Mark OgdenNov 20, 2025, 09:46 AM ETCloseMark Ogden is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @MarkOgden_.Follow on X
play2:12Could the Rep. of Ireland cause an upset in the World Cup qualifiers?Mark Ogden backs the Republic of Ireland to make it through the playoffs and end their 24-year World Cup drought.
play2:11Steve McClaren quits Jamaica: ‘Respect and One Love to you all’Steve McClaren quits his job as Jamaica boss after their failure to directly qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Could the Rep. of Ireland cause an upset in the World Cup qualifiers?Mark Ogden backs the Republic of Ireland to make it through the playoffs and end their 24-year World Cup drought.
Mark Ogden backs the Republic of Ireland to make it through the playoffs and end their 24-year World Cup drought.
Steve McClaren quits Jamaica: ‘Respect and One Love to you all’Steve McClaren quits his job as Jamaica boss after their failure to directly qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Steve McClaren quits his job as Jamaica boss after their failure to directly qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
PATH 1: Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina
PATH 4: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Republic of Ireland
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off in just 203 days, but six qualification slots are still up for grabs via the Inter-Continental and European Play-Offs.
Two teams will book a place at USA, Mexico and Canada via the Inter-Continental Play-Offs, which will be staged in Mexico next March, while sixteen European nations, including four-time World Cup winners Italy, are set to battle it out for the final four UEFA qualification berths. And the path to World Cup is now clear for the twenty-two nations still dreaming of a place at the finals next summer.
Following a draw at FIFA HQ in Zurich on Thursday, the Play-Offs are now locked in, so which teams can start to plan for North America and who has a nightmare route to football’s biggest tournament?
The final four places at the World Cup will be determined via the UEFA playoffs, to be played in March 2026. There is no path to the World Cup through FIFA’s inter-confederation playoffs.
The UEFA playoffs involve 16 teams: the 12 group stage runners-up, plus the four best-ranked group winners from the UEFA Nations League who did not finish in the top two in World Cup qualifying. The teams will be divided into four pots according to FIFA ranking, with the Nations League group winners assigned to Pot 4 and drawn into four routes, each with four teams featuring a one-legged semifinal and a final for a place at the World Cup.
FINAL, Wales vs. Italy: Despite being the highest-ranked nation in the Play-Offs, sitting 12th in the FIFA Rankings, Italy lack a proven goalscorer and they struggle to break opponents down.
Sweden were dismal in qualification, finishing bottom of Group B without a win in six games, but their Nations League success last year sealed a Play-Off spot and star forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres will surely see this is a second chance to qualify that they cannot pass up. Sweden are hugely fortunate to be in the Play-Offs, but they will be too strong for Ukraine.
SEMIFINAL 2, Poland vs. Albania: Poland have become the team that always qualifies for major tournaments, but fails to deliver once on the big stage, but this is a tough tie and they might not even make it to this World Cup.
Sweden, now coached by Graham Potter, really shouldn’t have this opportunity to reach the World Cup, but they are the strongest squad in Path B, so they will qualify.
Romania, coached by the 80-year-old Mircea Lucescu, are unpredictable but talented. They will be brave and confident in this game, biu Turkiye should be too strong.
Could the Rep. of Ireland cause an upset in the World Cup qualifiers?
SEMIFINAL 2, Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland: The Czechs were locked in a surprise battle with the Faroe Islands for runners-up spot in Group L and almost blew it with a 2-1 defeat away to the perennial minnows in Torhsavn in October. But Jaroslav Kostl’s squad, which includes West Ham’s Tomás Soucek and Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick, held their nerve to seal second position behind Croatia.
The playoffs, to be held in March 2026, will determine the final two qualifiers. Six countries will take part. Each of the five confederations (apart from UEFA) will provide one country, while the host confederation (Concacaf) receives a second slot.
Steve McClaren quits Jamaica: ‘Respect and One Love to you all’
Congo DR await the winners of the New Caledonia v Jamaica semifinal and it would be a huge upset if Jamaica fail to book a final clash against the African nation.
New Caledonia are the lowest-ranked team in the Play-Offs, sitting at 149 in the FIFA Rankings, and coach Johann Sidaner told ESPN last month that his team, from an archipelago in the South Pacific, have a “one per cent chance” of qualifying for the World Cup.
Congo DR have Premier League experience in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Arthur Masuaku and Axel Tuanzebe, but Jamaica can also rely on Brentford’s Rico Henry and Ethan Pinnock. This tie is a close call, but Congo DR look to have just a little bit more quality and will claim the qualification spot.
Iraq won a two-legged Asian Play-Off against United Arab Emirates to clinch their place in the Inter-Continental Play-Offs — their winning goal was a penalty seventeen minutes into stoppage time.
Due to their ranking of 58th in the FIFA Rankings, Iraq are seeded through to the final, where they will expect to face Bolivia. Coached by former Australia coach Graham Arnold, Iraq’s squad are largely based in the Middle East, but former Manchester United youngster Zidane Iqbal, now at FC Utrecht, is a player with European experience.
Suriname, ranked 123rd, have a squad of players based in Europe, but while Bolivia’s squad is largely drawn from South American leagues, they have a recent win against Brazil on their form guide, so should be too strong for Suriname. If Bolivia face Iraq in the final, it will be tough to call, but their experience of playing at altitude could be crucial in Mexico and it should give them the edge.
CloseMark Ogden is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @MarkOgden_.Follow on X
With the ties now confirmed, here are ESPN’s predictions.
– Ranked: All 64 teams that could still win the 2026 World Cup – Best stories, celebrations from wild World Cup qualifying – World Cup seeds set with new FIFA rankings release
Semifinals to be played on March 26; Finals to be played on March 31
North Macedonia are more individually talented, and the same applies to Denmark if they make the final, but Ireland coach Hallgrimsson made his name guiding Iceland to a series of shocks and he can do it again if key players Troy Parrott, Ciaomhin Kelleher and Evan Ferguson are fit and in form next March.
PREDICTION: Republic of Ireland advances to 2026 World Cup
Wales with the advantage in the World Cup playoffs? (2:41)Gab Marcotti and Mark Ogden discuss the World Cup playoff draw which sees Wales at home to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Northern Ireland travel to Italy. (2:41)