USMNT's Potential Opponents for Final World Cup Group Stage Match

By the time March ends, the U.S. men’s national team will know its entire group stage schedule for the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

While the USMNT will open against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles, before playing Australia on June 19 in Seattle, their final opponent on June 25, back in Los Angeles, has yet to be determined.

The March international window sees the USMNT take on already-qualified UEFA powerhouses, Portugal and Belgium, in Atlanta later this month, but the team will also be eyeing Europe, with Türkiye, Romania, Kosovo and Slovakia vying for the final spot in Group D.

The UEFA playoffs consist of two rounds, starting with semifinal matchups of Türkiye vs. Romania and Kosovo vs. Slovakia, with the winners advancing to a one-game showdown for the final spot in the USMNT’s group this summer.

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Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the playoff teams by their likelihood of qualifying.

UEFA World Cup Playoffs Path C

The UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff brackets. | UEFA

Semifinal — Türkiye vs. Romania

Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
Stadium: Tüpraş Stadium
Date: Thursday, March 26
Kick-off Time: 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT

Semifinal — Slovakia vs. Kosovo

Location: Bratislava, Slovakia,
Stadium: Štadión Tehelné pole
Date: Thursday, March 26
Kick-off Time: 3:45 p.m. ET/12:45 p.m. PT

UEFA Path C Final

Location: Türkiye or Romania
Stadium: TBD
Date: Tuesday, March 31
Kick-off Time: TBD

4. Romania

Romania, USMNT — Dennis Man (right) will play a critical role as Romania takes on the World Cup Qualifying playoffs. | Alex Nicodim/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Romania will need a near miracle to take down Türkiye in the semifinal. If they manage to, they will ride an immense wave of form into a final against a likely-beatable Slovakia or Kosovo—so, the pathway is there.

Led by manager Mircea Lucescu, they finished third in their qualifying group behind Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but managed an impressive 1–0 victory over Austria in the October window, before wrapping up with a 7–1 win against minnows, San Marino.

Any chance of qualifying will rely on the hope that the result against Austria gave them, as well as the leading talents of Radu Drăgușin and Dennis Man.

3. Kosovo

Vedat Muriqi is Kosovo’s difference-making talent in attack. | Alex Nicodim/NurPhoto/Getty Images

With talents spread across Europe’s top leagues, Kosovo could make history and qualify for a major tournament for the first time since declaring independence 16 years ago. They boast players across Serie A, including captain and center back Amir Rrahmani of Napoli and several also in the Bundesliga, notably 23-year-old TSG Hoffenheim star Fisnik Asllani.

However, their key to success will likely be 31-year-old striker Vedat Muriqi, who has been in potent form in La Liga this season, netting 18 goals in 28 matches, placing him second in the Golden Boot race, behind only France and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.

While they face a winnable match against Slovakia, given recent wins against Slovenia and Sweden in 2025, the test against Türkiye in a final could be a step too far.

2. Slovakia

Stanislav Lobotka, Slovakia — Stanislav Lobotka will look to lead Slovakia back to the FIFA World Cup. | Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

Slovakia stands a solid chance of qualifying, having reached the knockout rounds of two of the past three World Cups.

They finished second in their qualifying group, trailing only Germany for the automatic World Cup spot but outperforming both World Cup hopefuls, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. The margin with Germany came down to three points due to Slovakia’s loss to Northern Ireland—but they kept themselves in contention down to the final game with a 2–0 win over Germany back in September.

With the talents of Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka, Atlético Madrid’s Dávid Hancko and Fenerbahçe’s Milan Škriniar, the Slovaks have difference makers on their side. Still, they will need to rekindle their goal-scoring form, having netted just six goals in their final six games of group-stage qualifying.

1. Türkiye

Kenan Yıldız, Arda Güler — Arda Güler (left) and Kenan Yıldız (right) are hopeful to lead Türkiye to the 2026 World Cup. | Seskim Photo/MB Media/Getty Images

Türkiye is the heavy favorite in the playoff setup with the talents of Arda Güler, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Kenan Yıldız, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Barış Alper Yılmaz and Kerem Aktürkoğlu, among others, leading the squad.

They finished second in their qualifying group, only trailing Spain, the reigning European champions. If they had been in another pool, their performances likely would have already clinched World Cup qualification. Pressure is high for them to navigate the playoffs sucessfully.

While things won’t be simple against Romania, Türkiye enters in stellar form under manager Vincenzo Montella. Since losing to Spain in the fall, which eventually cost Türkiye automatic qualification, the team has strung together convincing wins against Georgia and Bulgaria and managed a 2–2 draw against La Roja in the final group-stage qualifying match.

They will look to dominate possession against Romania and be prepared for any counterattacks, likely the only strategy Romania could employ to overcome them in the semifinal. When it comes to the final match for a World Cup berth, their talents also overwhelm both Slovakia and Kosovo, at least on paper.

Should they reach the World Cup, they would provide a significant test for the USMNT as well, having beaten the Stars and Stripes 2–1 ahead of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.

USMNT's Potential Opponents for Final World Cup Group Stage Match—Ranked