Gevonta Davis has not won a fight since June 2024 but remains as the WBA’s champion-in-recess. Now, the man hoping to succeed Davis as WBA champion has demanded that the Baltimore-born fighter is removed from that position.

Davis drew with Lamont Roach Jr in his lone outing of 2025, meaning that he has not won a contest since knocking out Frank Martin almost two years ago. However, out-of-ring issues are largely behind the inactivity of the 31-year-old, which have led to him losing his WBA lightweight world title.

Davis has been named as the champion-in-recess rather than stripped entirely, meaning that he could be reinstated as full champion in the future or mandated to fight any new champion upon his return.

It had been believed that number one contender Floyd Schofield, ‘Kid Austin’, would take on either Lucas Bahdi or Roach in a clash for the now-vacant belt, but an announcement has yet to take place.

Posting on X, Schofield has spoken out and demanded that the WBA strip Davis of his title or mandate a fight between he and ‘Tank’.

“It’s so much politics with boxing and belts. I think we may just fight to put on great fights and vacate the WBA Boxing titles.

“If WBA Boxing and Golden Boy can not get a fight for the World Title, do we need them[?]

“They need to mandate KID vs Tank or strip him.”

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Schofield’s outburst, combined with the delayed confirmation of a bout to determine a new champion, could potentially be a sign that Davis may soon be reinstated as champion, with a pending court case expected to determine how soon before ‘Tank’ returns to action.

Tom Brady may have only worn the helmets of two different teams in his NFL career, but in his post-playing journey, he’s become a man of many hats.

Brady is the Chief Wellness Officer of eMed Population Health, a lead broadcaster with FOX and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders – among other things.

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Fox Sports announcer Kevin Burkhardt (left) with Tom Brady on the field before Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

While he appeared on FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria” on Thursday to talk about his role with eMed, anchor Maria Bartiromo asked the seven-time Super Bowl champion whether he would ever consider becoming a majority owner of an NFL team.

“Great question. I gotta work pretty hard. I paid ordinary income taxes for a very long time in the NFL,” he said. “And these valuations have gotten very expensive.”

PATRICK MAHOMES THROWING FOOTBALL AGAIN THREE MONTHS AFTER ACL TEAR

Founders FFC quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws ball against Logan Paul of Wildcats FFC during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO stadium on March 21, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Brady said he enjoys the roles he currently has and joked about not getting booed anymore when he walks into a stadium.

“But I love playing the role I have,” he continued. “I certainly love my role at FOX and broadcasting has been … I could never have imagined the joy I find being able to be on camera with my great partner Kevin Burkhardt, our entire team, and communicating to all our fans how incredible the game of football is and how sports brings together communities. I see it every week when I go to these amazing stadiums and it feels really nice walking into stadiums and not getting booed by everybody anymore. There’s more cheers than I realize, like, ‘Oh man, maybe they respected me a little more than I thought.’

Former quarterback Tom Brady, left, gestures before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.  (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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“So, having this role in broadcasting, being involved in football with the Raiders has absolutely been a dream come true and also making a difference in other people’s lives, trying to share some of the things in my mind that I’ve learned from incredible mentors, trying to inspire through the different people that have come into my life, to communicate the messages that I’ve been able to get that have helped me live my dream. And I want to do that for others.”

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Like so many Brazilians, Thiago Pessao was captured by the World Cup as a child. By the time the tournament came to his homeland in 2014, it was a full blown obsession. He attended 23 games in that tournament and 17 in Russia four years later. Only Brazil’s early exit and an agreement with his wife to leave on their departure stopped him racking up even bigger numbers in Qatar 2022.

In short, Pessao is committed to the World Cup – Brazil and beyond. But even he is struggling to justify the cost and hassle of the largely US hosted expanded tournament this time round.

He estimates he has spent $30-40,000 (€26,000 to €35,000) already. Tickets to Brazil’s group stage matches in New Jersey, Philadephia and Miami and likely round-of-32 match in Houston have cost upwards of $4000, the return air trip to Brazil $5000, and a combination of internal flights, accommodation, further match tickets and spending money are adding up fast.

He estimates he spent a little more than $10,000 in Qatar (with tickets being the main point of difference) and even less at previous tournaments.

If record winners Brazil go all the way to the final, his bill will increase still further – and that’s without attending the neutral games that are normally part of his World Cup ritual.

”I love to watch a lot of games. But for this World Cup, the tickets are too expensive, so my plan right now is only to follow Brazil,” he told DW. “A final ticket is costing $4,000 or $5,000 [the current cheapest ticket is $4,185]. I think it’s too much but my feeling is that if Brazil is in the final, I have to be there. Maybe other people will think differently, but for me, the motivation is there.”

High prices, hostile atmosphere

Pessao had a ticket for the 2022 final, which he re-sold. But he said the dynamic pricing introduced for the 2026 tournament and a lack of demand on FIFA’s new ticket exchange portal to pay the high current prices and fees before knowing the fixtures means he’s prepared to wait and see this time around.

His is a fortunate position, with such budgets and flexibility a pipe dream for many, especially those from qualifying countries with lower average incomes.

To some degree, this is always the case at World Cups. Usually it’s tempered somewhat by cheaper tickets and travel packages for fans of countries who have followed the team throughout qualifying. Though FIFA introduced a small number of $60 tickets in December following fan pressure, the sort of vibrant fan marches, dances and songs that usually mark a World Cup may be notable by their absence, thinks Pessao, who also worries about how the political climate will impact foreign visitors like him.

“Compared to other World Cups, I’m a bit more concerned about how the hostility and the surroundings will affect things. I think that the presence of ICE in the stadiums or in the cities will bring the atmosphere down.”

That’s also a concern for USA fan Adaer Melgar. He started putting away $100 a month when the World Cup was handed to his homeland eight years ago and was expecting high prices.

Despite living close to the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, making things as cheap as they could realistically be, he was still shocked by how much the experience will cost him.

‘Money-grab’ makes tournament unaffordable

“I feel like I went into the ticket buy-in process with a level head, with the understanding that it was going to be pretty expensive, but it’s still greatly exceeded my own expectations,” he said. His six tickets for two non-US matches cost him $3,400.

“I’m dealing with my own ethical qualms right now, wanting to boycott the World Cup because of the [Donald Trump] administration and the way FIFA’s going about it. For example, they’re charging to get into the fan zone. That’s never been done before. I feel like it’s a big money grab.”

While Pessao and Melgar are picking their way through their reservations, for some the relentless expense and perceived hostility mean they feel they must stay at home. Bengt Kunkel is the Stimmungsmacher (fan leader/atmosphere maker) for the German national team and has made that call. He estimates the average cost to German fans of attending their three group stage matches at between €5,000 and €8,000.

“As an ordinary person you really have no chance of affording this tournament,” he said, adding that new social media checks on visitors to the US were also a factor in his decision.

Kunkel is not alone in his reservations. On Tuesday, European consumer group Euroconsumers and fan group Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint against FIFA alleging breaches of the Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits abuses of a dominant market position. Among the complaints are pricing, FIFA’s resale platform (where both buyer and seller are charged a 15% fee), dynamic pricing and what they describe as pressure selling tactics.

“Emails to fans claimed “exclusive access” to a “limited” ticket window that doesn’t reflect reality. By creating artificial urgency, FIFA pressured fans into making rushed decisions,” the statement said.

Visa delays and travel bans frustrate fans

The previous two World Cups have also had a fast-track, temporary visa process. While the new FIFA PASS offers the “opportunity to obtain an expedited visa interview, if needed” FIFA have been clear that tickets are no guarantee of a visa. That has proved particularly problematic for some fans including those of first-time qualifiers, Jordan. Several fans DW spoke to said their visa applications had been held up or rejected and, with the embassy currently shuttered due to the US-Israel war with Iran, hope is in short supply.

“We ask for help from the US Embassy to look closely at the Jordanian fans’ applications. We applied, but we didn’t hear any answer until now. Our applications are stuck there,” said Jordan fan Ghazi Al Samouee.

On Wednesday, the US State Department added 12 countries to a list of countries from which it demands visitors post bonds of as much as $15,000. Qualifiers Tunisia have been added while Algeria, and Cape Verde were among the World Cup teams already on the list.

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Some fans won’t even be able to get as far as thinking about a visa. While Iran’s participation seems unlikely, given the war, people from Senegal, Haiti and Ivory Coast are on Trump’s travel ban list and won’t be able to go to the tournament unless they have an alternative passport. That’s despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino promising in 2025 that: “Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year.”

Donald Trump receives first FIFA peace prize

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“If we’re not accepted as supporters, our teams shouldn’t go and neither should we as supporters,” one Senegal fan told DW at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. “We are the strength of these competitions. Without spectators, there’s no one. Without spectators, there is no sport, there is no entertainment.”

Infantino and FIFA have repeatedly expressed strong sentiment about the importance of fans to a World Cup.

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“The world needs occasions of unity, of bringing teams together, of bringing people together, of bringing fans together,” Infantino said in the same statement last year.

Whether they are banned from traveling, feel uneasy about their safety, can’t get visas or just can’t afford it, fans around the world are struggling to feel welcomed in the US.

Dana Sumlaji and Thomas Klein contributed to this story.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

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Conor Benn has opened up on his one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, revealing the one key condition that he had when deciding the leave Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom for Dana White’s new company.

White launched Zuffa Boxing, a joint venture between Sela and TKO Group, with the goal of disrupting the sport – introducing a UFC-esque approach to promoting with less weight-classes and his own championship belts taking precedence over the more traditional WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF.

However, in an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, Benn has now revealed that he still intends to fight for the WBC world title this year, with that being his standout demand when negotiating the deal after years of targeting the belt.

“I made sure nothing would change, I want the WBC world title this year; that is a must.

“I don’t know the politics of it all or what has been said, I don’t know what Zuffa are doing but I will fight for the [WBC] world title by the end of the year.”

How Zuffa will work with the four major sanctioning bodies remains to be seen, but Jai Opetaia being stripped of his IBF crown this week signalled that it may not be plain sailing.

Benn debuts with Zuffa Boxing in two weeks’ time, taking on Regis Prograis in a 150lb catchweight affair on the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov undercard on Saturday, April 11.

In the same interview, he reiterated that the deal was for one fight only and he is not yet sure what the future holds. The Brit is currently number one challenger with the WBC at welterweight, and is aiming for a shot at champion Ryan Garcia.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri enters the final year of his contract at the end of this season

“Rodri will play better and then everyone will play better.” That was the message from Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City midfielder completed his first full 90 minutes since a hamstring injury in the defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Ballon d’Or winner has been the key component for Guardiola’s City.

When Kalvin Phillips arrived from Leeds in 2022, the idea was for him to relieve some of the pressure on Rodri. Trying to compete across all competitions is taxing and City felt Phillips, who was one of England’s most promising midfielders at the time, could do that job.

Guardiola soon realised that Phillips could not replace what Rodri brings to City and it ultimately ruined his career in Manchester. When the Spaniard picked up an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last season, the Blues suffered and eventually managed to squeeze into the Champions League after a difficult season.

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“Do you know how much we miss him?” Guardiola asked before the first match of 2026. “Playing without the best player in the world two seasons ago, our main player when we won the Treble, playing 70 games, for one year and a half without him?

“We want him back here right now and he is suffering and wants to come back but I want to protect him. Minimise the risks. This is what we want. He wants and I want and the medical team want him to return. Tell me one team without the best player for a year and half not here – they would all suffer.

“Rodri is another level of a player when he plays. If he came on for the last 20 minutes vs Fulham and just his presence without even touching the ball for the next 10 players [they would feel] safe and they play better even if he doesn’t touch the ball.

“Just for the fact he’s there. We haven’t had it for one year and a half. There are players who are irreplaceable – not just because of how good they play but how they create [time and space for] the other ones.”

Rodri will never doubt how much City and Guardiola rate him but that does not mean he will stay until retirement. This week, the midfielder was quizzed about returning to La Liga and, in particular, signing for Real Madrid.

His response gave little in the way of comfort for City supporters. “I mean, there have been many players who have gone down that path, right?” He replied when asked if he could play for Real after representing Atletico Madrid.

“And especially not directly, but over time… You can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.” He added: “I’d like to return, yes, obviously.”

Those six words should send alarm bells ringing for City. The Blues are already bracing themselves for losing Bernardo Silva in the summer.

City’s captain is out of contract and has dropped more hints than a little about leaving the Etihad Stadium in the past few years. But if Rodri is also thinking about the next chapter, suddenly the Blues are needing to overhaul the core of their midfield.

Guardiola has never stood in the way of any player pursuing a new chapter. However, replacing a player of Rodri’s ability will be costly.

Rodri has repaid his £62.6m transfer fee and then some but if he has decided his time in Manchester is up, City would prefer to bring in some money for him. From the player’s side, he will also be anxious not to let a chance of returning to Madrid slip away.

He has suffered two serious injuries in the past two seasons and Real could look elsewhere if he were to pick up another long-term problem between now and his contract expiring in 2027. That will be playing on Rodri’s mind heading into this summer.

City won’t have expected to lose Rodri at the end of this season but now it will be at the forefront of their mind. The Blues could try to offer him a new deal with exceptional terms but if his heart is set on Madrid, there is little City can do to ease this transfer headache.

While the captains’ meet is an omen for fans to truly gear up for a new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it is also an opportunity for the umpires to clarify certain rules to the skippers. On the eve of IPL 2026, the umpires have clarified to the captains of all 10 teams regarding the legality of catches. Teams have been instructed that a catch will only be considered legal if the fielder has complete control over both the ball and their body before any celebration takes place.

Elite umpire Nitin Menon and former India pacer and renowned match referee Javagal Srinath emphasised on this aspect during the captains’ meet. The rules were clarified over a 90-minute session.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stressed on the importance of rule, which is stated as per Clause 33.3.

“The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his own movement.”

The officials present showed several video clips, including from the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2026, to specify the exact legalities of catches.

IPL 2026 Captains’ Meet

Captains from all 10 franchises attended the meeting, which was expected to focus on key playing conditions, rule clarifications, and operational aspects for the new season.

Among those present were Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill and Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya. Speaking briefly to the media, Gill said, “The meeting was very good.”

Other captains in attendance included Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Ishan Kishan, Lucknow Super Giants leader Rishabh Pant, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar, Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag and Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel were also part of the meeting.

The discussions are expected to cover a wide range of topics, including the innings timer (60-second clock), the Impact Player rule, the concussion substitute protocol and the code of conduct regulations.

The meeting serves as a customary curtain-raiser ahead of every IPL season, ensuring clarity and uniform understanding of rules among team leaders before the tournament gets underway.

With ANI inputs

The head of Senegal’s football governing body has vowed to launch a “crusade” against the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip the nation of its Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title.

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has warned that the controversial ruling could fundamentally alter the landscape of global football and undermine the long-held principle that refereeing decisions are final.

Abdoulaye Fall, president of the FSF, declared: “In the face of this administrative robbery, the FSF refuses fatality. We will fight a moral and legal crusade.”

The FSF’s legal team, representing the ruling body, condemned the CAF decision as “so crude, so absurd, so irrational.”

Lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo Perez stated: “It openly violates the Laws of the Game and the principle that refereeing decisions are final. (If CAS would rule against Senegal), the winners of the next World Cup could be decided in law firms rather than on the pitch.”

The FSF lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Wednesday.

The dispute arose after Senegal were deemed to have forfeited the final in Rabat on 18 January. They had walked off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco, though they later returned to score a goal in extra time, winning the game 1-0.

Serge Vittoz, part of the six-lawyer team in Paris, confirmed they are seeking to expedite the CAS process.

“Such a procedure usually last nine to 12 months but we want it to go faster. However, all parties must agree to it,” Vittoz explained.

Despite the CAF ruling, Vittoz maintained that Senegal remains the African champions, arguing that the decision to overturn the result lacked proper explanation.

“To be valid, a decision must be explained. It has not been, so Senegal are still African champions,” he asserted.

Senegal, who have qualified for this year’s World Cup, are set to play Peru in a friendly in Paris on Saturday.

When asked if the trophy would be presented to fans at the Stade de France, Mr Fall cryptically responded: “I’ll see you at the Stade de France on March 28.”

How do World Cup playoffs work? Explaining format, pathway for teams and more for UEFA, intercontinental versions originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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As countries all around the world hope to be amongst the 48 nations participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the final spots in the tournament field are being filled.

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Now that the World Cup draw has been completed and 42 of the 48 nations have cemented their places at the final tournament, there are just the six playoff participants yet to be determined to fill out the field.

Those places will be filled by the UEFA and intercontinental playoffs, which take place just three months before the World Cup commences in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Sporting News details all you need to know about the playoffs, including who will participate, how they qualified, and the format by which the competition will be contested.

2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets

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What are the World Cup playoffs?

The World Cup playoffs are two mini-tournaments that offer certain teams another route into the finals if they failed to qualify automatically.

There are two different World Cup playoffs: one for European (UEFA) teams, and another comprising nations from different confederations (the intercontinental playoffs).

Since UEFA gets 16 spots at the newly expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, they have their own playoff tournament for the last of those four places. The rest of the world, meanwhile, contests an inter-confederation playoff to determine the final two participants at the tournament.

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The winners of the six different playoff pathways were assigned to Pot 4 for the World Cup group-stage draw in December, meaning they can expect to face a more difficult tournament than if they had qualified automatically.

UEFA playoffs

In UEFA World Cup qualifying for 2026, there were 54 participants hoping to secure one of Europe’s 16 places at the competition.

Those 54 nations were spread out between 12 groups. While the group winner advanced to the World Cup automatically, the runners-up were placed in a knockout bracket along with a few UEFA Nations League qualifiers to determine four more participants.

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FIFA intercontinental playoffs

The intercontinental playoffs, officially known as either the inter-confederation playoffs or the World Cup playoff tournament, is the final pathway for teams hoping to qualify for the World Cup.

Started in 1998 as a one-off matchup between an Asian and Oceania qualifier, it has grown gradually into the six-team tournament it is today. The 2026 edition comprises one nation from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC confederations, and two from CONCACAF.

Each four-year cycle, as the format of World Cup qualification shifts with the times, the intercontinental playoffs also change slightly to fit the back-end of the qualifying system.

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How do the playoffs work?

The UEFA and intercontinental editions have different entry methods, and the European version has a larger field, but each is essentially the same format: a single-elimination tournament in which teams will compete to reach a final, the winners of which will qualify for the World Cup.

2026 UEFA playoffs format

The second-place teams in each of the 16 UEFA qualifying groups advance to the playoffs, along with the four best-ranked group winners from the latest UEFA Nations League who failed to qualify automatically for the World Cup.

The teams are split into four pathways, each with four teams, contesting a four-team mini-bracket to determine the final qualifiers.

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Both semifinals and finals are single-elimination matches, with extra time and penalties used if necessary to determine a winner. The host of each path’s final was chosen by a random draw. The seeded teams play their semifinals at home.

Pathway 1

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 2

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 3

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 4

Semifinal

Final

2026 intercontinental playoffs format

The six participants were broken into two three-team brackets, with each bracket producing one qualifier.

The brackets were filled out by the draw, which took place on November 20 at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Teams were seeded based on FIFA ranking, with the top two seeds earning a bye to their bracket’s final, while the other four teams contest the semifinals.

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Pathway 1

Semifinal

Final

Pathway 2

Semifinal

Final

Which teams are playing in the World Cup playoffs?

Six teams will contest the 2026 FIFA intercontinental playoff, producing the final two World Cup participants. In the UEFA edition, 16 teams will compete for another two spots in the tournament proper.

Teams in UEFA playoffs

In the UEFA playoffs, the 12 group runners-up are joined by four qualifiers from the UEFA Nations League.

First up are the highest-ranked group winners yet to qualify, from League A all the way down to League D. If there are fewer than four of those remaining yet to qualify, they move to the highest-ranked group runners-up from the Nations League.

Teams in intercontinental playoffs

Each confederation will produce one participant, while CONCACAF will have two. The below table details how they qualified for this phase.

When are the World Cup playoffs?

Both the UEFA and intercontinental playoffs will be contested in the March FIFA international window.

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All semifinals are on March 26, with the finals on March 31.

At the conclusion of these events, all 48 World Cup participants for the 2026 tournament will be confirmed.

Where are the World Cup playoffs played?

In the UEFA playoffs, the seeded teams play their semifinals at home. The home teams for the finalists are determined by a draw conducted in advance.

This is different to how the inter-confederation playoffs are staged.

Traditionally, the FIFA intercontinental playoffs are hosted by the same host nation that the coming World Cup will be contested in.

With the 2026 World Cup set to be played across three countries (USA, Canada, and Mexico), FIFA confirmed what the governor of Mexican province Nuevo Leon, Samuel Garcia gave away a month prior — that the intercontinental playoffs will be held in Mexico.

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Two venues will hold two matches each — Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

Where will the playoff winners be drawn at the World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw on December 6, 2025 set the matchups for the 2026 tournament.

With the playoff participants not yet known at the time of the draw, all playoff winners were entered into Pot 4 and drawn accordingly.

The UEFA playoff winners were drawn into groups A, B, D, and F. The intercontinental playoff winners were drawn into groups I and K.

Group A table

The UEFA Playoff D qualifier will be either Czechia, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, or North Macedonia

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Group A fixtures

STADIUM GUIDES:Estadio Azteca | Estadio Akron | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Estadio BBVA

Group B table

The UEFA Playoff A qualifier will be either Italy, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Bosnia & Herzegovina

Group B fixtures

STADIUM GUIDES:BMO Field | Levi’s Stadium | SoFi Stadium | BC Place | Lumen Field

Group D table

The UEFA Playoff C qualifier will be either Slovakia, Turkey, Kosovo, or Romania

Group D fixtures

STADIUM GUIDES:SoFi Stadium | BC Place | Levi’s Stadium | Lumen Field

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Group F table

The UEFA Playoff B qualifier will be either Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, or Albania

Group F fixtures

Group I table

The FIFA Intercontinental Playoff 2 qualifier will be either Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname.

Group I fixtures

Group K table

The FIFA Intercontinental Playoff 1 qualifier will be either DR Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia.

Group K fixtures

World Cup playoff history, past results

UEFA playoffs

UEFA has been using a playoff system since 2010, when they were removed from contention at the intercontinental playoff and broken off into their own system.

In the first iteration of the UEFA playoff, eight teams qualified and were matched up by random draw in four two-legged pairings to determine the four qualifiers. It remained this way until the 2022 cycle when it was changed to the current format.

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While there were only three playoff qualifiers at in 2022, that has been moved to four with the expansion to 48 teams for the 2026 competition.

Intercontinental playoffs

This is the first year that six teams will participate in the intercontinental playoff.

The first edition of the intercontinental playoff was just two teams, as Iran and Australia matched up for a two-legged playoff to determine the final World Cup participant.

From 2002 all the way until 2022, the intercontinental playoff saw four teams participate, pushing for two qualifying spots.

* Progressed via away goals rule after 3-3 aggregate draw

Man Utd youngster Kai Rooney has confirmed he is out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury recently.

Manchester United academy youngster Kai Rooney has picked up an injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season and deny him the chance of featuring in the Under-18s bid for FA Youth Cup glory.

Rooney, 16, was part of the Under-16s side that won the Premier League Shield and the academy prospect has featured for Darren Fletcher’s Under-18s at times this season.

It has been a productive campaign for the forward, who is following in the footsteps of dad Wayne by trying to earn a career at Old Trafford, but the injury he has picked up will bring it to a premature end.

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“Disappointed to be out for the rest of the season. Back stronger next pre-season,” Rooney wrote on Instagram on Thursday morning.

Rooney picked up an injury earlier in the campaign as well, but he will still look back on 2025/26 fondly, having also won the Super Cup NI with the younger age group.

He also earned his breakthrough with the Under-18s. He has two goals and an assist in six U18 Premier League fixtures, with that tally coming in just 119 minutes of action.

The youngster also made his first appearance at OId Trafford, playing 21 minutes in the FA Youth Cup fourth-round win against Derby County, while he was an unused substitute in the quarter-final success against Sunderland.

It promises to be a thrilling end to the campaign for the Under-18s, who face Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, play the same opponents at Selhurst Park in the Premier League Cup final and are locked in a battle with Manchester City at the top of the league.

Having come off the bench in the last three games, Rooney would have been hoping to play his part in the charge for silverware until his injury blow.

Mohamed Salah is to leave Liverpool at the end of this season, the Premier League champions announced Tuesday ending an “illustrious” nine years on Merseyside.

The 33-year-old Egypt forward arrived at Anfield from Roma in 2017 and has made 435 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 255 goals.

Salah’s form has dipped in his ninth year at Anfield, to such an extent that he was dropped for a stretch of games late last year – leading to the winger telling reporters in an impromptu interview that the club “has thrown me under the bus”.

“Unfortunately the day has come,” Salah said in a post on Instagram Tuesday.

“I never imagined,” he added, “how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life. Liverpool is not just a football club. It’s a passion, it’s a history, it’s a spirit. I can’t explain in words to anyone not part of this club.”

2025 AFCON: Egypt begins its bid to win tournament with Mohamed Salah

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