Santiago Bernab turned into tennis venue<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHow the UEFA playoffs work<\/h2>\n
The European playoffs will play a role in giving four tickets to the World Cup. The 16 teams that did not qualify directly will participate.<\/p>\n
The format is simple:<\/p>\n
Divided into 4 routes (groups) of 4 teams each<\/p>\n
Each route has:<\/p>\n
Semi-finals (single match) Winners of each single match route qualify for the World Cup<\/p>\n
There is no going back and there is no room for recovery. Each team is out of the World Cup with two games.<\/p>\n
european playoff calendar<\/h2>\n
Pass A Semi-Finals – March 26, 2026<\/p>\n
Italy vs Northern Ireland Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/p>\n
Last – March 31, 2026<\/p>\n
Wales\/Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy\/Northern Ireland<\/p>\n
Route B Semi-Finals – March 26, 2026<\/p>\n
Ukraine vs Sweden Poland vs Albania<\/p>\n
Last – March 31, 2026<\/p>\n
Ukraine\/Sweden vs Poland\/Albania<\/p>\n
Pass C Semi-Finals – March 26, 2026<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye vs Romania Slovakia vs Kosovo<\/p>\n
Last – March 31, 2026<\/p>\n
Slovakia\/Kosovo – T\u00fcrkiye\/Romania<\/p>\n
Route D Semi-Finals – March 26, 2026<\/p>\n
Denmark vs North Macedonia Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland<\/p>\n
Last – March 31, 2026:<\/p>\n
Czech Republic\/Republic of Ireland vs Denmark\/North Macedonia<\/p>\n
How the intercontinental playoffs work<\/h2>\n
This tournament will determine the remaining two spots for the World Cup and will be held in an “Expanded Final Four” format.<\/p>\n
Six teams from different federations will participate.<\/p>\n
CONMEBOL to 1 Concacaf to 1 to Asia (AFC) to 1 to Africa (CAF) to 1 to Oceania (OFC)<\/p>\n
The system works as follows.<\/p>\n
The top 2 players in the FIFA rankings will advance directly to the finals.The remaining 4 players will advance to the semi-finals.Winners will advance to the finals.The final 2 winners will qualify for the World Cup.<\/p>\n
Everything takes place in one match, so each duel is an early final.<\/p>\n
\n
Playoff dates and schedule<\/h2>\n
The entire playoffs will be held in March 2026.<\/p>\n
Semi-finals: March 26th Finals: March 31st<\/p>\n
Confirmed matches (intercontinental)<\/p>\n
Bolivia vs. Suriname – March 26 New Caledonia vs. Jamaica – March 26<\/p>\n
Finals:<\/p>\n
Iraq vs. Bolivia\/Suriname Winner DR Congo vs. Winner New Caledonia\/Jamaica<\/p>\n
All matches are knockout format.<\/p>\n
Schedule and viewing locations<\/h2>\n
Schedules vary by venue (Mexico) and international broadcasts, but generally include:<\/p>\n
Semi-final matches: 17:00 – 21:00 (local time) Final: scheduled for a similar time a few days later<\/p>\n
When it comes to television and streaming, rights are typically shared between international sports networks such as ESPN, DAZN, or the official FIFA platform, depending on the country.<\/p>\n
Bigger and more decisive playoffs<\/h2>\n
The new format of the 2026 World Cup has completely changed the logic of the playoffs.<\/p>\n
A total of 18 teams will participate in both playoffs. 12 UEFA teams + 6 Intercontinental teams will be participating. The final six qualifiers will be determined.<\/p>\n
With single matches, maximum pressure and teams from all continents, the playoffs are one of the most dramatic moments on the road to the World Cup.<\/p>\n
In the next few days, the list of 48 teams aiming for World Cup glory will be finalized.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TThe road to the 2026 World Cup has entered its most tense phase. With the number of participating teams expanded to 48, there are still six spots left, which will be distributed through two routes: the UEFA playoffs and the FIFA-sponsored intercontinental playoffs. Both tournaments will take place in the same FIFA window in March<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-27620","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest"},"yoast_head":"\n
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