The 2026 World Cup qualifiers have officially wrapped up (with the exception of inter-confederation playoff matches, which are pending at the time of writing). We now know the final four nations that have secured their places in next summer’s FIFA tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. What a dramatic final matchday it was, highlighted by the stunning elimination of Italy – marking the third consecutive time the four-time champions have failed to qualify for the World Cup.
A thrilling encounter between Sweden and Poland was ultimately decided by Swedish star Viktor Gyokeres. This result brought an end to Sweden’s somewhat tumultuous qualification journey, as they finished third in their group and only entered the playoffs due to their UEFA Nations League ranking.
Tuesday’s Crucial Qualifying Results:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 1(4)-1(1) Italy
- Sweden 3-2 Poland
- Czechia 2(3)-2(1) Denmark
- Kosovo 0-1 Turkey
- DR Congo vs. Jamaica: 23:00 CEST, 22:00 BST
- Iraq vs. Bolivia: 05:00 CEST, 04:00 BST (on April 1st)
Newly Qualified Teams and Their Groups:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina joins Group B (Canada, Qatar, Switzerland)
- Sweden joins Group F (Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia)
- Turkey joins Group D (USA, Paraguay, Australia)
- Czechia joins Group A (Mexico, South Africa, South Korea)
- Either Iraq or Bolivia will join Group I (France, Senegal, Norway)
- Either DR Congo or Jamaica will join Group K (Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia)
With just 70 days left until the FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11th and runs until July 19th, are you ready for the excitement?