| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Mexico |
| Dates | March 2026 |
| Teams | 6 (from 5 confederations) |
← 2022 2030→ | |
The inter-confederation play-offs (officially named the FIFA Play-Off Tournament [1] ) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament will determine two qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The play-offs will take place in March 2026 in North America, [2] reportedly in two venues in Mexico. [3] [4]
The slot allocation for the inter-confederation play-offs was confirmed by the FIFA Council in 2017. Each confederation received one play-off slot, with the exception of UEFA, with an additional play-off slot also given to the confederation of the host association(s). [5] [6] As Canada, Mexico and the United States were later appointed as hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, CONCACAF received two spots in the play-off tournament, while the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC each received one. [7]
The play-off tournament will be held in North America, and will act as a preparatory event for the World Cup. [2] It will take place during the FIFA window of 23–31 March 2026, [8] less than three months prior to the start of the final tournament. The play-offs will feature six teams, split into two brackets of three teams, with both bracket winners qualifying for the World Cup. The teams will be seeded into brackets based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking. Each bracket will feature two unseeded teams facing each other in a semi-final, with the winner advancing to the play-off final against a seeded team. [7]
The play-offs will be played in single-leg knockout matches. If scores are level at the end of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, where each team will be allowed to make a sixth substitution. If the scores remain tied, a penalty shoot-out will be used to determine the winner. [9]
According to local reports, Mexico was chosen to host the inter-confederation play-offs. [3] The four matches will be played at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey and Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, with each venue hosting two fixtures.
| Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Guadalajara, Jalisco | Akron | 46,232 |
| Monterrey, Nuevo León | BBVA | 53,529 |
| Confederation | Placement | Team | Date advanced to play-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | Fifth round (play-off) winner | 18 November 2025 | |
| CAF | Second round (play-off) winner | 16 November 2025 | |
| CONCACAF | Third round group runner-up (ranked first) | November 2025 | |
| Third round group runner-up (ranked second) | November 2025 | ||
| CONMEBOL | Seventh place |  Bolivia | 9 September 2025 |
| OFC | Third round runner-up |  New Caledonia | 24 March 2025 |
| Semi-final | Final | |||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Seeded team | ||||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Winner of semi-final | ||||||
| Unseeded team | ||||||
| Unseeded team | ||||||
| Semi-final | Final | |||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Seeded team | ||||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Winner of semi-final | ||||||
| Unseeded team | ||||||
| Unseeded team | ||||||
