Confirmed qualifiers, playoff routes, and live scores from the road to 2026
As of March 2026, 42 of the 48 FIFA World Cup 2026 places are confirmed. The last six berths come from four UEFA play-off winners and two FIFA Play-Off Tournament winners, so this stage now matters more than the early regional schedule.
This page keeps the final qualification picture in one place. You can track the play-off fixtures, see how the remaining places are split, and jump straight to each confederation's qualified-team page for the latest breakdown.
| Route | Places | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed Teams | 42 | Hosts and confirmed confederation qualifiers are already in the finals field. |
| UEFA Play-Offs | 4 | Four European places remain open through the March 2026 single-leg play-off paths. |
| FIFA Play-Off Tournament | 2 | Six teams meet in Mexico on March 26 and March 31, 2026 to settle the last two World Cup places. |
The FIFA Play-Off Tournament field is New Caledonia, Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, DR Congo, and Iraq. UEFA's open places are separate from that event and will be decided inside Europe.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue | Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Bolivia vs Suriname | Estadio BBVA | Path 2 |
| March 26, 2026 | 10:00 pm | New Caledonia vs Jamaica | Estadio Akron | Path 1 |
| March 31, 2026 | 5:00 pm | DR Congo vs Winner Path 1 | Estadio Akron | Path 1 |
| March 31, 2026 | 11:00 pm | Iraq vs Winner Path 2 | Estadio BBVA | Path 2 |
The March 26 fixtures act as entry matches for New Caledonia, Jamaica, Bolivia, and Suriname. DR Congo and Iraq enter on March 31 against the winners of those opening ties.
| Round | Date | Matches | What it produces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | March 26, 2026 | 8 | Four path finals |
| Finals | March 31, 2026 | 4 | Four World Cup qualifiers |
Europe's remaining places do not go through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. UEFA decides its four open berths through four separate one-off paths, each ending with a March 31 final.
| Confederation | Confirmed Teams | Final Path / Playoff Status | Page Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 8 confirmed | Iraq remain on the FIFA Play-Off Tournament route | AFC qualified teams |
| CAF | 9 confirmed | Congo DR remain on the FIFA Play-Off Tournament route | CAF qualified teams |
| CONCACAF | 6 confirmed | Jamaica and Suriname remain on the FIFA Play-Off Tournament route | CONCACAF qualified teams |
| CONMEBOL | 6 confirmed | Bolivia remain on the FIFA Play-Off Tournament route | CONMEBOL qualified teams |
| OFC | 1 confirmed | New Caledonia remain on the FIFA Play-Off Tournament route | OFC qualified teams |
| UEFA | 12 confirmed | 4 European places still open through March 2026 play-offs | UEFA qualified teams |
Qualification data on this page follows the latest official FIFA qualification overview and the final play-off updates for March 2026.
