Today, December 5th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington D.C., the draw for the final tournament of the 2026 World Cup took place. Ukraine among other playoff participants ended up in the fourth pot. 

As a reminder, according to the results of the playoff draw in the UEFA zone, Ukrainians will take Path B, where on their home field on March 26th they will face Sweden. In case of success in this confrontation, the Ukrainian national team will compete for a spot at the World Cup against Poland — Albania's winner.

UEFA Playoff Path to the 2026 World Cup

Path A

Semifinals

March 26, 2026

Italy — Northern Ireland

Wales — Bosnia and Herzegovina

Final

March 31, 2026

Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina — Italy/Northern Ireland

Path B

Semifinals

March 26, 2026

Ukraine — Sweden

Poland — Albania

Final

March 31, 2026

Ukraine/Sweden — Poland/Albania 

Path C

Semifinals

March 26, 2026

Turkey — Romania

Slovakia — Kosovo

Final

March 31, 2026

Slovakia/Kosovo — Turkey/Romania

Path D

Semifinals

March 26, 2026

Denmark — North Macedonia

Czech Republic — Ireland

Final

March 31, 2026

Czech Republic/Ireland — Denmark/North Macedonia

Photo UEFA

Intercontinental Playoff

Semifinals

March 26, 2026

New Caledonia — Jamaica

Bolivia — Suriname

Finals

March 31, 2026

New Caledonia/Jamaica — DR Congo

Bolivia/Suriname — Iraq

2026 World Cup Final Tournament

After the November international window, 42 participants in the tournament are known.

Hosts: USA, Canada, Mexico.

Europe: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Scotland.

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia.

Asia: Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia.

Africa: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Senegal, Ivory Coast.

CONCACAF: Panama, Curacao, Haiti.

Oceania: New Zealand.

The last six participants in the World Cup will be determined by the results of matches in March 2026: six national teams in the intercontinental playoff will compete for two spots, another four places will be decided in the European playoff involving 16 teams.

Photo FIFA

Results of the draw for the final tournament of the 2026 World Cup

Therefore, if Ukraine successfully advances through the UEFA playoff path, their team will enter Group F, where they will face Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, UEFA Playoff Path D winner.

Group B: Canada, UEFA Playoff Path A winner, Qatar, Switzerland.

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland.

Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Playoff Path C winner.

Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador.

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Playoff Path B winner, Tunisia.

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand.

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay.

Group I: France, Senegal, Intercontinental Playoff 2 winner, Norway.

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan.

Group K: Portugal, Intercontinental Playoff 1 winner, Uzbekistan, Colombia.

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama.

Photo: FIFA

The 2026 World Cup will be the first in history to feature 48 national teams in its final stage. Twelve groups of four teams each have been formed. The top two teams from each group and eight best third-place finishers advance to the round of 16.

Matches of the 23rd World Cup will take place in 16 cities. These include: Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey in Mexico, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle in the USA.

The opening match of the World Cup will take place on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, while the final will be held on July 19th in New York.

World Cup 2026 Final Tournament Schedule