The final six spots at World Cup 2026 will be decided today, Tuesday, March 31, with six playoff finals taking place across Europe and in Mexico.

Eight European countries will compete in four UEFA playoff finals, while contenders from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and South America will take part in two inter-confederation playoff finals.

All six playoff finals are one-off games, with the two inter-confederation finals taking place on neutral ground in Mexico. However, four countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Kosovo, and Czechia, will have home advantage in the European finals, which could prove decisive.

Italy, Poland, Türkiye, and Denmark are the teams that will do the traveling, and it is all down to bad luck.

How UEFA’s playoff system works

UEFA’s World Cup 2026 playoffs consist of four paths, each made up of two semifinals and a final, all played over one leg.

Although the UEFA Nations League muddied the waters slightly, seeding broadly ensured the eight highest-ranked participants in the FIFA World Ranking had home advantage in the semifinals.

For instance, Italy, ranked 12th at the time of the draw, hosted Northern Ireland, rated the world’s 69th-best national team. Similarly, 21st-placed Denmark defeated North Macedonia, ranked 65th, in Copenhagen.

UEFA playoff finals: Home or away

Five home teams and three away teams progressed to the four playoff finals, where no such seeding is in play.

Instead, a straight draw, held at the same time as the semifinal draw, determined which semifinal winners would host the final.

Italy, as a result, must win in Bosnia and Herzegovina to end its 12-year World Cup drought, while Poland, Türkiye, and Denmark face road games against Sweden, Kosovo, and Czechia, respectively, to reach the promised land.

World Cup qualifying playoff finals: matchups, times and groups

UEFA playoff finals: Tuesday, Mar. 31

Path A: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy

• 2:45 p.m. ET – Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Winner joins Group B with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.

Path B: Sweden vs Poland

• 2:45 p.m. ET – Nationalarenan, Solna, Sweden
• Winner joins Group F with Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.

Path C: Kosovo vs Türkiye

• 2:45 p.m. ET – Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo
• Winner joins Group D with United States, Paraguay and Australia.

Path D: Czechia vs Denmark

• 2:45 p.m. ET – Stadion Letná, Prague, Czechia
• Winner joins Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.

Inter-confederation playoff finals: Tuesday, Mar. 31

Path 1: DR Congo vs Jamaica

• 5:00 p.m. ET – Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico
• Winner joins Group K with Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

Path 2: Iraq vs Bolivia

• 11:00 p.m. ET – Estadio BBVA, Monterrey, Mexico
• Winner joins Group I with France, Senegal and Norway.

When is World Cup 2026?

Co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, World Cup 2026 begins on June 11. In the tournament’s opening game, the Mexicans take on South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, in a Group A clash that kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.

World Cup 2026 final reaches its climax on July 19, when MetLife Stadium stages the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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