Cymru will discover their route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, when the play-off draw takes place in Zurich, Switzerland.
This guide sets out how the play-offs work, who is involved and what it means for Cymru following their emphatic 7-1 win over North Macedonia on Tuesday night to secure second place in their qualifying group.
When and where is the draw?
The European play-off draw will take place on:
- Thursday 20 November 2025
- 12:00 GMT
- FIFA headquarters
The draw will confirm the eight semi-final fixtures and four potential final match-ups that will determine Europe’s final qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
You can watch the draw on FIFA+ by clicking here.
The draw is also available on the BBC Sport website and app via a live stream.
Which teams are in the play-offs?
Sixteen teams will compete in the European play-offs.
European Qualifiers group runners-up
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cymru
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Poland
- Republic of Ireland
- Slovakia
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
Nations League qualifiers
- Romania
- Sweden
- Northern Ireland
- North Macedonia
Who has already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Twelve nations have qualified directly as group winners:
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland.
These teams will be joined by the four winners of the European play-off paths.
How the play-offs work
The play-offs consist of single-leg knockout matches across four paths.
Each path contains two semi-finals and one final.
The winner of each final qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Match dates
Semi-finals: Thursday 26 March 2026
Finals: Tuesday 31 March 2026
How the seeding works – Cymru confirmed position in Pot 2
The teams are ranked 1 to 16 and placed into four pots:
- Pot 1: Runners-up ranked 1–4
– Italy, Denmark, Türkiye and Ukraine
- Pot 2: Runners-up ranked 5–8
– Poland, Cymru, Czechia and Slovakia
- Pot 3: Runners-up ranked 9–12
– Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo
- Pot 4: Nations League teams ranked 13–16
– Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland
Cymru have been confirmed as a Pot 2 team. This means:
- Cymru are a seeded team
- Cymru will play their semi-final at home
- The venue for the path final will be determined by a separate draw
How the draw works
The draw will form four knockout paths as follows:
- Pot 1 teams are drawn into semi-finals 1, 3, 5 and 7 (as hosts).
- Pot 2 teams, including Cymru, are drawn into semi-finals 2, 4, 6 and 8 (as hosts).
- Pot 3 teams complete the remaining positions in semi-finals 2, 4, 6 and 8 (as away teams).
- Pot 4 Nations League teams fill semi-finals 1, 3, 5 and 7 (as away teams).
A further draw will determine which semi-final winner hosts each final.
What this means for Cymru
Cymru’s confirmed place in Pot 2 provides a significant advantage:
- Cymru will play the semi-final at home on 26 March
- Cymru cannot face a Pot 1 team in the semi-final
- The draw will determine Cymru’s opponent and potential final route
A home semi-final and a subsequent final, either at home or away depending on the draw, stand between Cymru and qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Watch the draw
A live stream will be available on FIFA+
