With two World Cup spots up for grabs and six nations in contention, the Inter-confederation Play-Offs are set to deliver high-stakes football ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here’s all the info you need.
How do the playoffs work?
Six countries earned a spot in this mini-tournament, with every confederation except UEFA represented. Since CONCACAF is hosting the 2026 World Cup, the confederation gets an extra place.
The draw seeds teams based on FIFA World Rankings. The top two teams automatically qualify for the playoff finals and are seeded for the draw, while the remaining four go in unseeded and play in the semi-finals.
Teams will be split into two separate paths, with the first team drawn going into the first path available. Importantly, CONCACAF representatives cannot face each other in the same path.
Who’s in the Play-Off Tournament?
- Seeded Pot: Democratic Republic of Congo (CAF), Iraq (AFC)
- Unseeded Pot: Jamaica (CONCACAF), Bolivia (CONMEBOL), Suriname (CONCACAF), New Caledonia (OFC)
When and where will the play-offs take place?
All matches will be played in Mexico during the international break in late March 2026, with Guadalajara and Monterrey hosting the games.
- If a match is deadlocked after ninety minutes, it moves on to extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout because there are no return legs.
- Following the draw, exact dates and kickoff times will be announced.
When is the draw?
The official draw will happen in Switzerland on November 20, 2025, starting at 13:00 CET.
Shortly afterwards, FIFA will hold a separate draw for the European Play-Offs, which features 16 European teams vying for World Cup qualification.
The countdown is on—these high-stakes clashes will decide the final entries for football’s biggest stage in 2026!
🚨 FIFA PLAY-OFFS ARE SET!
✅ 2 Nations into the FINALS:
🇨🇩 DR CONGO
🇮🇶 IRAQ📈 4 Nations into the SEMIFINALS:
🇯🇲 JAMAICA
🇸🇷 SURINAME
🇧🇴 BOLIVIA
🇳🇨 NEW CALEDONIA pic.twitter.com/qYcSSjVPpj— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) November 19, 2025