World Cup 2026: When is the World Cup playoff draw? Confirmed fixtures, dates and who Scotland could play
Scotland will enter the World Cup playoffs if they fail to beat Denmark on Tuesday.
Scotland’s date with destiny arrives this week as they welcome Denmark to Hampden Park for a mammoth final World Cup qualification game in Glasgow.
The challenge is simple for Steve Clarke’s side heading into the game. Win the game, and qualification to next summer’s tournament is sealed as the winners of Group C. Fail to win, and Scotland must navigate a path to the tournament via the World Cup playoffs. On the brink of history, the Tartan Army will be hoping it is the former, rather than the latter.
That said, while a golden opportunity awaits them, failure to beat Denmark is by no means the end of the road. After all, qualification for the European Championships five years ago was sealed via a penalty shootout win over Serbia in the playoffs. In truth, the only thing that truly matters is that Scotland gets there, whichever route they must take.
Want to know who Scotland could face if they require the playoffs to qualify? Here is everything you need to know about the World Cup playoffs, when the draw is, how the draw works, and when the fixtures are scheduled to take place:
When is the World Cup playoff draw?
The draw for the World Cup playoffs will take place on Thursday 20 November, at 12pm UK time in Nyon, Switzerland.
How can I watch the World Cup playoff draw?
Supporters from around the world will be able to stream the draw live on FIFA.com, viewers in the UK can also watch live via the BBC Sport website.
When are the World Cup playoffs?
The semi-final is scheduled to be played on Thursday 26 March 2026, and is a one off tie and not two-legged.
Those who advance through the semi-final stage will then enter a playoff final, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 31 March 2026, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup next summer.
As part of UEFA’s scheduling, the losing semi-finalists will play a friendly match against each other on the day of the finals.
How does World Cup playoff draw work?
The draw for the World Cup playoffs will consist of 16 teams, with teams to play a semi-final and final. Each round is a single leg. The 12 group runners-up from World Cup qualifying will enter the draw, alongside the four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners who have not already qualified will be in the draw.
Those 16 teams will then be entered into a draw that includes four play-off paths. There will be four teams in each, making up two semi-finals, and a final.
Who could Scotland face?
The 12 group runners-up will be placed into pots 1, 2, or 3, with seeding to be determined after the qualifying stage has ended. The seedings are done based on the FIFA rankings system, with teams placed in pot 1 and 2 classified as ‘home team’ seeds. Pot 3 will be unseeded and away from home along with teams from Pot 4, which will be made up for the Nations League qualifying teams.
In the semi-final stage, nations in pot 1 will be drawn against a pot 4 team, with nations in pot 2 drawn against teams in pot 3. With the semi-final being a one off tie, rather than two-legged, teams in pot 1 and pot 2 will be given home advantage.
Should Scotland fail to beat Denmark on Tuesday night, they will enter the draw for the World Cup playoffs are are likely to be either a pot two or a pot three team. While it is yet to be confirmed, it’s expected that Italy, Poland, Ukraine and Türkiye will be the pot one sides on the basis of the current standings in the main qualification phase. This means Scotland are likely to face one of Slovakia, Kosovo, Hungary, Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, and Czech Republic as it stands, with these nations projected to be in pot two and three teams as things stand.
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