The international break in November was decisive for the World Cup qualifiers in more than one confederation. Many teams secured their place in the FIFA tournament in 2026, while others advanced to the intercontinental playoff that will be played in the next international break.
This Thursday FIFA held the draw for the matchups of that tournament, which will take place between March 23 and 31 in the cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey, in Mexico. There, six teams from five different confederations will compete for the final two spots in the World Cup.
The only exception is Europe, which will have its own playoff on the same dates, from which four teams will qualify. Those four, along with the two teams that emerge from the intercontinental playoff, will be placed in Pot 4 for the group-stage draw scheduled for December 5 in Washington.
The format and matchups of the intercontinental playoff
The six teams that reached the intercontinental playoff were split into two separate brackets. Based on their current position in the FIFA rankings, two of them were seeded and given the advantage of entering at a later stage: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (56th) and Iraq (58th).
Bolivia earned their place in the intercontinental playoffs after defeating Brazil in the South American qualifiers.
In the first semifinal, New Caledonia (149th) will face Jamaica (70th). The winner of that matchup will play the decisive game against DR Congo for a place in the 2026 World Cup in North America.
see also
World Cup 2026: Updated list of the 42 teams already qualified after the November FIFA break
On the other side, the semifinal will feature Bolivia (76th) against Suriname (123rd). They will play to determine the finalist who will face Iraq in Zone 2 of the intercontinental playoff.
How did each team reach the intercontinental playoff?
The first team to secure its place in the intercontinental playoff was New Caledonia, which advanced through three stages of the qualifiers in Oceania before losing the final to New Zealand. Although they missed the chance for direct qualification, they now have a historic opportunity to reach a World Cup for the first time.
In South America, Bolivia finished in seventh place in the standings, overtaking Venezuela in the final match and also leaving behind Peru and Chile. Now the Bolivian team will try to return to a World Cup after 32 years, following its last appearance in the United States 1994.
Iraq reached the playoff after a demanding path in the AFC qualifiers, which consisted of five stages. After missing two opportunities for direct qualification, they secured the playoff spot by defeating United Arab Emirates in November. In Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo finished second in its qualifiers group and then reached the playoff by eliminating two giants: Cameroon and Nigeria.
Lastly, in Concacaf the qualification chances for the World Cup increased because the United States, Mexico and Canada had guaranteed places as hosts. With that scenario, Suriname and Jamaica needed to advance through three rounds before reaching the playoff, qualifying as the best runners-up in their respective groups.
