This Thursday, the draws for the intercontinental play-offs for the 2026 World Cup took place. FIFA unveiled the posters for the semi-finals. New Caledonia will face Jamaica, while Bolivia will cross swords with Suriname.
The winners of these matches will then face DR Congo and Iraq in the final. These two teams, the highest ranked in the FIFA rankings among the six play-offs, are already guaranteed to participate in this final stage.
At the same time, the Football Federation also revealed the draw for the European play-offs. In a format almost identical to that of the intercontinental play-offs, the 16 qualified selections from the Europe zone were divided into four qualification paths. Each path includes two semi-finals and a final, all played over a single match.
The complete play-off draw
Intercontinental:
Way 1
Semi-final: New Caledonia – Jamaica
Final: New Caledonia/Jamaica – DR Congo.
Way 2
Semi-final: Bolivia – Suriname
Final: Bolivia/Suriname – Iraq
Europeans:
Path A
Semi-final: Italy – Northern Ireland
Semi-final: Wales – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
Semi-final: Ukraine – Sweden
Semi-final: Poland – Albania
Path C
Semi-final: Türkiye – Romania
Semi-final: Slovakia – Kosovo
Path D
Semi-final: Denmark – North Macedonia
Semi-final: Czechia – Ireland
