Of the 48 spots in the expanded World Cup 2026 field, 42 have been secured.
Despite the World Cup draw taking place on Dec. 5, six spots still will be up for grabs during tournaments played in March.
While UEFA holds a 16-team playoff to determine that confederation’s final four World Cup berths, a six-team intercontinental tournament will take place for two additional spots.
The intercontinental playoff tournament that will take place during the FIFA international window from March 23 through March 31. Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname will compete for two World Cup spots in a tournament held in Mexico.
Here’s what to know about FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs:
World Cup intercontinental playoff bracket
The six teams are seeded based on the latest FIFA world rankings. The two highest-seeded nations – DR Congo (No. 56) and Iraq (58) – were automatically placed into the finals of two separate brackets. The remaining teams – Jamaica (70), Bolivia (76), Suriname (123) and New Caledonia (149) – were drawn into the semifinals. The two Concacaf teams – Jamaica and Suriname – were placed in separate brackets.
- Semifinal 1: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica
- Semifinal 2: Bolivia vs. Suriname
- Final 1: New Caledonia-Jamaica winner vs. DR Congo
- Final 2: Bolivia-Suriname winner vs. Iraq
When is the intercontinental playoff?
The World Cup qualifying intercontinental playoffs will be held in March 2026.
Where is World Cup intercontinental playoff?
The four matches in the 2026 intercontinental playoffs will be played in Mexico, a co-host of the summer’s World Cup. Matches will be held at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.
How did these teams qualify for the intercontinental playoff?
- Bolivia was the seventh-place finisher in CONMEBOL, the soccer federation of South America.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo won a four-team playoff in Africa, defeating Cameroon in the semifinal and Nigeria in a penalty shootout in the final.
- Iraq won a two-legged playoff against the United Arab Emirates.
- Jamaica was one of the two best group runners-up in qualifying in Concacaf, the soccer federation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
- New Caledonia was the runner-up in the Oceanian confederation’s qualification.
- Suriname was one of the two best group runners-up in Concacaf qualifying.