In Europe, 16 nations are competing across four separate paths. Each path consists of semi-finals played on March 26, followed by a decisive final on March 31. Major teams such as Italy, Poland, Ukraine, and Denmark will be aiming to book their ticket through these knockout mini-tournaments.
At the same time, six teams from other confederations are competing in Mexico for two qualification spots. Two seeded teams, DR Congo and Iraq, await their opponents in the finals after semi-finals scheduled for March 27.
In the first path, Jamaica faces New Caledonia, with the winner advancing to a final against DR Congo. In the second, Bolivia and Suriname will battle for the right to face Iraq.
The winners of these playoffs will directly join the World Cup groups. The team emerging from intercontinental path 2 will notably be placed in the same group as France, alongside Senegal and Norway, while other groups also promise high-level matchups.
With only months to go before kickoff, these playoffs represent the final opportunity for several nations to reach the world’s biggest football stage. Suspense, pressure, and intensity will define this last stretch as the final participants of the expanded 48-team World Cup are decided.
Editorial team/le7tv