| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Mexico |
| Dates | March 2026 |
| Teams | 6 (from 5 confederations) |
| Venue | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
← 2022 2030→ | |
The inter-confederation play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament (officially named the FIFA World Cup 26 Play-Off Tournament) will determine two qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. [1] 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 Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, with each venue hosting two fixtures.
| City | Stadium | Capacity | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guadalajara | Estadio Akron | 46,232 |  |
| Monterrey | Estadio 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 best two group runners-up | 18 November 2025 | |
| CONMEBOL | Seventh place |  Bolivia | 9 September 2025 |
| OFC | Third round runners-up |  New Caledonia | 24 March 2025 |
The draw for the inter-confederation play-offs (along with the UEFA play-offs) will take place on 20 November 2025, 13:00 CET (UTC+1), at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. [10] Teams will be seeded based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking of 19 November 2025 (shown below in brackets). The teams ranked first and second will be seeded and automatically allocated to play-off final 1 and 2, respectively. The remaining four teams will be unseeded and placed into a single pot. In the draw, the unseeded teams will be allocated to the first available match (match 1, then 2). However, in principle CONCACAF teams cannot be drawn into the same play-off path. [11]
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
|
| Semi-final | Final | |||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Team seeded first | ||||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Winner Match 1 | ||||||
| Play-off Team 1 | ||||||
| Play-off Team 2 | ||||||
| Play-off Team 1 | Match 1 | Play-off Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
The winner will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
| Team seeded first | Final 1 | Winner Match 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-final | Final | |||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Team seeded second | ||||||
| March 2026 – TBC | ||||||
| Winner Match 2 | ||||||
| Play-off Team 3 | ||||||
| Play-off Team 4 | ||||||
| Play-off Team 3 | Match 2 | Play-off Team 4 |
|---|---|---|
The winner will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
| Team seeded second | Final 2 | Winner Match 2 |
|---|---|---|
A player is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences: [9]
The following suspensions will be served during the inter-confederation play-offs:
| Team | Player | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Caledonia | Pierre Bako |  vs Tahiti (21 March 2025) vs New Zealand (24 March 2025) | vs TBC (March 2026) |
