FIFA World Cup 26 Play-Off Draw Set for November 20

ZURICH: The final pathways to the FIFA World Cup 26™ will be determined when the Play-Off Tournament and European Play-Off draws take place at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

The twin draws will chart the road to the world’s first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup™, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

A total of 22 nations will be involved — six through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament and sixteen through the European Play-Offs.

The Play-Off Tournament draw will begin at 13:00 CET, followed immediately by the European Play-Off draw.

🌍 Road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The draws come just two days after the November 2025 international match window, which will finalize most of the remaining World Cup berths.

So far, 28 teams have already qualified for the historic 23rd edition of the tournament. Another 14 nations — three from Concacaf and eleven from UEFA — will confirm their places this month through ongoing qualifying matches.

This window will also determine which teams from AFC, CAF, and Concacaf will join Bolivia (CONMEBOL) and New Caledonia (OFC) in the six-nation FIFA Play-Off Tournament, as well as the 16 teams that will compete in the European Play-Offs scheduled between March 23 and 31, 2026.

⚽ FIFA Play-Off Tournament Format

The FIFA Play-Off Tournament will feature two finals. The unseeded teams will first play semi-finals, and the winners will face two seeded teams. The eventual champions of these two finals will secure the final two spots for the FIFA World Cup 26™.

🇪🇺 European Play-Offs Explained

The European Play-Offs will include 12 group runners-up from UEFA qualifying and the four best UEFA Nations League group winners.

These 16 teams will be drawn into four play-off paths, each containing four teams. The play-offs will consist of single-leg semi-finals and single-leg finals, with each path producing one qualifier — deciding Europe’s final four spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

📅 Ranking and Broadcast Details

To ensure fair seeding, the next FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking will be released on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

Fans around the world can watch the live draw on FIFA.com, FIFA+, and through FIFA’s official broadcast partners. Additional details about coverage and accreditation will be available soon on FIFA.com.

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Khalid Javed

Khalid Javed is known as Khalid Minhas is editor of Daily Olympic.He is a seasoned journalist and worked with different national and international media outlets.