20.11.2025 16:11
The Turkish National Football Team's opponent in the World Cup play-offs is Romania. If the National Team overcomes Romania, they will face the winner of the Slovakia - Kosovo match away from home.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup playoff stage was held at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, with a ceremony taking place at 15:00 TRT.
OUR OPPONENT IS ROMANIA
Turkey, which finished second in Group E, will face Romania in the playoff stage. If our national football team wins the first match, they will play the final match against the winner of the Kosovo-Slovakia matchup. The 16 teams participating in the playoff round will compete in four different playoff paths, each containing four teams.
FIRST MATCH IN TURKEY
Our national team will be placed in Pot 1 due to its higher ranking and will face a team from Pot 4, which will come from the Nations League, in the semi-finals. Teams in Pot 2 will also face their opponents from Pot 3 in this round. Teams in Pots 1 and 2 will play their first matches at home, while the potential host countries for the final matches will be determined by a draw held on the same day.
MATCHES ON MARCH 26-31
The playoff matches will be played in a single-elimination format for the semi-finals and finals on March 26, 2026, and March 31, 2026.
The four teams that advance through the four different playoff paths and gain superiority over their opponents in the final will qualify to compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
The playoff matchups for the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers are as follows;
- Path A: Italy - Northern Ireland winner / Wales - Bosnia and Herzegovina winner
- Path B: Ukraine - Sweden winner / Poland - Albania winner
- Path C: Turkey - Romania winner / Slovakia - Kosovo winner
- Path D: Denmark - North Macedonia winner / Czech Republic - Republic of Ireland winner