World Cup play-offs set for dramatic climax as teams battle for final six spots

The final six coveted places for the expanded 2026 World Cup are set to be decided this week, as two crucial play-off tournaments conclude to complete the 48-team lineup.

This edition marks the largest World Cup in history, increasing from 32 teams in Qatar in 2022, and will be co-hosted across three nations for the first time: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

There will be 16 European teams at this summer’s World Cup - more than any other continent - with 12 sides having already secured their spots.

Eight nations will battle it out for the four remaining places in the play-off finals.

Four-time champions Italy stand out among the contenders, facing a critical challenge to avoid missing out on the World Cup for a third consecutive time.

The European play-offs will feature winner-take-all matches played on Tuesday: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Italy, Sweden vs. Poland, Kosovo vs. Turkey, and Czech Republic vs. Denmark.

The victor of the Turkey-Kosovo encounter will join the United States, Paraguay and Australia in Group D at the World Cup.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina broke Welsh hearts last week (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)

Meanwhile, a distinct intercontinental play-off tournament, as designated by Fifa, will determine the final two qualifiers. This competition initially featured six teams, now narrowed down to four for the decisive fixtures.

The initial lineup included two teams from CONCACAF (Jamaica, Suriname), and one each from Asia (Iraq), Africa (Congo), South America (Bolivia), and Oceania (New Caledonia).

The final two matches will see Congo face Jamaica, and Bolivia play Iraq. These crucial games are scheduled for Tuesday in Guadalajara and Monterrey.

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Jamaica are one game away from the World Cup (REUTERS)

Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico and the United States.

North America, Central America and Caribbean: Curacao, Haiti, Panama.

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Oceania: New Zealand.

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland.

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England are already gearing up for the World Cup (Action Images/Reuters)

The tournament is scheduled for June and July, kicking off at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on 11 June.

The final will be held on 19 July at MetLife Stadium, which will be known as New York New Jersey Stadium during the competition.