Four European nations have the chance to qualify via the play-offs, featuring one-legged semi-finals and then a final, according to reports. The other two places will be decided via the intercontinental play-offs, which features six nations. The European play-off winners will enter World Cup groups A, B, D, and F, while the intercontinental play-off winners will be added into groups I and K.
In one semi-final, Wales host Bosnia-Herzegovina in Cardiff, with Wales aiming to make it to back-to-back men's World Cups for the first time, while Bosnia-Herzegovina stand in their way; the winners will host the final five days later. Another semi-final pits Italy against Northern Ireland, with Northern Ireland aiming to end a 40-year World Cup wait but facing a tough task against an Italy team looking to qualify for their first World Cup since 2014; the winners of this play-off path will secure their place in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar. Other semi-finals include Ukraine versus Sweden, where Ukraine came second in their qualifying group behind 2022 World Cup runners-up France but lose their home advantage due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, while Sweden finished bottom of their qualifying group, failing to win a match, but have a lifeline thanks to their Nations League performance, and Poland versus Albania, with Poland having qualified for the last two men's World Cups; the winner of this path will be placed in Group F alongside Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.
In further matches, Turkey face Romania, with Turkey having finished three points behind Spain in their World Cup group and Romania aiming to reach their first World Cup since 1998, while Slovakia must beat Kosovo to progress, with Slovakia not featuring at a World Cup since 2010 and Kosovo aiming to qualify for their first major tournament; the winner of this play-off path will be placed in Group D alongside co-hosts United States, Paraguay, and Australia. Denmark meet North Macedonia, with Denmark having missed out on automatically reaching the World Cup after a dramatic 4-2 defeat against Scotland in Glasgow and settling for the play-offs, while North Macedonia aim to qualify for a first World Cup. Meanwhile, Troy Parrott's last-gasp winner in Hungary secured an unlikely play-off for the Republic of Ireland.
The semi-finals take place on Thursday, 26 March and the finals on Tuesday, 31 March.