2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Mexico |
| Dates | 26–31 March 2026 |
| Teams | 6 (from 5 confederations) |
| Venue | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
← 2022 2030 → | |
The inter-confederation play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament (officially named the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament) will determine two qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.[1] The play-offs will take place on 26 and 31 March 2026 at two venues in Mexico.[2]
Format
The slot allocation for the inter-confederation play-offs was confirmed by the FIFA Council in 2017. Each confederation received one play-off slot, except UEFA, with an additional play-off slot also given to the confederation of the host association(s).[3][4] As Canada, Mexico, and the United States were subsequently appointed as hosts for the 2026 World Cup, CONCACAF received two spots in the play-off tournament, while the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC each received one.[5]
The play-off tournament will be held in North America and will act as a preparatory event for the World Cup.[6] It will take place during the FIFA window of 23–31 March 2026,[7] less than three months prior to the start of the final tournament. The play-offs will feature six teams, split into two brackets of three teams, with both bracket winners qualifying for the World Cup. The teams were seeded into brackets based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking. Each bracket features two unseeded teams facing each other in a semi-final, with the winner advancing to the play-off final against a seeded team.[5]
The play-offs will be played in single-leg knockout matches. If scores are level at the end of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, where each team will be allowed to make a sixth substitution. If the scores remain tied, a penalty shoot-out will be used to determine the winner.[8]
Venues
On 19 November 2025, FIFA confirmed Mexico as the host for the inter-confederation play-offs.[2] The four matches will be played at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, with each venue hosting two fixtures. During the tournament, the stadiums will be known by different names, as FIFA prohibits sponsorship of stadia unless the stadium sponsors are also official FIFA sponsors.[9] For example, the Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe will be known during the competition as Estadio Monterrey.
| Guadalupe (Monterrey area) |
Zapopan (Guadalajara area) |
|---|---|
| Estadio BBVA (Estadio Monterrey) |
Estadio Akron (Estadio Guadalajara) |
| Capacity: 53,529 | Capacity: 46,232 |
|
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|
Qualified teams
| Confederation | Method of qualification | Team | Date advanced to play-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | Fifth round winners |  Iraq
|
18 November 2025 |
| CAF | Second round winners |  DR Congo
|
16 November 2025 |
| CONCACAF | Third round best two group runners-up |  Jamaica
|
18 November 2025 |
 Suriname
| |||
| CONMEBOL | Seventh place |  Bolivia
|
9 September 2025 |
| OFC | Third round runners-up |  New Caledonia
|
24 March 2025 |
Draw
The draw took place on 20 November 2025, 13:00 CET (UTC+1), at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.[10] Teams were seeded based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking of 19 November 2025 (shown in parentheses).[11] The teams ranked first and second were automatically allocated to play-off final 1 and 2, respectively. The remaining four teams were unseeded and placed into a single pot. In the draw, the unseeded teams were allocated to the first available match (match 1, then 2). The two CONCACAF teams had to be placed into separate paths per FIFA's general draw constraint.[12]
The draw was presented by Melanie Winiger and conducted by Manolo Zubiria, the 2026 tournament's U.S. chief officer. Former player Christian Karembeu acted as an assistant in the draw.[13]
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
|
Schedule
The match schedule for the inter-confederation play-offs was announced on 21 November 2025, the day after the draw. Two matches will take place on each of 26 and 31 March 2026.[14][15]
All times are local, CST (UTC−6).
Pathway 1
Bracket
| Semi-final | Final | |||||
| 31 March 2026 – Zapopan | ||||||
| DR Congo | ||||||
| 26 March 2026 – Zapopan | ||||||
| Winner match 1 | ||||||
| New Caledonia | ||||||
| Jamaica | ||||||
Semi-final
| New Caledonia | Match 1 | Jamaica |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Final
The winner will qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Pathway 2
Bracket
| Semi-final | Final | |||||
| 31 March 2026 – Guadalupe | ||||||
| Iraq | ||||||
| 26 March 2026 – Guadalupe | ||||||
| Winner match 2 | ||||||
| Bolivia | ||||||
| Suriname | ||||||
Semi-final
Final
The winner will qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Discipline
A player is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[8]
- Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious offences)
- Receiving two yellow cards in two qualifying matches (yellow card suspensions are not carried forward to the World Cup final tournament or any other future international matches)
The following suspensions will be served during the inter-confederation play-offs:
| Team | Player | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica |
Ian Fray |  vs Curaçao (10 October 2025) vs Curaçao (18 November 2025) |
vs New Caledonia (26 March 2026) |
| Jon Russell |  vs Curaçao (18 November 2025) |
vs New Caledonia (26 March 2026) | |
| New Caledonia |
Pierre Bako | vs Tahiti (21 March 2025) vs New Zealand (24 March 2025) |
vs Jamaica (26 March 2026) |
| Suriname |
Kenneth Paal | vs El Salvador (13 November 2025) vs Guatemala (18 November 2025) |
vs Bolivia (26 March 2026) |
Impact of the 2026 Iran war
The outbreak of regional hostilities on 28 February 2026 as a result of the 2026 Iran war significantly impacted Iraq's logistical preparations for the inter-confederation play-offs. Following the closure of Iraqi airspace and the suspension of international flights, the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) intervened to grant entry visas for the national team through diplomatic channels in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, since Mexico doesn't have an embassy in Iraq.[16][17] However, despite the issuance of travel documents, over 60% of the domestic-based squad remained stranded in Baghdad, and a scheduled training camp in Houston before the playoffs was canceled.[18][19] Head coach Graham Arnold was forced to manage team operations remotely from the United Arab Emirates, as the delegation was unable to secure safe passage out of the conflict zone during the initial weeks of the war.[20]
The Iraqi Football Association (IFA) formally petitioned FIFA to postpone the final play-off match scheduled for 31 March, citing the impossibility of safe transit for the players and staff.[18] FIFA denied the request, citing the rigidity of the FIFA International Match Calendar, and instead proposed an alternative overland route through Turkey to Istanbul.[19] This proposal was rejected by the IFA and Arnold due to security concerns regarding drone activity in Iraqi Kurdistan.[20] Amidst these travel complications, the Mexican government maintained its commitment to the team's participation, working directly with the Iraqi Embassy in Mexico to finalize all documentation. Iraq’s status remained a central topic in the tournament’s geopolitical context, as the team was officially designated as one of the leading candidates, alongside the UAE, to replace Iran in Group G should Iran withdraw from the tournament.[21][22] As of 12 March, the fate of Iran's withdrawal has not been confirmed by FFIRI or FIFA.[23][24]
See also
References
- ^ "FIFA Play-Off Tournament: Everything you need to know". FIFA. 9 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey to host FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament". FIFA. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Bureau of the Council recommends slot allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup". FIFA. 30 March 2017. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Council prepares Congress, takes key decisions for the future of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA. 9 May 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017.
- ^ a b "FIFA World Cup 26 qualifying: All you need to know". FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- ^ "2026 World Cup draw to be held at Kennedy Center in December". ESPN.com. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
- ^ "Men's International Match Calendar 2023–2030" (PDF). FIFA. April 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Regulations: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA. June 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Stadiums renamed for Fifa sponsors". BBC. 6 June 2006. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
- ^ "FIFA headquarters to host FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament and European Play-Off draws". FIFA. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "FIFA Men's World Ranking: 19 November 2025". 19 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Draw Procedures for the FIFA World Cup 26 Play-Off Tournament" (PDF). FIFA. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "FIFA Legends Karembeu, Materazzi and Dahlin named as assistants for FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament and European play-off draws". FIFA. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Match schedule for FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament confirmed". FIFA. 21 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
- ^ "FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament match schedule" (PDF). FIFA. 21 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
- ^ "Mexico grants visas to some Iraq players for World Cup qualifier in Monterrey". Associated Press. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "First Iraq footballers granted visas by Mexico for FIFA World Cup qualifier". Al Jazeera. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b Gonzalez, Dante (9 March 2026). "2026 World Cup intercontinental playoffs face possible setback as Iraq requests postponement from FIFA". World Soccer Talk. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b "'Sleepless nights': Arnie's desperate FIFA plea as war throws Cup qualifying bid into chaos". Fox Sports (Australia). Agence France-Presse. 10 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b {{Cite news |date=5 March 2026 |title=Travel chaos threatens Iraq's participation in World Cup playoffs |url=https://supersport.com/football/news/39646a2a-d35d-4d50-a3f2-23bdd8f62146/travel-chaos-threatens-iraq-s-participation-in-world-cup-playoffs?utm_marketing_tactic=baw |access-date=12 March 2026 |work=[[SuperSport (South African broadcaster)|SuperSport (South Africa)] |agency=Reuters}}
- ^ Hughes, Matt (2 March 2026). "Iraq or UAE could take Iran's World Cup finals spot due to Middle East crisis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ Whitebloom, Grey (11 March 2026). "Three Potential Replacements for Iran at 2026 World Cup". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Sports minister rules out Iran participation at World Cup in US". DPA International. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ Hughes, Matt (11 March 2026). "Iran's sports minister says football team will not play at 2026 World Cup". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 March 2026.