Sweden, Turkiye, Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina win in playoffs, qualify for 2026 World Cup
Sweden, Turkiye, Czechia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are all heading to the 2026 World Cup this summer after the quartet claimed Europe's final four places via the qualification playoffs on Tuesday. MORE — World Cup group stage schedule | Ranking the kits | World Cup odds Sweden qualified by beating Poland 3-2 on home soil in Solna, with Anthony Elanga scoring the opener and Viktor Gyokeres bagging the winner in the 88th minute. The Swedes failed to qualify in 2022 after reaching the quarterfinals in 2018.
Turkiye haven't been to the World Cup since 2002, when they finished 3rd in South Korea and Japan. This is only their third time qualifying after making their debut in 1954. Kerem Akturkoglu scored the only goal as Turkiye beat Kosovo 1-0 in Pristina.
It's a similar story for Czechia, who had only qualified once for the World Cup (2006) since the turn of the millennium. The Czechs went ahead of Denmark after just three minutes, before conceding the equalizer (Joachim Andersen) in the 72nd. Ladislav Krejci scrambled home a corner kick 10 minutes into extra-time, but again the Danes equalized through Kasper Hogh in the 112th.
It was a nightmare shootout for Denmark, though, as Rasmus Hojlund hit the crossbar, Anders Dreyer was stopped by Matej Kovar and Mathias Jensen blazed one into the night sky in Prague. MORE — World Cup base camps: Where will each time stay this summer? Czechia will join Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B. Turkiye will join the United States, Paraguay and Australia in Group D. Sweden will join the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia in Group F.