World Cup 2026: What did the play-off draw decide? | OneFootball

The ceremony determined the last tickets to the upcoming World Cup and organized the decisive matchups to complete the final bracket.

In Zurich, Switzerland, the draw for the 2026 World Cup Playoff was held, where luck decided that Bolivia must face Suriname in the semifinal to determine who will play against Iraq in the final for the first ticket, while New Caledonia will take on Jamaica, with the winner facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo to determine the second qualifier. With the United States, Canada, and Mexico as host countries, the event is already generating excitement as the countdown continues. Find out the details of the Playoff draw.

On the other hand, it’s worth noting that the European countries had their own draw, which determined that Italy will face Northern Ireland, then play against the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Bracket 1; Ukraine will play Sweden and Poland-Albania in Bracket 2; Turkey faces Romania and Slovakia takes on Kosovo in Bracket 3, while in Bracket 4 Denmark meets North Macedonia and Czech Republic vs. Ireland. The format is simple: semifinal and final, single match, and the four winners will go to the World Cup.

In the 2026 edition, the World Cup will have a completely revamped structure: there will be 48 teams distributed across 12 groups, a historic format that changes the number of matches and the way each group is composed. This expansion required adjustments to the overall schedule and the organization of the tournament.

The competition will kick off on June 11 and run until July 19, culminating in a final that will bring to a close a month full of action across three different territories, with 104 matches to determine the new champion.

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