TIRANA, Nov 18 /ATA/ – Albania will face Poland and Kosovo will play Slovakia in the playoff round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, following the draw held at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Thursday.
Both Albania and Kosovo were placed in Pot 3, avoiding a head-to-head matchup. Each team will play its first match away from home in a single-leg tie, as Pot 2 teams hold higher coefficients and therefore receive home advantage.
If the match ends in a draw, it will go to extra time and, if still level, to a penalty shootout.
Winners of the initial playoff ties will then advance to a two-legged round, with home advantage determined by a fresh draw, removing the ranking advantage used in the first stage.
If Albania advance, they will meet the winner of Ukraine vs. Sweden for a place at the tournament in North America.
Kosovo would face the winner of Turkey vs. Romania should they overcome Slovakia.
The playoff semi-finals are scheduled for March 26, 2026, and the finals for March 31, 2026.
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