World Cup 2026 European playoffs teams, schedule, bracket for UEFA nations chasing final four spots

World Cup 2026 European playoffs teams, schedule, bracket for UEFA nations chasing final four spots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With all but six of the 48 teams at next year's World Cup now confirmed, attention turns to the playoff rounds.

There are two separate mini-tournaments — one for UEFA nations, the other for representatives of the other confederations — that will take place in March 2026 to determine the final few spots at the World Cup in North America.

The final matchday of the European group stage was concluded on November 18, meaning we now know which nations will enter the playoffs. The draw two days later determined how they will match up in those four pathways.

The Sporting News breaks down everything you need to know about this playoff phase.

MORE:All you need to know about how the World Cup draw works

Which teams are in 2026 World Cup UEFA playoffs?

The UEFA playoffs comprise 16 teams divided into four brackets.

Twelve of the participants earned their place in the draw by finishing in second in their European qualifying groups. The other four sides were the best-ranked UEFA Nations League group winners who did not already qualify for the World Cup.

Nation

Qualified via

FIFA rank

Slovakia

Group A runner-up

46

Kosovo

Group B runner-up

84

Denmark

Group C runner-up

20

Ukraine

Group D runner-up

27

Turkey

Group E runner-up

26

Rep. of Ireland

Group F runner-up

62

Poland

Group G runner-up

33

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Group H runner-up

75

Italy

Group I runner-up

9

Wales

Group J runner-up

34

Albania

Group K runner-up

61

Czechia

Group L runner-up

44

Romania

UEFA Nations League

47

Sweden

UEFA Nations League

40

Northern Ireland

UEFA Nations League

69

North Macedonia

UEFA Nations League

65

UEFA playoff schedule, bracket

The schedule for the UEFA playoffs was determined at the draw on Thursday, November 20.

The semifinals are projected to take place on March 26, 2026, with the finals of each pathway on March 31.

Pathway A

Semifinal

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF1: Italy vs. Northern Ireland

TBD (Italy host)

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF2: Wales vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina

TBD (Wales host)

Final

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 31, 2026

2:45 p.m.

Winner SF 2 vs. Winner SF 1

TBD (Winner SF2 host)

Pathway B

Semifinal

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF3: Ukraine vs. Sweden

TBD (Ukraine host)

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF4: Poland vs. Albania

TBD (Poland host)

Final

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 31, 2026

2:45 p.m.

Winner SF 3 vs. Winner SF 4

TBD (Winner SF3 host)

Pathway C

Semifinal

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 26, 2026

12 p.m.

SF5: Turkey vs. Romania

TBD (Turkey host)

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF6: Slovakia vs. Kosovo

TBD (Slovakia host)

Final

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 31, 2026

2:45 p.m.

Winner SF6 vs. Winner SF5

TBD (Winner SF6 host)

Pathway D

Semifinal

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF7: Denmark vs. North Macedonia

TBD (Denmark host)

March 26, 2026

2:45 p.m.

SF8: Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland

TBD (Czechia host)

Final

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 31, 2026

2:45 p.m.

Winner SF8 vs. Winner SF7

TBD (Winner SF8 host)

MORE:All about the World Cup playoffs and how they work

Which World Cup groups do playoff winners enter?

We do not yet know which groups the playoff winners will be assigned to, with the World Cup group-stage draw not taking place until December 5.

FIFA assigned the potential winners of all four pathways into Pot 4 for the group-stage draw, regardless of their world ranking, so these teams can expect a more difficult tournament than if they had qualified automatically.

How UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs work

The format for UEFA World Cup qualifying had to undergo another change for 2026, given the expanded field at the final tournament.

In total, 54 competing UEFA nations were assigned to 12 different qualifying groups. Those groups saw matches take place in a round-robin format over the course of 2025, concluding in November. The teams that finished top of each group qualified automatically for the World Cup, while the 12 runners-up earned a place in the playoffs.

In addition, the four best-ranked group winners from the latest UEFA Nations League who failed to qualify automatically for the World Cup were also added to the playoffs.

There are four pathways determined in the draw, with a semifinal and final in each. The semifinals are held at the home of the seeded (highest-ranked) teams, while the home sides for each final are decided by a different draw.

Each semifinal and final is a single-elimination contest, with extra time and penalties used if necessary. The winners of the four finals will qualify for the World Cup.

MORE:Updated list of teams to have qualified for the biggest World Cup ever

History of UEFA World Cup playoffs

UEFA has been using a playoff system since 2010, when European teams were placed into a separate playoff bracket from the remaining confederations.

In the first iteration of the UEFA playoff, eight teams qualified and were matched up by random draw in four two-legged pairings to determine the four qualifiers. It remained this way until the 2022 cycle when it was changed to the current format.

Year

Qualifier

Defeated in Final

2010

France

Rep. of Ireland

Portugal

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Greece

Ukraine

Slovenia

Russia

2014

Portugal

Sweden

France

Ukraine

Greece

Romania

Croatia

Iceland

2018

Switzerland

Northern Ireland

Croatia

Greece

Denmark

Rep. of Ireland

Sweden

Italy

2022

Wales

Ukraine

Poland

Sweden

Portugal

North Macedonia

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