Six countries pin their hopes on the 2026 World Cup play-offs | OneFootball

Six national teams are answering the final call for the 2026 World Cup in a mini playoff tournament to be held in Mexico between this Thursday and next Tuesday, one month after the host country was shaken by a wave of drug-trafficking-related violence.

This criminal action spread across 20 of Mexico’s 32 states in retaliation for the death of the country’s top drug kingpin during a military operation. The traffickers’ offensive raised fears about the future of the mini tournament, as well as about Mexico’s ability to serve as one of the World Cup hosts.

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However, one month later, the authorities and FIFA appear calm and have already welcomed the six teams that will compete for the final two spots in the 2026 North American tournament: Bolivia, Suriname, Iraq, New Caledonia, Jamaica, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Upon arriving on Mexican soil, the delegations were escorted by members of the Army and the National Guard.

To ensure calm in Mexico during the world’s premier football tournament, which will begin on June 11, authorities deployed an operation involving nearly 100,000 public and private security personnel.

“Things have calmed down, but the team’s security has been reinforced for the playoffs,” the New Caledonia Football Federation wrote on social media upon arriving in Mexico, a country that will host the World Cup jointly with the United States and Canada.

The six teams will be divided into two groups, competing for qualification in Monterrey and Guadalajara, the latter of which became an epicenter of criminal violence following the death of Nemesio Oseguera, known as ‘El Mencho,’ leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on February 22.

Bolivia and Iraq try to end droughts

In Monterrey, which, like Guadalajara, will host World Cup matches, Bolivia will begin its battle to return to the tournament for the first time since 1994.

Bolivia turned the altitude of El Alto, located more than 4,000 meters above sea level, into a fortress and finished the South American qualifiers in seventh place.

Without major stars and relying on players from its modest domestic league, the Bolivian team will try to beat Suriname on Thursday at Monterrey Stadium before facing its final challenge next Tuesday against Iraq.

The winner of this playoff spot will join France, Senegal, and Norway in Group I.

“Suriname will field strong and fast players, who focus less on building plays and more on exploiting open spaces when they regain possession,” said Oscar Villegas, coach of the Bolivian national team.

Villegas did not call up the national team’s all-time leading scorer, Marcelo Moreno, who came out of retirement to try to fulfill his dream of playing in a World Cup.

Suriname, meanwhile, is seeking its first appearance under Dutch coach Henk ten Cate.

The South American territory — which competes in Concacaf qualifiers — was the birthplace of legendary players such as Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf, who, however, ended up representing the Netherlands.

The former colony has contributed to the success of the Dutch national team for more than three decades. But now it is its Europe-born players who are on the verge of leading the smallest nation in Latin America to its first World Cup.

Iraq will await the outcome of the clash between the two South American teams after facing a true odyssey to reach Mexico because of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Facing a 40-year absence from the world’s premier football tournament, dating back to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the Iraqis had difficulty assembling their squad. Then their players undertook an exhausting 25-hour trip (including 16 hours by plane) to reach the mini tournament.

New Caledonia, the underdog

In the other bracket, New Caledonia and Jamaica will face off in Guadalajara on Thursday, and whoever advances will play the Democratic Republic of the Congo five days later.

Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia await the winner of this playoff in Group K.

New Caledonia, the lowest-ranked team in the FIFA rankings (150th) among the six competing in the playoffs, is aiming to reach its first World Cup.

“Inevitably, we will be the underdogs,” admitted its coach, Frenchman Johann Sidanner.

Jamaica, meanwhile, has appeared in the World Cup only once: in France in 1998. The Caribbean team features several players who play in English football.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose squad is made up mainly of players active in European leagues, is awaiting its opponent with the ambition of returning to the World Cup, having previously appeared in the 1974 tournament in Germany under the name Zaire.

*With AFP content

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.