The South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup have concluded, with Bolivia clinching the intercontinental playoff berth at the last moment. As a result, two of the six intercontinental playoff spots have now been confirmed.
With the expanded World Cup format, six teams will compete in the intercontinental playoffs for two final berths: 1 team from the AFC, 1 from the CAF, 2 from CONCACAF, 1 from CONMEBOL, and 1 from the OFC.
The playoff will consist of semifinals and a final. Based on FIFA rankings, the top two teams will advance directly to the final, while the remaining four will play in the semifinals. The two semifinal winners will join the top seeds in the final, and ultimately, the two final winners will secure tickets to the World Cup.
At present, the playoff representatives from Oceania and South America are already confirmed: New Caledonia and Bolivia. Notably, New Caledonia is ranked 152nd in the latest FIFA rankings, with a total squad value of just €200K.
In Asia, the fourth qualifying round is still underway. The groups are as follows:
Group A: Qatar, UAE, Oman
Group B: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Indonesia
The group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the two runners-up will meet in a two-legged playoff to determine Asia’s representative in the intercontinental playoffs.
