The intercontinental play-off round for tickets to the 2026 World Cup will take place from March 26 to 31 in Mexico, gathering 6 teams representing 5 regions.
This is the final stage to determine the two names to participate in the biggest football festival on the planet. Meanwhile, the remaining four slots will belong to the European region.
Participating teams include Iraq (AFC - Asia), Congo (CAF - Africa), Jamaica and Suriname (CONCACAF - North, Central America and Caribbean), Bolivia (CONMEBOL - South America) and New Caledonia (OFC - Oceania).
According to the format, 6 teams will be divided into two brackets, each bracket including 3 teams. The two teams with the highest FIFA rankings, Congo and Iraq, will be specially admitted to the final of each bracket. The remaining 4 teams will play in the semi-finals to compete for the right to advance.
The matches take place in a single-round knockout format. If they draw after 90 minutes, the two teams will enter extra time and a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
In the first bracket, New Caledonia will face Jamaica. The winning team will enter the final to meet Congo. The overall winning team will win a ticket to the 2026 World Cup and fall into Group K, along with Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
The remaining bracket witnesses the confrontation between Bolivia and Suriname. The winning team will meet Iraq. The team that passes this bracket will be present in Group I, where France, Senegal and Norway are present.
Schedule of the Intercontinental Play-off Round of the 2026 World Cup:
05:00 on March 27: Bolivia - Suriname
10:00 AM on March 27th: New Caledonia - Jamaica
