FIFA Announces Intercontinental Play-Off Draw for 2026 World Cup Qualifications

The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is entering its final, dramatic stretch, and the intercontinental playoff draw has officially set the stage for what promises to be a thrilling international showdown.

Two tickets are set to be taken at the expanded 48-team World Cup, six nations from across the globe will battle it out in a high-stakes, winner-takes-all mini-tournament scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico.

This year’s intercontinental playoffs bring together a fascinating blend of teams from four confederations. The teams representing their regions are Iraq (AFC), DR Congo (CAF), Bolivia (CONMEBOL), New Caledonia (OFC), and the two CONCACAF hopefuls Jamaica and Suriname.

With only two spots available, every match will carry immense pressure, especially for nations dreaming of a rare or historic World Cup appearance.

The top two teams in the FIFA rankings, DR Congo and Iraq receive automatic byes to the final of their respective paths, meaning they need only one win to seal qualification. The remaining four teams must survive a semifinal before facing the seeded nations.
Here’s what the International play-offs draw looks:

Path 1

Semi-final: New Caledonia vs Jamaica

Final: Winner vs DR Congo

Path 2

Semi-final: Bolivia vs Suriname

Final: Winner vs Iraq

When will the international play-offs be played?

The Semi-final games will be played on March 23, 2026 while the final will be played on March 31, 2026.