The UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifying group stage reached its conclusion on Tuesday, with 12 national teams, including Spain, Austria, and Belgium, securing their spots in the tournament to be held in North America. However, one stage remains, as Robert Lewandowski’s Poland and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Italy both finished second in their groups and must now fight for qualification through the UEFA World Cup playoffs alongside 14 other nations.
Italy’s fate was sealed on Monday when Erling Haaland’s Norway stunned the Azzurri with a 4–1 win, locking Italy into second place in Group I. Lewandowski’s Poland suffered a similar outcome, with the Netherlands topping Group G on 20 points, leaving the Polish side in second with 17.
On Tuesday, the remaining groups wrapped up, finalizing not only the nations that have already booked their tickets to the World Cup but also those that will have to qualify via the playoffs. Twelve national teams advanced to the playoffs by finishing second in their qualifying groups, while four others earned spots based on their performance in the most recent UEFA Nations League.
Which national teams will play in the UEFA World Cup playoffs?
UEFA national teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup playoffs as second-place finishers in the qualifiers:
- Slovakia
- Kosovo
- Denmark
- Ukraine
- Turkey
- Ireland
- Poland
- Bosnia & Hezergovina
- Italy
- Wales
- Albania
- Czech Republic
UEFA national teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup playoffs via the Nations League:
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Sweden
- Northern Ireland
see also
European World Cup qualifiers: Final standings in each group after the November FIFA break
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