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World Cup Fever Hits Peak: Five Countries Secure 2026 Spots in Playoff Thriller, Final Berth Awaits

"Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Turkey, Czechia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo all secured their tickets on Tuesday"

Samuel AkpanApril 1, 20261 Mins read51

Five countries have now officially booked their places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after navigating the European and intercontinental playoff routes, with only one final qualification spot left to be settled.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Turkey, Czechia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo all secured their tickets on Tuesday, following a series of hard-fought playoff fixtures.

The last remaining berth will be decided on Wednesday, April 1, when Iraq take on Bolivia in the concluding intercontinental playoff match.

The European qualification process was split into four separate paths, each delivering one team to the tournament that will be staged across the United States, Mexico, and Canada between June and July.

In Path A, Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced by defeating Italy on penalties after the final finished 1-1.

They had earlier progressed past Wales in a shootout during the semi-finals, while Italy had knocked out Northern Ireland to reach the decider.

Sweden claimed their ticket in Path B with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Poland in the final, having first eliminated Ukraine in the semi-final stage.

Turkey earned qualification in Path C through a narrow 1-0 win against Kosovo in the decisive match, after overcoming Romania in the semi-finals.

In Path D, Czechia triumphed over Denmark on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the final.

They had advanced to that stage by beating the Republic of Ireland via another shootout, while Denmark had comfortably defeated North Macedonia in their semi-final encounter.

On the intercontinental side, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Leopards ended a 52-year absence from the World Cup by beating Jamaica 1-0 in the playoff final at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.

After a barren draw at regular time, the contest went into extra time, where defender Axel Tuanzebe scored the winner in the 100th minute from a corner kick.

The victory completed a demanding campaign in which DR Congo had earlier overcome Cameroon and Nigeria.

This success makes the Leopards the tenth African nation to qualify for the tournament and marks their return to football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1974, when the country was still known as Zaire.