The qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end, with all groups now officially formed.
As reported by Idman.Biz, the decisive day of the playoff stage turned out to be intense and dramatic. In the European zone, the final tickets were secured by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Turkey and Czechia, while DR Congo and Iraq advanced through the intercontinental playoffs. Following these matches, the full lineup of all 48 participants of the tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada and Mexico, has been finalized.
The main storyline of the night was another collapse of Italy. The four-time world champions opened the scoring in their away match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 15th minute through Moise Kean, but shortly before halftime were reduced to ten men after Alessandro Bastoni was sent off. The hosts equalized in the 79th minute, pushed the game to penalties and won the shootout 4:1. For Italy, this marks a third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup after missing out in 2018 and 2022, while Bosnia and Herzegovina return to the tournament for the first time since 2014.
The clash between Sweden and Poland was equally thrilling, with the outcome decided in the closing stages. Sweden took the lead twice, Poland responded on both occasions, and the match seemed destined for extra time. However, in the 88th minute Viktor Gyokeres scored the decisive goal to secure a 3:2 victory. For Sweden, this result means a return to the World Cup after missing the 2022 edition, while the match itself became one of the most entertaining in the entire playoff round.
Special attention should also be given to Turkey. Vincenzo Montella’s side defeated Kosovo 1:0 in Pristina thanks to a goal from Kerem Akturkoglu in the 53rd minute, qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 2002. It is a significant milestone for the Turkish national team, whose last appearance at the tournament ended with a historic semi-final run. In another European final, Czechia drew 2:2 with Denmark in extra time and then prevailed in the penalty shootout, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
There was no shortage of drama in the intercontinental playoffs either. DR Congo edged Jamaica 1:0 in extra time, with Axel Tuanzebe scoring in the 100th minute, securing their first World Cup appearance since 1974. The final, 48th spot was claimed by Iraq, who defeated Bolivia 2:1 and returned to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. As a result, both European and intercontinental playoffs completed the qualification process and fully shaped the group stage lineup.
The 2026 World Cup groups are as follows:
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Czechia
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Sweden
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, DR Congo
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana.
