Overview
- Twenty-eight of 48 World Cup places are secured, with the November window set to decide 14 direct qualifiers and the 22 teams heading to playoffs.
- Bolivia and New Caledonia have clinched spots in the intercontinental playoff, joining eventual entrants from AFC, CAF and two from Concacaf.
- FIFA’s format splits six teams into two three-team paths, where lower-ranked sides meet in one-off semifinals and winners face top seeds in one-off finals for two berths.
- A FIFA rankings update on November 18 will shape seeding, while UEFA will run its separate 16-team play-offs to fill the continent’s remaining places.
- Coverage indicates the intercontinental playoff is slated for the March 2026 international window, though some reports reference late-2025 activity and specific host details remain unconfirmed.