2026 World Cup Playoffs Set to Decide Final Six Spots

The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams, up from 32 in 2022, and will be co‑hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. This week’s European playoffs will see eight teams—Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Kosovo, Turkey, Czech Republic and Denmark—compete for four spots in winner‑take‑all matches on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the intercontinental playoff tournament in Mexico will determine the other two places. Six teams—Congo, Jamaica, Iraq, Bolivia, Suriname and the remaining CONCACAF team—will contest two final matches in Guadalajara and Monterrey, with Congo facing Jamaica and Bolivia playing Iraq.