UEFA’s sizable representation at the 2026 World Cup means they’ll stage their own playoffs, as they did in 2022, while those who scraped out of their respective qualifying processes around the rest of the world will be involved in FIFA’s inter-confederation playoffs.

ZURICH, Switzerland — The final six places for the 2026 World Cup will be determined by two playoff tournaments in March. Four more teams will qualify from Europe, along with two from the rest of the world. The UEFA playoffs will consist of 16 nations, while FIFA's intercontinental playoffs feature six.

The draw for UEFA's World Cup qualification playoffs is set for Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 a.m. ET. UEFA's World Cup qualifying playoffs will be contested on March 26 (semifinals) and March 31 (finals). Twelve European countries have already clinched a spot in the 2026 World Cup:

The Green Bay Packers moved up from seventh place to sixth in the latest NFC playoff standings, but there remains little margin for error ahea

ItalieQualified to compete in the 2026 World Cup playoffs, Italy is already dreading another absence from football’s biggest stage.The playoff format, unchanged in principle, features four separate

At 4-5-1, the Cowboys are 10th in the NFC standings. The top seven teams make playoffs, and the Cowboys lose head-to-head tiebreakers with the Chicago Bears (7-3, currently leading the NFC North) and Carolina Panthers (6-5). The Cowboys also have a conference loss to the Arizona Cardinals, further hampering a potential wild-card run.

The Alabama Crimson Tide's drop to No. 10 was the most significant movement in Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings release.

The picture is getting clearer every week. We’ve now reached a point where we can officially declare some teams as CFP Locks. No matter what happens in the remaining two weeks in the regular season, some teams have already earned their way in.

The Panthers haven’t made the NFL playoffs since 2017. But at 6-5, with six games left, they have a shot to qualify this season.