The final six places for the 2026 World Cup finals will be decided this week via a series of play-offs.
Here's all you need to know:
Who are the teams?
Six teams will take part in an inter-confederation play-off, technically known as the World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament, while 16 European teams will compete in a regional play-off.
The inter-confederation play-off consists of Bolivia, Iraq and Suriname in one group and DR Congo, Jamaica and New Caledonia in the other.
Iraq booked their place following a tense two-legged win over the UAE to be Asia's representative. Bolivia finished seventh in Conmebol qualifying, while Suriname secured their spot via second place in their Concacaf group.
DR Congo are Africa's sole team after they finished as one of the best four second-place finishers in CAF qualifying and then eliminated continental giants and World Cup mainstays Cameroon and Nigeria to reach the Play-Off Tournament.
Jamaica finished as runners-up in their group in the final round of Concacaf qualifying, while New Caledonia, aiming for a first World Cup finals, enter the play-off by virtue of their second-place finish in OFC qualifying.
In Europe, 16 teams that either finished second in their respective qualifying groups or via performances in the 2024/25 Uefa Nations League were placed in four pots of four teams. They are:
Pot 1
Italy
Northern Ireland
Wales
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
Ukraine
Sweden
Poland
Albania
Path C
Slovakia
Kosovo
Turkey
Romania
Path D
Czech Republic
Republic of Ireland
Denmark
North Macedonia
When are the games?
In both play-off sections, teams will play a one-off semi-final on March 26 and a final on March 31.
The inter-confederation play-offs will take place in Mexico, with World Cup venues Guadalajara Stadium and Monterrey Stadium hosting matches.
Guadalajara Stadium
March 26 (March 27 in UAE) - New Caledonia v Jamaica
March 31 (April 1 in UAE) - DR Congo v winner of New Caledonia v Jamaica
Winners advance to Group K with Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.
Monterrey Stadium
March 26 (March 27 in UAE) - Bolivia v Suriname
March 31 (April 1 in UAE) - Iraq v winner of Bolivia v Suriname
Winners advance to Group I with France, Norway and Senegal.
In Europe, teams placed in pots 1 and 2 – Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, Wales, Czech Republic and Slovakia – will enjoy home advantage for their semi-final matches. Ukraine will play their 'home' match in Valencia, Spain, due to the ongoing war with Russia.
The winners of the two semi-finals in each bracket will advance to play a final at a neutral venue.
The biggest team in the Uefa European play-offs are undoubtedly Italy. The four-time world champions have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and will be keen to end their 12-year exile from the global finals.
Path A
March 26 - Wales v Bosnia Herzegovina (Cardiff)
March 26 - Italy v Northern Ireland (Bergamo)
March 31 - Semi-final winners 2 v Semi-final winners 1 (either Cardiff or Zeneca)
Path B
March 26 - Ukraine v Sweden (Valencia)
March 26 - Poland v Albania (Warsaw)
March 31 - Semi-final winners 3 v Semi-final winners 4 (either Valencia or Solna)
Path C
March 26 - Slovakia v Kosovo (Bratislava)
March 26 - Turkey v Albania (Istanbul)
March 31 - Semi-final winners 6 v Semi-final winners 5 (either Bratislava or Pristina)
Path D
March 26 - Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland (Prague)
March 26 - Denmark v North Macedonia (Copenhagen)
March 31 - Semi-final winners 8 v Semi-final winners 7 (either Prague or Dublin)
What are the issues?
Iraq's participation in the inter-confederation play-off has been complicated by the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Iran's continued aggression towards its Gulf neighbours has caused huge air travel disruption across the region.
Last week, the Iraq Football Association said it had chartered private jets to fly the team to Mexico.
IFA chief Adnan Dirjal said that Fifa had been “co-operative” and helped overcome logistical obstacles. He confirmed Iraq had secured entry visas and would fly on a chartered aircraft, with European-based players joining separately.
Iraq head coach Graham Arnold had been grounded in Dubai following Iran's missile attacks on the UAE in retaliation to joint US-Israeli attacks on Tehran on February 28.
Arnold had urged Fifa to delay the play-off, warning that Iraq may not be able to assemble a full squad, which would hurt their bid to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
The question over Iran's participation in the tournament could yet complicate matters further. Iranian Minister of Sport and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, insisted that Iran will not be taking part in the 48-team tournament after the US killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The expanded tournament is set to be held jointly in the US, Canada and Mexico.
What are the potential scenarios if Iran withdraw?
Fifa has no codified rule for replacing any team that pulls out of its tournaments.
If Iran choose to withdraw from the tournament or are expelled, Fifa’s regulations allow a replacement team to be nominated rather than leaving the slot vacant.
Typically, the allocation is chosen from the same federation, in this case the Asian Football Confederation, to keep the regional allocation slot balanced. It's important to note that this is not official Fifa policy, and is made at the governing body's discretion.
Iran are one of eight teams from Asia to have qualified outright for the 2026 finals.
In one scenario, Iraq could be chosen to replace Iran, paving the way for the UAE, who lost 3-2 on aggregate to Iraq in the play-off and are the highest-ranked Asian team not at the World Cup, to take their place in the inter-confederation play-off.
Given the short turnaround and the ongoing conflict affecting flights, that now seems highly unlikely.
If Iraq do replace Iran, the inter-confederation semi-final between Bolivia and Suriname could become a straight shootout to qualify for the finals.
