The semi-finals for both the UEFA and FIFA confederation playoffs take place on Tuesday, March 26, while the finals will be played the following week on Tuesday, March 31. Once those fixtures are concluded, all qualified teams for the 2026 World Cup will be confirmed.

The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is long and treacherous, with 206 countries competing through various pathways across six confederations for a spot at the sport's biggest event.

More than 40 teams have already booked their place in next summer’s tournament with 22 others still fighting for the final spots.

Countries from around the world will compete in FIFA's Intercontinental Playoffs for a chance to make the final two spots in the World Cup.

Ancelotti took charge of the remaining four matches of Brazil’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. He oversaw two wins, one draw and one loss to finish fifth in South America’s round-robin qualifying format, ensuring that the nation’s record of qualifying for every edition of the tournament remained intact.

The draw for UEFA's World Cup qualification playoffs is set for Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 a.m. ET. UEFA's World Cup qualifying playoffs will be contested on March 26 (semifinals) and March 31 (finals). Twelve European countries have already clinched a spot in the 2026 World Cup:

Continuing her strong form ahead of her first Winter Olympics, South Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon has topped the qualification stage in the women's halfpipe at her latest World Cup stop. Choi earned 93 points to win Heat 2 in the qualification phase of the International Ski Federation Snowboard

Benin arrive at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco looking to turn 2026 World Cup qualification heartbreak into a memorable continental campaign.

Three Russians who had intended to participate at the luge World Cup in hopes of qualifying for the Olympics have been ruled ineligible by the sport's governing body.