The path to the FIFA World Cup 2026 will take a significant step forward next week in Washington D.C., where the final draw for the tournament will take place.

FIFA has released the official draw procedures, confirming where the Republic of Ireland's play-off path winner will be seeded.

It has been confirmed that the placeholder for UEFA Play-Off Path D — which includes the Republic of Ireland, Czechia, Denmark, and North Macedonia — has been placed in Pot 4 for the draw. This means that should Ireland successfully navigate the play-offs in March, our group at the World Cup will include one team from each of Pot 1, Pot 2, and Pot 3.

FIFA’s draw constraints also stipulate that a group can contain a maximum of two teams from UEFA. This means that should the winner of our play-off path be drawn into a group with a European nation from Pot 1, 2, or 3, we would then avoid being drawn with any other UEFA opponent.

To take our place at the tournament, the team must first overcome the crucial play-off hurdle in March. As previously confirmed, Ireland will face Czechia in Semi-Final 8, with the winner advancing to play the winner of the Denmark vs. North Macedonia semi-final for a place at the World Cup.

Republic of Ireland Head Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson will lead an FAI delegation travelling to Washington for the draw next week. The draw will be on at 5pm (Irish Time) on Friday, December 5, live on FIFA.com and RTE, with the match schedule, assigning each match to a stadium with its respective kick-off time, set to be confirmed the following day on Saturday, December 6.