FIFA Sets Playoff Draws for 2026 World Cup Spots in Zurich

Zurich, Nov 7 (AP) FIFA is set to conduct draws in Zurich on November 20 to determine the playoff brackets for the final six spots at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, the global governing body of soccer announced on Friday.

The European playoff brackets will feature 16 teams, with Italy, a four-time World Cup winner, among the likely participants. These teams will compete for four coveted spots in the tournament, which will take place next June and July across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In addition, six teams from outside Europe will vie for two positions in the intercontinental playoffs, expected to be hosted by Mexico. Among these teams, Bolivia and New Caledonia have already secured their qualification.

All playoff matches are slated to occur from March 26 to March 31.

The six playoff slots will be drawn from the lowest-ranked Pot 4 during the World Cup draw on December 5, set to be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with U.S. President Donald Trump anticipated to be in attendance.

FIFA has also indicated that the playoff brackets will be seeded according to the upcoming men's world rankings, which are scheduled for release on November 19.

The European playoffs will involve four distinct brackets, each containing four teams. These teams will engage in single-game semifinals and finals. Qualification for these playoffs is earned by finishing second in the 12 qualifying groups, alongside four teams that topped last year's Nations League groups, which may include teams like Wales and Sweden.

The 12 group winners from the European qualifiers, concluding on November 18, such as England, will gain direct entry to the final tournament.

The intercontinental playoffs will pair the four lowest-ranked teams in two single-game semifinals, leading to finals against the two top-ranked teams.

(AP) DDV

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)