How to watch 2026 World Cup inter-confederation playoffs draw: What to know, teams, time, live stream

The 2026 World Cup is around the corner and while the final draw will take place on Dec. 5 in Washington D.C. some of the remaining teams are yet to clinch a spot for the most important soccer competition in the world. The competition, hosted next year by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, already has 42 qualified teams, with four European sides set to secure their place through the playoffs in March 2026. Meanwhile, the inter-confederation playoffs will determine the final two non-European spots. Here’s all you need to know about the draw that will take place on Thursday: 

How to watch 

• Date: Thursday, Nov. 20 | Time: 7 a.m. ET
• Location: FIFA HQ, Zurich 
• TV: FS1 | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)

Teams qualified for the World Cup

Let’s now take a look at the 42 teams that already clinched a spot for the 2026 World Cup. Since the 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by three nations, they all receive an automatic spot in the tournament: 

World Cup hosts: United States, Mexico, Canada

AFC Qualifiers: Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

Concacaf Qualifiers: Haiti, Curacao, Panama

OFC Qualifier: New Zealand

CONMEBOL Qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay

CAF Qualifiers: Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast

UEFA qualifiers: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium 

Which teams are in inter-confederation the playoffs?

A total of six teams will take part in the inter-confederation playoffs, featuring nations from each of the non-European confederations. Meanwhile, 16 European teams will compete in the European playoffs, which will determine the final four European spots at the 2026 World Cup with that draw also taking place Thursday. The remaining two spots will be awarded through the inter-confederation playoffs, completing the list of 48 teams for the tournament. Let’s take a look at the six teams that will be part of the draw on Thursday:

AFC: Iraq

CONMEBOL: Bolivia

CAF: Democratic Republic of Congo 

CONCACAF: Jamaica, Suriname

OFC: New Caledonia

How does it work?

The inter-confederation playoff format splits the six national teams into two groups of three. In each group, the two lower-ranked sides face off in a semifinal, with the winner advancing to face the top-seeded team in the final. The winner of each final secures one of the two remaining spots for the 2026 World Cup. On Thursday, the draw will determine the matchups and every game will be with no return leg. Let’s now take a look at the current FIFA rankings ahead of the draw: 

• Top seeded teams: Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq
• Unseeded teams: Jamaica, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Suriname

When are the play-offs taking place? 

The inter-confederation playoffs are scheduled for March 23–31, with dates still to be confirmed. All four matches will be played in Mexico, split between two World Cup venues: the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, with each stadium hosting two fixtures. Both arenas will also serve as host venues during the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Projected 2026 World Cup pots

The FIFA 2026 World Cup draw will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on December 5 at 12 p.m. ET. Here’s are projected World Cup draw pots after November’s international break, with FIFA set to officially announce the pots in the coming days.