)
Bolivia vs Suriname (the winner faces Iraq)
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Attention then shifted towards Europe, where the final set of World Cup hopefuls learned their fate.
The UEFA playoff structure remains one of the most unforgiving qualifying routes in international football. The play-offs are contested as single-leg knockout matches, and each path is formed by two semi-final pairings: Pot 1 vs Pot 4 and Pot 2 vs Pot 3. Seeded clubs are drawn at home for the semi-finals, while the venue for each final is selected by an earlier draw. Only one of the semi-final winners advances to the route final.
The European semi-finals are set to take place on Thursday, 26 March 2026, followed by the decisive finals on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
Here are the completed European playoff draws:
Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland, Wales vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden, Poland vs. Albania
Path C: Slovakia vs. Kosovo, Turkey vs. Romania
Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia, Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland
