How the new intercontinental World Cup play-offs will work | OneFootball

With Bolivia's triumph over Brazil last Tuesday, the team secured a spot in the intercontinental playoffs of the World Cup. The format of the stage, which determines the last qualifiers for the World Cup, has changed, and Gazeta Esportiva has compiled a survey on the spots in dispute around the world.

New Format

Unlike the last editions, when four teams from different continents (North and Central America, South America, Asia, and Oceania) faced each other in direct matches for two spots, the 2026 playoffs will bring together six teams.

There will be a representative from Africa, Asia, South America, and Oceania, plus two from Concacaf. The teams will compete in the playoffs in two phases: first, four teams face each other in drawn matches, while the two best-ranked in the FIFA ranking go directly to the final stage. The winners of these matches secure a place in the World Cup.

The playoff tournament is scheduled for March 2026, in at least one of the World Cup host countries, also serving as a test event for the competition.

Participants

So far, only two teams are confirmed in the playoffs. Bolivia, from South America, and New Caledonia, from Oceania, which lost the final of the local qualifiers to New Zealand.

With low positions in the FIFA ranking - Bolivia in 78th place and New Caledonia in 152nd - both are expected to compete in the first phase of the playoffs.

There are still four spots to be defined:

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