FIFA announced on Wednesday that the stadiums in Guadalajara and Monterrey, both located in Mexico, will host the intercontinental playoff that will determine the last two berths for the 2026 World Cup. The tournament will take place from March 23 to 31 and will feature six national teams fighting to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

Six Teams Competing for Two World Cup Spots

The Mexican venues will stage the decisive matchups between Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia and New Caledonia, the six national teams that will battle for a chance to qualify for the World Cup hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada.

Both stadiums will also serve as venues during the World Cup itself. The Guadalajara stadium will host four group-stage matches, while the Monterrey venue will hold three group games and one round-of-32 match. FIFA highlighted the atmosphere and infrastructure of both stadiums as ideal settings for high-stakes international competition.

“The intensity, the emotion and the unique atmosphere that will accompany this tournament find a fitting home in these stadiums,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in an official statement.

Draw Will Determine the Playoff Match Schedule

The playoff draw will take place this Thursday at FIFA headquarters in Zurich at 13:00 CET (12:00 GMT). Once the matchups are set, FIFA will release the full tournament schedule, which will be available live on the organization’s official website.

So far, 42 of the 48 nations that will compete in the 2026 World Cup have been confirmed. In addition to the three hosts — Canada, United States and Mexico — teams already qualified include Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Panama, Curaçao, Haiti, England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Scotland, Switzerland and New Zealand.