World Cup play-offs explained: How Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland can still qualify for tournament

Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are headed for the World Cup play-offs with their hopes of qualifying for next summer’s tournament still alive – so how do they work?

Gone are the days when UEFA qualifying group winners reached the finals, and the second-placed teams played each other to join them.

For the second cycle in a row, countries that have finished outside the top two of their UEFA qualifying group but performed well in the 2024/25 Nations League tournament will get a second bite of the cherry – but they will claim two extra play-off spots compared to the 2022 World Cup.

It’s a complicated system which keeps outcomes in limbo longer than ever, but here’s a handy guide about what to expect from Thursday’s draw…

When is the draw for the play-offs?

The draw will take place on Thursday at 12pm UK time from FIFA’s home in Zurich, Switzerland. Follow live coverage on Sky Sports digital platforms.

What’s the format of the play-offs, and who’s in them?

The World Cup play-offs will take place in March 2026 and will consist of four ‘paths’, one for each vacant spot at the finals.

Every path will include a team from each of four seeding pots, with Pots 1-3 decided by November’s FIFA World Rankings, while Pot 4 consists of the four countries qualifying through their Nations League performance.

The format will then proceed as follows in the one-legged semi-finals, hosted by the higher-ranking pot side:

Image:
Harry Wilson’s hat-trick helped Wales thrash North Macedonia 7-1, securing them second spot in Group J

• Pot 1 vs Pot 4
• Pot 2 vs Pot 3

The winner of the Pot 1 vs Pot 4 semi-final will then face the winner of the Pot 2 vs Pot 3 from their path semi-final for a place in the USA, Canada and Mexico World Cup. The host country for each final will be determined by a draw following the semi-finals.

The pots are as follows:

• Pot 1: Italy, Ukraine, Turkey, Denmark.
• Pot 2: Wales, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic.
• Pot 3: Kosovo, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania.
• Pot 4: Romania, Northern Ireland, Sweden, North Macedonia.

How do you qualify for the World Cup play-offs?

For the first time, 16 European teams will play at the World Cup owing to the 50 per cent increase in the size of the 2026 tournament. Of those, 12 places are reserved for UEFA qualifying group winners, with the other four coming via the play-offs.

The 12 group runners-up will be joined by four teams who finished outside the top two of their respective qualifying groups, who were the ‘best performers’ in the 2024/25 Nations League.

Image:
Troy Parrott’s stunning hat-trick against Hungary saw the Republic of Ireland secure a shock play-off spot

Here are the final standings from each of the 12 groups:

• Group A: Germany qualified, Slovakia and Northern Ireland into play-offs
• Group B: Switzerland qualified, Kosovo and Sweden into play-offs
• Group C: Scotland qualified, Denmark into play-offs
• Group D: France qualified, Ukraine into play-offs
• Group E: Spain qualified, Turkey into play-offs
• Group F: Portugal qualified, Republic of Ireland into play-offs
• Group G: Netherlands qualified, Poland into play-offs
• Group H: Austria qualified, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania into play-offs
• Group I: Norway qualified, Italy into play-offs
• Group J: Belgium qualified, Wales and North Macedonia into play-offs
• Group K: England qualified, Albania into play-offs
• Group L: Croatia qualified, Czech Republic into play-offs

Could every home nation be at the World Cup?

Yes! There is still a chance every home nation, plus the Republic of Ireland, could be in Canada, the USA and Mexico next summer.

England and Scotland are guaranteed their place after finishing top of their groups, with the Tartan Army qualifying for their first World Cup since 1998.

Wales are guaranteed a home draw in their play-off semi-final after thrashing North Macedonia 7-1 in their final group match to finish second in Group J.

Northern Ireland sealed a play-off spot owing to their Nations League performance, even though they did not finish in the top two of their qualifying group.

Image:
Northern Ireland’s defeat to Slovakia ended their automatic hopes – but they will compete in the play-offs in March

How does UEFA decide Nations League performance?

UEFA ranks Nations League teams first by the number of points won by group winners, from the top tier down to the fourth. More often than not, this means the four additional play-off spots are filled by four of the 14 Nations League group winners.

That’s exactly the case here, with Northern Ireland, Romania and Sweden confirmed ahead of Tuesday – and North Macedonia sealing the fourth spot after losing to Wales in Cardiff.

Who has qualified already for World Cup?

Forty-two teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup so far, with a list below:

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