FIFA have confirmed the pots to be used for the draws for the UEFA playoffs and the interconfederation playoffs. Both draws will be held on THU 20 NOV 2025 in Zürich, Switzerland.

In the UEFA playoffs, teams that finished second in their qualifying groups were divided into three pots of four teams each, based on their FIFA rankings as of WED 19 NOV 2025. The fourth pot contains the teams that advanced as group winners in the 2024-5 UEFA Men’s Nations League: North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Romania, and Sweden. The teams will be drawn into four playoff paths, each with a semifinal between teams from pots 1 and 4, and another semifinal between teams from pots 2 and 3. The higher seeded team will host each semifinal, and the winner of one semifinal, determined by the draw, will host each final.

In the interconfederation playoffs, the two highest teams in the FIFA rankings, Congo DR and Iraq, are seeded in one of the two final matches. The other four teams will be drawn into two semifinals. The two CONCACAF teams, Jamaica and Suriname, will be placed in different semifinals.

Both sets of playoffs will be played in MAR 2026. The winners of each of the six final matches will qualify for the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

• UEFA playoffs:
  • Pot 1: Denmark, Italy, Türkı̇ye, Ukraine
  • Pot 2: Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Wales
  • Pot 3: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ireland Rep, Kosovo
  • Pot 4: North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Romania, Sweden
• Interconfederation playoffs:
  • Seeded teams: Congo DR, Iraq
  • Unseeded teams: Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname