2026 World Cup Intercontinental Play-off Draw Unveiled In Zurich

The path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup narrowed further on Thursday as FIFA conducted the intercontinental play-off draw at its headquarters in Zurich.

French football great Christian Karembeu oversaw the ceremony, which set the stage for a tense battle among six nations chasing the last two available World Cup places.

The draw produced two separate routes. In the first, New Caledonia were paired with Jamaica in the opening semi-final. The winner of that tie will take on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the highest-ranked team in the group.

The second route begins with Bolivia against Suriname, with the victorious side earning a meeting with Iraq. Both DR Congo, ranked 56th, and Iraq, ranked 58th, received direct passages to their finals as the two seeded teams. The rest of the field includes Bolivia at 76, Jamaica at 70, Suriname at 123 and New Caledonia at 149.

Under the rules, seeding is determined strictly by the latest world rankings. The two top-ranked sides avoid the early knockout round, while the remaining four fight for the right to challenge them. Jamaica and Suriname were kept apart to prevent a confederation clash in the first set of fixtures.

FIFA also confirmed Mexico as the host for the entire play-off series, with matches scheduled in Guadalajara and Monterrey between March 23 and 31, 2026.

All games will be played as single-leg knockouts. If the score is level after 90 minutes, the tie moves into extra time. A penalty shootout will follow if the deadlock continues.

Note that the intercontinental play-offs will produce only two tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.