To determine the last six qualified for the 2026 World Cup (June 11-July 19), out of the 48 participants in this edition organized in Canada, the United States and Mexico, Fifa carried out the draw for the European play-offs and the intercontinental play-offs. Concerning the Old Continent, 16 teams have been divided into four Final Four and Italy will face Northern Ireland before challenging, in the event of qualification, the winner of Wales-Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Among the other favorites, Robert Lewandowski’s Poland will first have to dismiss Albania, Arda Güler’s Turkey faces Romania and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s Denmark will host North Macedonia in their respective lanes. All the semi-finals will be played on Thursday March 26, certainly in the evening, before the four finals on Tuesday March 31.
Fifa formalized on Friday the program for the intercontinental play-offs organized in Mexico on the same two dates, March 26 and 31. The mini-tournament welcomes six selections. Bolivia and Surinam get the ball rolling in Monterrey at 5 p.m., which is midnight in France. Then New Zealand and Jamaica will cross swords. Kick-off 8 p.m. in Guadalajara, i.e. 3 a.m. in France and 1 p.m. the next day in Nouméa!
A final at 6 a.m.
The two finals still have other times. The DR Congo will face the New Caledonians or the Jamaicans on March 31, at 3 p.m. local time, i.e. 10 p.m. in France and Kinshasa (and 8 a.m. in French Polynesia). The Leopards led by Chancel Mbemba, as seeded, only have one match to win to qualify for the World Cup.
Finally, the final between Iraq and the winner of Bolivia-Suriname is scheduled for 9 p.m. in Mexico, i.e. 4 a.m. in France and especially 6 a.m. in Baghdad. An entire country will set the alarm before sunrise. These two finals will perhaps concern the Blues, who could totally fall on one of the two winners of the intercontinental play-offs.
