The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 enters its most intense phase. With most direct tickets already distributed across the continents, the attention of the football world is focused on the playoffs. How are the World Cup playoffs played? This decisive process is divided into two major independent fronts: the Intercontinental Playoff (with official host cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico) and the UEFA (Europe) playoffs. Below, we present a complete breakdown of how these ties will be played, their schedules, and the fate of the winners in the group draw. UEFA Playoffs (Europe) The playoff on the old continent is a massive and parallel process. 16 European national teams (the 12 best second-placed teams from the traditional qualifying groups and the 4 best Nations League champions who did not qualify directly) are divided into four independent 'Paths' (Path A, B, C, and D).
