World Cup playoffs: Bosnia, Sweden, DR Congo among teams to grab final spots

The 2026 World Cup field is finally set. The final six tournament berths were decided by European and intercontinental playoffs on Tuesday. Below, we run through all of the action.

Jump to:
European playoffs | Intercontinental playoffs

European playoffs

Path A

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1, Italy 1 (Bosnia wins 4-1 on penalties)

Italy's World Cup drought, incredibly, continues.

Esmir Bajraktarevic dispatched the winning penalty as Bosnia returned to the tournament for the first time since 2014 and, in the process, ensured the Azzurri will miss their third consecutive World Cup.

Bosnia, roared on by a boisterous home crowd in Zenica, played more than half the match with a man advantage after Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the 41st minute. The Bosnians, captained by 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, made their advantage and pressure count with a late equalizer in the 79th minute, canceling out Moise Kean's goal before eventually going four-for-four from the penalty spot to clinch their tournament spot.

Bosnia will now slot into Group B at this summer's tournament, alongside co-host Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.

Path B

Sweden 3, Poland 2

Star striker Viktor Gyokeres fired Sweden to the 2026 World Cup with a late goal against Poland, giving the Swedes a 3-2 victory in a thrilling playoff affair.

The Arsenal attacker, who netted a hat-trick in the playoff semifinals against Ukraine last week, forced the ball over the line in the 88th minute Tuesday after a mad scramble inside the penalty area.

The Swedes, now coached by Englishman Graham Potter, had a disastrous qualifying campaign, finishing bottom of their group without a win.

But they got into the playoffs by virtue of their strong performances in the UEFA Nations League, and will now slot into Group F at this summer's World Cup, alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.

Path C

Turkey 1, Kosovo 0

Turkey is back at the World Cup for the first time since 2002 after an away victory over Kosovo.

The latter was trying to secure its first-ever berth at the tournament, but Kerem Akturkoglu's tally in the 53rd minute secured the win for Turkey, which will now take on the United States in Group D at this summer's event.

Paraguay and Australia are the other sides in the group that will now have to contend with Turkish stars Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz, and Hakan Calhanoglu.

"We achieved our dreams. The World Cup is the pinnacle in this profession," Turkey boss Vincenzo Montella said after the triumph.

Path D

Czechia 2, Denmark 2 (Czechia wins 3-1 on penalties)

Czechia qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Denmark.

Czechia led the back-and-forth contest on two separate occasions, including 2-1 in extra time before Kasper Hogh's goal in the 111th minute sent the match to spot-kicks.

That's where Denmark's power of recovery ran out, though, as veteran Christian Eriksen was the only Danish player to find the net from 12 yards out in the shootout. Rasmus Hojlund, Anders Dreyer, and Mathias Jensen all failed to convert from the spot, as the Czechs secured their first World Cup berth since 2006.

Czechia will slot into Group A at this summer's tournament, alongside co-host Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea.

Intercontinental playoffs

Path 1

DR Congo 1, Jamaica 0 (AET)

Axel Tuanzebe picked a great time to score his first international goal.

The DR Congo defender's 100th-minute tally was the lone marker in Tuesday's intercontinental playoff against Jamaica, lifting the Leopards to an extra-time victory and sending the African nation to its first World Cup since 1974, when the country was known as Zaire.

DR Congo, which beat African powerhouse Nigeria just to reach the intercontinental playoffs, will now feature in Group K at this summer's World Cup, alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia.

Path 2

Iraq 2, Bolivia 1

Iraq held off Bolivia to officially complete the 2026 World Cup field, becoming the 48th and final team to qualify for the tournament.

Goals from Ali Almahadi and Aymen Hussein were enough for Iraq to claim a 2-1 victory in Mexico and reach the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

Graham Arnold's team slots into an extremely challenging Group I at this summer's competition, alongside France, Senegal, and Norway.