2026 FIFA World Cup Playoffs: All Results, Scores & Qualified Teams
All six playoff spots are now confirmed. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Türkiye, Czechia, DR Congo and Iraq are heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The final matches took place on March 31, 2026 and the full 48-team field is now set.
Here are the key details of World Cup Playoffs at a glance:
- Total teams in playoffs: 22
- World Cup spots available: 6
- UEFA Playoffs: 16 teams competing for 4 spots
- Inter-Confederation Playoffs: 6 teams competing for 2 spots
- Semi-finals played: March 26, 2026
- Finals played: March 31, 2026
- Inter-confederation venue: Mexico
- All 48 teams confirmed: March 31, 2026
The Six Teams That Qualified
| Team | Playoff | Result | World Cup Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | UEFA Path A | Beat Italy 4-1 on penalties | Group B |
| Sweden | UEFA Path B | Beat Poland 3-2 | Group F |
| Türkiye | UEFA Path C | Beat Kosovo 1-0 | Group D |
| Czechia | UEFA Path D | Beat Denmark 3-1 on penalties | Group A |
| DR Congo | Inter-Confederation Pathway 1 | Beat Jamaica in final | Group K |
| Iraq | Inter-Confederation Pathway 2 | Beat Bolivia in final | Group I |
What are the 2026 World Cup Playoffs?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup expanded to 48 teams for the first time. Most nations earned their spots through regional qualifying. Six final spots went to playoff winners.
FIFA ran two separate systems. The UEFA Playoffs covered Europe only. Twelve European teams already qualified as group winners. Four more spots went to playoff winners from a 16-team bracket. The Inter-Confederation Playoffs pulled one team each from Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania plus two from CONCACAF into a six-team bracket for two spots.
Both tournaments ran the same week. Every match was a single-leg knockout. One game decided everything. A draw after 90 minutes went to 30 minutes of extra time. Teams got one extra substitution in extra time making six total. Penalties decided the winner if scores stayed level after extra time.
UEFA Playoffs: How It Worked
Sixteen teams split into four paths: A, B, C and D. Each path had two semi-finals on March 26 and one final on March 31. Win both matches and you go to the World Cup. Lose once and you go home.
FIFA seeded the 16 teams into four pots based on FIFA rankings from November 2025. Pot 1 and Pot 2 teams hosted their semi-finals. Pot 3 and Pot 4 teams played away. Four Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two of their qualifying group entered automatically in Pot 4.
| Pot | Teams |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Ukraine |
| Pot 2 | Poland, Wales, Czechia, Slovakia |
| Pot 3 | Rep. of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo |
| Pot 4 | Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland |
UEFA Playoff Results: All 4 Paths
Path A
Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the semi-final. Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Wales 1-1 on penalties (4-2) to reach the final. The final in Zenica finished 1-1 after extra time. Bosnia and Herzegovina won 4-1 on penalties. Alessandro Bastoni got a red card in the first half for Italy. Moise Kean put Italy ahead. Haris Tabaković equalized for Bosnia. Italy missed two penalties in the shootout and their World Cup hopes ended for a third straight time.
Path B
Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 in the semi-final. Poland beat Albania 2-1. The final in Solna went to the 88th minute with the score level at 2-2. Viktor Gyökeres scored the winner to send Sweden to the World Cup for the first time since 2018. Sweden also became the first team to qualify for the World Cup after entering through the Nations League route.
Path C
Türkiye beat Romania 1-0 through a Ferdi Kadioglu goal. Kosovo upset Slovakia 4-3 away in the other semi-final. The final in Pristina was a winner-take-all clash. Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored in the 53rd minute to send Türkiye to their first World Cup since 2002. Kosovo reached the final without ever having qualified for a major tournament before and came up just short.
Path D
Denmark beat North Macedonia 4-0 in the semi-final. Czechia beat the Republic of Ireland 2-2 on penalties (4-3). The final in Prague between Czechia and Denmark finished 2-2 after extra time. Goalkeeper Matěj Kovář saved multiple Danish attempts in the shootout. Czechia won 3-1 on penalties and qualified for their first World Cup since 2006.
Inter-Confederation Playoffs: How It Worked
Six teams from five confederations competed for two World Cup spots. All four matches took place in Mexico at two official World Cup host stadiums.
The two highest-ranked teams — DR Congo and Iraq — received a bye straight to the finals. The other four teams played semi-finals on March 26. Semi-final winners advanced to face the seeded teams in the finals on March 31.
| Team | Confederation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | CAF (Africa) | Seeded — straight to final |
| Iraq | AFC (Asia) | Seeded — straight to final |
| Jamaica | CONCACAF | Semi-final |
| New Caledonia | OFC (Oceania) | Semi-final |
| Bolivia | CONMEBOL | Semi-final |
| Suriname | CONCACAF | Semi-final |
Matches took place at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. FIFA renamed both venues during the competition as Estadio Guadalajara and Estadio Monterrey due to sponsorship rules.
Inter-Confederation Playoff Results
Semi-Finals — March 26, 2026
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Bolivia vs Suriname | 2-1 Bolivia |
| New Caledonia vs Jamaica | 0-1 Jamaica |
Finals — March 31, 2026
| Match | Result | Qualified |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo vs Jamaica | DR Congo win | DR Congo — Group K |
| Iraq vs Bolivia | Iraq win | Iraq — Group I |
DR Congo ended a 52-year wait to return to the World Cup. The country last competed in 1974 under the name Zaire. Iraq qualified for their first World Cup since 1986 after a stoppage-time penalty in the 90+17th minute of their Asian qualifier against UAE set their journey in motion.
Where Do the Playoff Winners Go?
| Winner | World Cup Group | Group Opponents |
|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Group B | Canada, Qatar, Switzerland |
| Sweden | Group F | Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia |
| Türkiye | Group D | United States, Paraguay, Australia |
| Czechia | Group A | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea |
| DR Congo | Group K | Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| Iraq | Group I | France, Senegal, Norway |
Türkiye face host nation USA in Group D. Czechia open against host nation Mexico in Group A. Iraq draw one of the toughest groups in the tournament with France and Senegal in Group I.
Key Storylines
Italy miss the World Cup for a third straight time. Italy failed to qualify in 2018, 2022 and now 2026. No other traditional football powerhouse has missed three consecutive World Cups in the modern era. The red card to Bastoni and two missed penalties in the shootout against Bosnia sealed one of the most painful nights in Italian football history.
DR Congo end 52 years of waiting. The team that competed as Zaire in 1974 is back. DR Congo beat Jamaica in the Pathway 1 final to earn a place in Group K alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Iraq’s journey starts with a miracle. A penalty in the 90th-plus-17th minute of their Asian qualifier against UAE gave Iraq a place in the inter-confederation playoffs. They did not waste it. Iraq beat Bolivia in the Pathway 2 final to qualify for their first World Cup since 1986.
Gyökeres delivers when Sweden needed it most. With two key players injured and Sweden struggling all campaign, Viktor Gyökeres scored the winner against Poland in the 88th minute to seal their World Cup place. It was the kind of goal that defines careers.
Kovář becomes a Czech hero. Goalkeeper Matěj Kovář saved multiple penalties against Denmark to send Czechia to their first World Cup since 2006. He made the saves that mattered most when the pressure was at its peak.
Playoff Match Rules
- Every match is a single-leg knockout. No second legs.
- A draw after 90 minutes goes to 30 minutes of extra time.
- Teams get one extra substitution in extra time making six total.
- A draw after extra time goes to a penalty shootout.
- VAR covers goals, penalty decisions, red cards and mistaken identity.
- Yellow cards from qualifying carried into semi-finals but reset before finals.
Complete Schedule with All Results
March 26, 2026 — Semi-Finals
| Tournament | Match | Time ET | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Path C SF | Türkiye vs Romania | 1:00 p.m. | 1-0 Türkiye |
| UEFA Path A SF | Italy vs Northern Ireland | 3:45 p.m. | 2-0 Italy |
| UEFA Path A SF | Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3:45 p.m. | 1-1 (Bosnia 4-2 pens) |
| UEFA Path B SF | Ukraine vs Sweden | 3:45 p.m. | 1-3 Sweden |
| UEFA Path B SF | Poland vs Albania | 3:45 p.m. | 2-1 Poland |
| UEFA Path C SF | Slovakia vs Kosovo | 3:45 p.m. | 3-4 Kosovo |
| UEFA Path D SF | Denmark vs North Macedonia | 3:45 p.m. | 4-0 Denmark |
| UEFA Path D SF | Czechia vs Rep. of Ireland | 3:45 p.m. | 2-2 (Czechia 4-3 pens) |
| Inter-Conf. SF | Bolivia vs Suriname | 7:00 p.m. | 2-1 Bolivia |
| Inter-Conf. SF | New Caledonia vs Jamaica | 10:00 p.m. | 0-1 Jamaica |
March 31, 2026 — Finals
| Tournament | Match | Time ET | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Path A Final | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy | 3:45 p.m. | 1-1 (Bosnia 4-1 pens) |
| UEFA Path B Final | Sweden vs Poland | 3:45 p.m. | 3-2 Sweden |
| UEFA Path C Final | Kosovo vs Türkiye | 3:45 p.m. | 0-1 Türkiye |
| UEFA Path D Final | Czechia vs Denmark | 3:45 p.m. | 2-2 (Czechia 3-1 pens) |
| Inter-Conf. Final 1 | DR Congo vs Jamaica | 5:00 p.m. | DR Congo qualified |
| Inter-Conf. Final 2 | Iraq vs Bolivia | 11:00 p.m. | Iraq qualified |
2026 FIFA World Cup Playoffs FAQs
Are the 2026 World Cup playoffs finished?
Yes. All 10 playoff matches played on March 26 and March 31, 2026. Six teams qualified and the full 48-team field is confirmed.
Did Italy qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
No. Italy lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 on penalties in the Path A final. It is their third consecutive World Cup miss after 2018 and 2022.
Which group does DR Congo play in?
Iraq are in Group I alongside France, Senegal and Norway.
Which group does Iraq play in?
Iraq are in Group I alongside France, Senegal and Norway.
What happens if a playoff match is tied after 90 minutes?
The match goes to 30 minutes of extra time. Teams can make a sixth substitution during extra time. A penalty shootout follows if scores stay level.
Who did Sweden beat to qualify?
Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 in the semi-final and Poland 3-2 in the final. Viktor Gyökeres scored the winner in the 88th minute of the final.
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The tournament opens on June 11, 2026 with Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The final takes place on July 19, 2026.
How many teams qualified through the playoffs?
Six teams total. Four from the UEFA playoffs and two from the inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico.
All 48 teams are confirmed for this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens June 11 in Mexico City.