Italy will take on Northern Ireland for a shot at qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the playoff draw took place at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday.
There are 16 European teams and six teams from other continents that advanced to the playoffs, which will take place in March next year, with the World Cup draw taking place on December 5.
The 16 European nations were divided into four pots of four, with Pot A to Pot C determined based on FIFA ranking, while Pot D had teams that qualified via the Nations League. The draw leaves each nation two wins away (semifinals and final) from the FIFA World Cup 2026.
EUROPEAN PLAYOFFS DRAW
PATH A
SF 1: Italy vs Northern Ireland
SF 2: Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Final: Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 (home)
PATH B
SF 3: Ukraine vs Sweden
SF 4: Poland vs Albania
Final: Winner SF 3 (home) vs Winner SF 4
PATH C
SF 5: Turkiye vs Romania
SF 6: Slovakia vs Kosovo
Final: Winner SF 5 vs Winner SF 6 (home)
PATH D
SF 7: Denmark vs North Macedonia
SF 8: Czechia vs Republic of Ireland
Final: Winner SF 7 vs Winner SF 8 (home)
While the European playoff groups are set, six teams from the rest of the continents will fight for two spots. Iraq and the Congo DR entered the playoffs as top seeds and took their places in the two finals, while New Caledonia, Jamaica, Bolivia and Suriname will fight for the other two.
The winners of the two finals will seal a spot in the World Cup.
INTERCONTINENTAL PLAYOFF DRAW
PATH A
Semifinal 1: New Caledonia vs Jamaica – Winner faces Congo DR for qualification
PATH B
Semifinal 2: Bolivia vs Suriname – Winner faces Iraq for qualification
Published on Nov 20, 2025