Four-time World Cup winners Italy are set to face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European playoffs for the 2026 tournament, while Ukraine will go up against a star-studded Sweden.
Italy will
meet Northern Ireland on March 26 next year at an Italian venue yet to be confirmed, following the draw held in Zurich on Thursday.
Five days later, the winner will travel to face the victor of Wales’s semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Despite another error-prone qualification campaign, Italy still have a chance to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since the 2014 tournament in Brazil, having failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.
Facing the Azzurri will be a daunting challenge for Northern Ireland, who have only beaten the Italians once in 11 encounters, with that win dating back to 1958.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso emphasized focusing on the first match, noting that Northern Ireland is a team Italy can beat. He acknowledged that Northern Ireland has its own style and is very physical, but he believes Italy can succeed.
Gattuso also mentioned that Wales and Bosnia are well-known and that playing in Cardiff is challenging for any team, but for now, the focus is on the semi-final.
War-torn Ukraine will play a Sweden team potentially featuring Liverpool’s £125 million forward Alexander Isak and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The Swedes had a disappointing qualification campaign, finishing at the bottom of their group, and only secured a playoff spot thanks to their performance in the Nations League.
Newly appointed English coach Graham Potter, formerly in charge of Brighton and Chelsea, faces a tough task to guide Sweden to the finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Potter described the opportunity as fantastic and emphasized the need to be well-prepared by March.
The winner of the Ukraine v Sweden match will face the victor of Poland’s encounter with Albania, with the Albanians aiming to reach the World Cup for the first time.
The Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs following a dramatic late goal by Troy Parrott in a 3-2 win in Hungary, face a challenging trip to the Czech Republic. The winner will then host the winner of the semi-final between Denmark and North Macedonia.
Turkey will play Romania, surprise quarter-finalists from the 1994 tournament in the United States. The winner will face either Slovakia or Kosovo, both aiming for their first World Cup appearance.
All European semi-finals will take place on March 26, with the finals on March 31.
Inter-Continental Playoffs
In the inter-continental playoffs, New Caledonia, another nation bidding for its first World Cup appearance, will play against Jamaica, with the winner facing the seeded Democratic Republic of Congo. Bolivia will play Suriname, also seeking a first-ever appearance, with the victor advancing to a decisive match against Iraq. These games will be played in March next year.
The expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams from 32 in 2022 has led to several first-time qualifiers, including Curacao and Uzbekistan.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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