FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying tournament: which teams have qualified for the European play-off finals?

The eight teams competing for the final four European places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been confirmed after the play-off semi-finals on Thursday, March 26.

Turkiye became the first team to reach the podium, beating Romania in the early kick-off after a goal from Ferdi Kadıoğlu. They now face Kosovo, who defeated Slovakia 4-3 in a chaotic match.

Italy are just a step away from qualifying for their first World Cup since 2014 after beating Northern Ireland. The country will now face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Graham Potter’s Sweden has been rewarded for its 3-1 win over Ukraine (thanks to a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres) with a match against Poland, who defeated Albania.

Denmark, who defeated North Macedonia 4-0, will now face the Czech Republic or Ireland.

All matches will take place on Thursday, March 31.

Here are the four play-off final matches for places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: d56dx.

Published on March 27, 2026