The draw for the European zone playoffs for the 2026 World Cup has taken place.
Axar.az reports the matchups for the semifinal round of the playoffs are now set.
European playoff pairings:
Path A:
Italy vs. Northern Ireland
Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B:
Ukraine vs. Sweden
Poland vs. Albania
Path C:
Turkiye vs. Romania
Slovakia vs. Kosovo
Path D:
Denmark vs. North Macedonia
Czech Republic vs. Ireland
Additionally, based on the intercontinental draw:
- The winner of New Caledonia vs. Jamaica will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a spot in the World Cup.
- The winner of Bolivia vs. Suriname will face Iraq.
Host nations USA, Canada, and Mexico—along with Curaçao, Panama, Haiti, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, and Belgium—have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup finals.
The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with a total of 48 teams participating.