TheUEFA second round of thequalification tournament for the2026 FIFA World Cup, also known as theUEFA play-offs orEuropean play-offs, will be contested by sixteen teams from theUEFA segment of qualifying. The play-offs will determine the final four European teams that will join the twelve group winners at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The twelve runners-up from theUEFA first round groups will participate in the play-offs, along with four teams based on the2024–25 UEFA Nations League interim overall ranking. The teams were divided into four paths, each containing four teams, with each play-off path featuring two single-leg semi-finals and one single-leg final. The twelve matches will take place on 26 and 31 March 2026.
The play-off format was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting inNyon, Switzerland, on 28 June 2023.[1] The play-offs participants depended, in part, on results from the2024–25 UEFA Nations League, although to a lesser degree thanplay-offs of theUEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament.[2][3]
The twelve runners-up from thefirst round (group stage) were joined by four Nations League group winners that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group, based on the2024–25 UEFA Nations League interim overall ranking. The sixteen teams were split into four play-off paths, each containing four teams. Each play-off path will feature two single-leg semi-finals on 26 March, and one single-leg final on 31 March 2026. In the semi-finals, the fixtures of each path weredrawn after the first round concluded using fourseeding pots, with the Pot 1 team hosting the Pot 4 team and the Pot 2 team hosting the Pot 3 team. The host of each path final was decided by a draw between the two semi-final pairings. The winner of the four path finals will qualify for the2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.[4]
The play-offs will be played in single-leg knockout matches. If scores are level at the end of normal time, 30 minutes ofextra time is played, where each team is allowed to make a sixthsubstitution. If the scores remain tied, apenalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner.[5]
Sixteen teams advanced to the play-offs. The participants were not decided solely on the results of the first round, with four of the spots allocated to group winners of the2024–25 edition of theUEFA Nations League.
The twelve runners-up from thefirst round (group stage) advanced to the play-offs.
| Group | Runners-up |
|---|---|
| A |  Slovakia |
| B |  Kosovo |
| C |  Denmark |
| D |  Ukraine |
| E |  Turkey |
| F |  Republic of Ireland |
| G |  Poland |
| H |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| I |  Italy |
| J |  Wales |
| K |  Albania |
| L |  Czech Republic |
Based on the2024–25 UEFA Nations League interim overall ranking,[6] the four best-ranked Nations League group winners that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group advanced to the play-offs. If fewer than four Nations League group winners had been selected, the remaining spot(s) would have been allocated to the best-ranked remaining team(s) in the Nations League interim overall ranking that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group.[4]
At the start of qualifying, the teams in the table below were potentially able to receive a play-off spot in the order given:[note 1]
| UNL | Rank | Team | Qualifying group | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nations League group winners | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A | 1 |  Spain& | E | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 |  Germany& | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 |  Portugal& | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 |  France& | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B | 17 |  England& | K | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 |  Norway& | I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Wales† | J | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Czech Republic† | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| C | 33 |  Romania‡ | H | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 34 |  Sweden‡ | B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 35 |  North Macedonia‡ | J | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 36 |  Northern Ireland‡ | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D | 49 |  Moldova | I | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 50 |  San Marino | H | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Key
The draw to determine the four play-off paths was held on 20 November 2025, 13:00CET, at theFIFA headquarters inZurich, Switzerland.[7][8][9] The sixteen teams advancing from the first round were divided into four pots of four teams each. The twelve group runners-up were allocated to Pots 1 to 3 (seeded based on theFIFA Men's World Ranking of November 2025), while the four teams advancing via the Nations League were automatically placed into Pot 4.[4]
The draw was presented byMelanie Winiger and conducted by Manolo Zubiria, the 2026 tournament's U.S. chief officer. Former playersMarco Materazzi andMartin Dahlin acted as assistants in the draw.[10]
The play-off paths are structured as follows:[4][11]
The draw for the semi-final started with Pot 1 and completed with Pot 4. Teams were drawn and assigned to the first available play-off semi-final in numerical order, as follows:
The draw for the final hosts took place immediately afterwards, with finals A, B, C and D each having one of their semi-finalists selected as the host team.
No restrictions applied in the draw, as none of the clashes that were prohibited by UEFA for political reasons could occur.[note 2]
The seeding pots for the semi-final draw were as follows.[11] TheFIFA Men's World Rankings of 19 November 2025 are shown below in brackets,[12] with the2024–25 UEFA Nations League interim overall ranking appended for Pot 4 teams.
| Seeded | Unseeded | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 (UNL) |
|
|
| |
The semi-finals will take place on 26 March and the final matches on 31 March 2026.[13] The kick-off times were confirmed on 20 November 2025 following the draw.[14][15] The semi-final and potential final hosts must confirm their venues no later than 19 December 2025.[16] As part of UEFA's scheduling, the losing semi-finalists of each path will play afriendly match against each other on the day of the play-off finals.[11]
Times areCET/CEST,[note 3] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 26 March 2026 –Cardiff | ||||||
| Wales | ||||||
| 31 March 2026 –Cardiff orZenica | ||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 2 | ||||||
| 26 March 2026 –Bergamo | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 1 | ||||||
| Italy | ||||||
| Northern Ireland | ||||||
| Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | ||
| Italy | 26 Mar (SF1) | Northern Ireland |
| Wales | 26 Mar (SF2) | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Final | ||
| Winner semi-final 2 | 31 Mar | Winner semi-final 1 |
| Italy | Semi-final 1 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Winner semi-final 2 | Final A | Winner semi-final 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 26 March 2026 –Valencia | ||||||
| Ukraine | ||||||
| 31 March 2026 –Valencia orSolna | ||||||
| Sweden | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 3 | ||||||
| 26 March 2026 –Warsaw | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 4 | ||||||
| Poland | ||||||
| Albania | ||||||
| Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | ||
| Ukraine | 26 Mar (SF3) | Sweden |
| Poland | 26 Mar (SF4) | Albania |
| Final | ||
| Winner semi-final 3 | 31 Mar | Winner semi-final 4 |
| Ukraine | Semi-final 3 | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Winner semi-final 3 | Final B | Winner semi-final 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 26 March 2026 –Bratislava | ||||||
| Slovakia | ||||||
| 31 March 2026 –Bratislava orPristina | ||||||
| Kosovo | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 6 | ||||||
| 26 March 2026 –Istanbul | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 5 | ||||||
| Turkey | ||||||
| Romania | ||||||
| Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | ||
| Turkey | 26 Mar (SF5) | Romania |
| Slovakia | 26 Mar (SF6) | Kosovo |
| Final | ||
| Winner semi-final 6 | 31 Mar | Winner semi-final 5 |
| Winner semi-final 6 | Final C | Winner semi-final 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 26 March 2026 –Prague | ||||||
| Czech Republic | ||||||
| 31 March 2026 –Prague[26] orDublin | ||||||
| Republic of Ireland | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 8 | ||||||
| 26 March 2026 –Copenhagen | ||||||
| Winner semi-final 7 | ||||||
| Denmark | ||||||
| North Macedonia | ||||||
| Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | ||
| Denmark | 26 Mar (SF7) | North Macedonia |
| Czech Republic | 26 Mar (SF8) | Republic of Ireland |
| Final | ||
| Winner semi-final 8 | 31 Mar | Winner semi-final 7 |
| Winner semi-final 8 | Final D | Winner semi-final 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
A player is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[5]
Yellow cards received during the qualifying group stage will expire prior to the UEFA play-offs, thus preventing suspensions in the play-off finals due to yellow cards received in the semi-finals. However, yellow card suspensions accumulated at the end of the qualifying group stage will still be carried forward to the play-off semi-finals.[4]
The following suspensions will be served during the second round qualifying matches:
| Team | Player | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Joachim Andersen |  vsScotland (5 September 2025) vsScotland (18 November 2025) | vs North Macedonia (26 March 2026) |
| Rasmus Kristensen |  vsScotland (18 November 2025) | vs North Macedonia (26 March 2026) | |
| North Macedonia | Tihomir Kostadinov | vsBelgium (10 October 2025) vsWales (18 November 2025) | vs Denmark (26 March 2026) |
| Poland | Nicola Zalewski | vsFinland (10 June 2025) vsMalta (17 November 2025) | vs Albania (26 March 2026) |
| Republic of Ireland | Festy Ebosele | vsPortugal (11 October 2025) vsHungary (16 November 2025) | vs Czech Republic (26 March 2026) |
| Liam Scales | vsPortugal (13 November 2025) vsHungary (16 November 2025) | vs Czech Republic (26 March 2026) | |
| Ukraine | Yukhym Konoplya | vsIceland (10 October 2025) vsIceland (16 November 2025) | vs Sweden (26 March 2026) |
| Ruslan Malinovskyi | vsAzerbaijan (13 October 2025) vsIceland (16 November 2025) | vs Sweden (26 March 2026) |
