SPORTS WRITING. – Just weeks away from the final qualifying phase, six national teams will fight for the two remaining spots to the FIFA World Cup 2026 through the intercontinental play-off organized by FIFA.
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The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams introduced a new playoff format that offers a last chance to national teams that were close to achieving direct qualification in their respective qualifiers.
Six teams from five confederations will participate in the mini tournament: one from CONMEBOL, one from AFC, one from CAF, one from OFC, and two representatives from CONCACAF.
Repechage Format
The system will be developed in two stages. First, the two best-ranked teams in the FIFA world ranking will advance directly to the final round.
The other four teams will face each other in an initial knockout phase. The winners of those matches will advance to play the final round against the top two seeds.
Each of those final matches will award a direct ticket to the World Cup.
Headquarters and Calendar
The repechage will be played in Mexico at the end of March 2026, with matches at the BBVA Stadium and the Akron Stadium.
The semi-finals are scheduled for March 26, while the final matches that will define the qualifiers will be played on March 31.
In total, four matches will be played: two in the initial phase and two in the final round. The winners of those last matches will take the remaining two spots for the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and will be the largest edition in the history of the championship.
