The draw for FIFA's new play-off tournament has been made, featuring six teams vying for two qualification places

Six spots remain up for grabs at the 2026 World Cup, with four to emerge from Europe and a further two from an intercontinental playoff. What's the draw, and who will advance? We make our picks.

Having failed to qualify in 2018, the Netherlands reached the quarter-final in Qatar where they lost on penalties to Argentina in what has been dubbed ‘the Battle of Lusail’ after a World Cup record 18 yellow cards (and 1 red) were shown by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.

The picture for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is nearing completion, as 42 teams have now qualified for the 48-team tournament. Some European heavyweights booked their spots during this November international break – including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain – alongside some minnows of world football.

Scotland's celebrity supporters celebrated their national team's return to the World Cup finals.

Morocco made history in Qatar where they became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals. Having topped a group containing Canada, Croatia and Belgium they beat Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the final four and Croatia in the play-off.