With less than a year to the World Cup, the list of classified teams is increasing, but there are also teams that will have a “second chance” in search of the long -awaited vacancy.
The recap is the last way for those who still want to be in the largest tournament of teams in the world. This will be the first edition of a World Cup with 48 teams. between June and July 2026.
How was the recap
Until the 2022 World Cup, at Qatar, the recap had the duels between South America’s selections against Asia and Africa representatives against Oceania.
In Europe, 12 teams were divided into three groups in the recap. The top three were classified.
How the new format works
Will be Six teams playing a playoff. Two participants.
The tournament will be decided in four games and two phases. The two best selections of the FIFA ranking, among the six participants, enter the final phase.
In the previous phase, the clashes of the remaining four teams will be defined by lot. The winners of the two duels dispute the two vacancies against the best of the ranking.
The clashes of the recap will be played in at least one of the host countries and will serve as a test for the World Cup. The games take place in March 2026.
Remember that Europe is still the only continent with “its own recap”. UEFA is entitled to 16 vacancies in the World Cup, 12 directly and four via recap.
Division of vacancies for the World Cup
- Europa: 16 direct vacancies and no vacancy in the recap
- South America: 6 direct vacancies and 1 vacancy in the recap
- North and Central America: 6 direct vacancies and 2 vacancies in the recap
- Asia: 8 direct vacancies and 1 vacancy in the recap
- Africa: 9 direct vacancies and 1 vacancy in the recap
- Oceania: 1 direct vacancy and 1 vacancy in the recap
