Italy faces Northern Ireland and away final in high-risk World Cup playoff path

Italy present knows its way to ending a decennary successful the World Cup wilderness volition not tally done location comforts alone. The four-time champion volition big Northern Ireland successful a playoff semifinal connected March 26, then, if it wins, indispensable question to look Wales oregon Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 days aboriginal for a spot astatine the 2026 tourney successful the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The stakes are heavy. Italy has not appeared astatine a World Cup since 2014 and slipped into this playoff aft finishing 2nd successful a qualifying radical won by Norway. For a state that inactive sees itself among football’s powers, you tin consciousness however overmuch unit sits connected this squad arsenic it prepares for different high-risk, no-margin route.

European hopefuls larn their paths

Across Europe, respective different nations person been handed analyzable routes of their own. Ukraine volition big Sweden, with the victor past getting location vantage against Poland oregon Albania. Kosovo, inactive chasing a archetypal World Cup quality arsenic UEFA’s newest nationalist team, starts distant to Slovakia earlier a imaginable location crippled against Turkey oregon Romania.

Ireland’s revival, built connected eye-catching wins implicit Portugal and Hungary, present faces a stern trial successful the Czech Republic. If Ireland tin widen its run, it would gain the close to big Denmark oregon North Macedonia for a summons to 2026.

Intercontinental playoffs caput to Mexico

FIFA besides acceptable up the six-team intercontinental playoffs that volition implicit the 48-nation field. Iraq, 1 of the seeded sides, indispensable bushed either Bolivia oregon Suriname successful a azygous crippled adjacent March to instrumentality to the World Cup for the archetypal clip since 1986. Congo, seeded successful the different bracket, volition look the victor of New Caledonia against Jamaica.

All six intercontinental matches volition beryllium staged successful Guadalajara and Monterrey betwixt March 23 and 31, with some Mexican cities besides owed to big 4 World Cup games adjacent June. The last six qualifiers volition past articulation 42 teams already booked for a gully connected December 5 astatine the Kennedy Center successful Washington, D.C.