Overview
- UEFA and intercontinental playoff draws take place Thursday at FIFA’s Home of Football in Zurich at 12:00 local time, streamed on BBC iPlayer, FIFA+ and RTÉ.
- UEFA pots are set: Pot 1 Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine; Pot 2 Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia; Pot 3 Ireland, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo; Pot 4 Northern Ireland, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia.
- The European format features single-leg semifinals on March 26, 2026 with seeded teams at home, followed by single‑leg finals on March 31 with hosts decided by a separate draw.
- The intercontinental playoff in Mexico includes Iraq, DR Congo, Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia and New Caledonia, with DR Congo and Iraq receiving byes to pathway finals in Guadalajara and Monterrey.
- FIFA’s November rankings will seed the Dec. 5 World Cup draw in Washington, with Brazil up to 5th, Portugal 6th, Netherlands 7th and Italy 12th, and South Korea holding 22nd and positioned for Pot 2.