The race for Europe’s final places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup took shape on Thursday after UEFA held the play-off draw at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich.
The ceremony, guided by Italian legend Marco Materazzi and Swedish star Kennet Andersson Dahlin, revealed how sixteen teams will fight for only four tickets. Each path contains two semi-finals and a final. All games will be played once, which leaves no room for hesitation.
In Path A, Italy were paired with Northern Ireland. Wales will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second semi-final.
Path B paired Ukraine with Sweden, while Poland takes on Albania. In Path C, Turkey are set to host Romania, and Slovakia will battle Kosovo for the other place in the final.
For Path D, Denmark was handed a match against North Macedonia, followed by the Czech Republic’s meeting with Ireland.
The participating teams were placed into seeding groups based on their latest world rankings. Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25) and Ukraine (28) sit at the top of the list.
They are followed by Poland (31), Wales (32), the Czech Republic (44) and Slovakia (45). Ireland (59), Albania (63), Bosnia and Herzegovina (71) and Kosovo (80) are placed in the third tier.
Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland enter through the UEFA Nations League route and automatically fall into the fourth tier.
How the 2026 FIFA World Cup UEFA Play-off system works
In the UEFA Play-off system, twelve runners-up from the European qualifying groups join four teams that advanced through the Nations League pathway to form the sixteen-team lineup. Each group of four contains two semi-finals and one final. Top seeds host fourth seeds, while second seeds host third seeds.
The host of the final is decided by a separate draw. All matches are single-leg knockouts, and any tied score at full time will lead to extra time and, if needed, a penalty shootout.
The semi-finals are set for March 26, 2026, while the finals will be played on March 31. Note that the play-offs will determine the last four European nations heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
