London, March 25, (PA Media/dpa/GNA) – The remaining six places at this summer’s World Cup are set to be decided over the next week.
As well as 16 European nations battling it out in the play-offs to secure one of four places available, FIFA is also holding a new six-team intercontinental event in Mexico which will determine the other two qualifiers.
Here, the Press Association takes a look at how the two formats work.
What are the European play-offs all about?
With the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, expanded to 48 teams, Europe will send the most representatives – 16.
Twelve of those spots have already been confirmed through qualifying. The play-offs feature the 12 runners-up from each group, the likes of Italy, alongside four teams from the 2024-25 Nations League rankings, which provided a ‘second chance’ for those countries who came up short in regular qualifying. Northern Ireland for instance came through this route.
Who exactly are in the running for the remaining European spots?
Four-time World Cup winners Italy had to settle for a place in the play-offs after finishing behind Norway in Group I.
The Azzurri, who have failed to make it to the past two World Cup finals, host Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday night.
The winners of that semi-final will go on to play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31 for a place at the tournament. Wales face Bosnia in Cardiff on Thursday.
Ireland, who edged out Hungary for second place in Group F after a memorable hat-trick from Troy Parrott in Budapest, travel to the Czech Republic for Thursday’s semi-final. The winners will then face either Denmark or North Macedonia.
Elsewhere, Ukraine take on Sweden, with Poland hosting Albania in the other semi-final in that section. Turkey play Romania and Slovakia face Kosovo in the other section.
And what about the intercontinental tournament?
This event involves Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
There are two pathways, with matches taking place in Guadalajara and Monterrey. As with the European play-offs, the semi-finals take place on Thursday and the finals the following Tuesday.
In one semi-final, Oceania minnows New Caledonia will play Jamaica, with the winners going on to meet top seeds DR Congo at the Estadio Akron for a place at the World Cup.
The other pathway will see Iraq face the winners of the semi-final between Bolivia and Suriname in Monterrey.
GNA