Iraq was the final team to qualify, triumphing over Bolivia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament held at Monterrey Stadium, Mexico, thus earning the last position in Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Norway. This concluded a global qualifying campaign that spanned 899 matches over 937 days.
The day unfolded with intense excitement across Europe, where the remaining four of the continent’s 16 representatives were confirmed. Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Türkiye, and Sweden emerged victorious in thrilling play-off matches to secure their spots in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups A (Czechia), B (Bosnia and Herzegovina), D (Türkiye), and F (Sweden) respectively.
Attention then shifted to Mexico, where the co-hosts played a pivotal role in determining the last two places. DR Congo fans can eagerly anticipate a match against Portugal on 17 June in Houston, Texas, after their team edged past Jamaica 1-0 in Guadalajara to secure the final spot in Group K.
It was a fitting conclusion to the qualifying campaign, with Iraq and Bolivia facing off for the last berth. Iraq (21) participated in the most matches during qualifying, while Bolivia—along with United Arab Emirates and Indonesia—played 20 matches. Aymen Hussein of Iraq scored the last of the 2,527 goals recorded in the global qualifying campaign, averaging 2.8 goals per game, bringing an end to a journey that began on September 7, 2023.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament also acted as an excellent rehearsal for the venues in Guadalajara and Monterrey, which will jointly host eight matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026, drawing a total of 163,799 fans for four matches across the two matchdays.
