MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The final six World Cup places are up for grabs over the next week across two playoff tournaments that will complete the 48-team lineup.
Sixteen teams from Europe will compete for four spots, while a new intercontinental tournament staged in Mexico will determine the other two places.
The biggest ever World Cup — up from 32 teams in Qatar in 2022 — is being co-hosted by three nations for the first time: The United States, Canada and Mexico.
Four-time champion Italy is the standout name in the European playoffs as it tries to avoid the ignominy of missing out on a World Cup for a third consecutive time.
“It’s undeniable that there’s nervousness,” coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “Only someone without blood running through their veins wouldn’t feel it."
New Caledonia, Suriname, Kosovo and Albania are all vying to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.
There will be more European teams than from any other continent at the World Cup: 16.
Twelve have already booked their places and the final four will advance via the playoffs.
Eight one-off semifinals are followed by four finals. The winners of the finals secure qualification.
The teams are made up of 12 runners-up from the group qualifying stage and four based on performances in the UEFA Nations League.
The highest-ranked teams host the semifinals. The hosts of the finals were determined by draw.
Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland, Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden, Poland vs. Albania.
Path C: Turkey vs. Romania, Slovakia vs. Kosovo.
Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia, Czech Republic vs. Ireland
There is a different format for the intercontinental playoffs, which FIFA simply calls the Playoff Tournament.
Two teams will advance from a field of six.
The lineup was made up of two teams from CONCACAF (Jamaica, Suriname) and one each from Asia (Iraq), Africa (DR Congo), South America (Bolivia) and Oceania (New Caledonia).
The four lowest-ranked nations play in two semifinals. The winner advances to a final against one of the two highest-ranked teams. The winners of those matches qualify for the World Cup.
The highest ranked teams were DR Congo and Iraq.
Games are being staged in Guadalajara and Monterrey
Path 1: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (winner plays DR Congo)
Path 2: Bolivia vs. Suriname (winner plays Iraq)
The semifinals will be played on Thursday and the finals next Tuesday.
Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico and United States.
AFC: Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
CAF: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
CONCACAF: Curacao, Haiti, Panama
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OFC: New Zealand
UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
June and July. It kicks off at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11. The final is on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which will be referred to as New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed before press conference at Rockefeller Plaza, June 16, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray, File)
FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi hoists the winning team replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy during a celebration ceremony for local fans after an international friendly soccer match against Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello, file)
Senators are discussing a proposal to end the Homeland Security budget stalemate by funding much of the department, including Transportation Security Administration airport workers who are going without pay. The deal would exclude U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's removal operations, which have been core to the dispute.
As U.S. airports remain jammed with long lines due to short staffing at TSA, President Donald Trump ordered ICE officers to provide airport security, alarming some lawmakers.
DHS is now being overseen by Markwayne Mullin, whose nomination the Senate approved on Monday. Mullin has tried to present himself as a steady hand, saying his goal as secretary would be to get the department off the front page of the news.
Here's the latest:
A day after the Trump administration began deploying federal immigration officers at some airports’ security checkpoints, long lines and hourslong waits persisted.
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport said wait times at standard security checkpoints ranged from three and a half to four hours Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International urged travelers to allow at least four hours for both domestic and international screenings.
Baltimore-Washington International advised passengers to arrive three hours before their flights, noting that while wait times were “currently minimal,” that could change.
After weeks of missed paychecks, many TSA agents have called in sick or even quit their jobs under the financial strain. That’s forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically.
Some airports are reporting shorter wait times — including Los Angeles International and Detroit Metro Airport, whose online trackers showed average waits of just several minutes early Tuesday.
Federal law enforcement officers are a routine presence at international airports. Customs and Border Protection officers screen arriving passengers, and Homeland Security Investigations agents conduct criminal inquiries tied to cross-border activity.
But immigration agents are rarely visible at TSA checkpoints, the front line of domestic air travel.
On Monday, Associated Press journalists observed ICE officers and agents patrolling terminals and lingering near long lines of passengers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International, John F. Kennedy International in New York, Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston and Louis Armstrong International outside New Orleans.
A handful of other airports — including Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International — also confirmed ICE would be on-site.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office was monitoring the deployment of federal officers at O’Hare International.
▶ Read more
“All I can say is that the discussions have been very positive and productive, and hopefully headed in the right direction,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters late in the evening: “Both sides are working in a serious way.”
Senators are discussing a proposal to end the Homeland Security budget stalemate by funding much of the department, including Transportation Security Administration airport workers who are going without pay, but excluding ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, which have been core to the dispute.
The potential breakthrough came after a group of Republican senators headed to the White House late Monday to meet with President Donald Trump. Senators said they expected the negotiators to work through the night, hammering out the details and present written proposals for both parties to discuss Tuesday at their weekly caucus lunches.
▶ Read more
Air travelers progress through the long lines for the TSA security checkpoint in Terminal C at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Federal immigration agents walk through Terminal A at Newark International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
People wait in a TSA security line at Terminal A of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, N.J., U.S., Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
