Italy set to meet Northern Ireland in playoffs for 2026 World Cup

Italy, winners of the World Cup on four occasions, are drawn to play Northern Ireland in the semi finals of the European section for the 2026 event, as Ukraine prepare to take on a talented Sweden side.

The Italian team will host Northern Ireland on 26 March next year at a venue in Italy that remains to be announced, following the draw conducted in Zurich on Thursday.

Five days after that, the successful side will journey to play the victor from the clash between Wales and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Even with a qualification process full of mistakes, Italy retain an opportunity to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since their participation in Brazil in 2014, after missing out in 2018 and 2022.

It will be an intimidating prospect for Northern Ireland to confront the Azzurri, given they have defeated the Italians only once across 11 encounters, back in 1958.

Italy's manager Gennaro Gattuso commented: We must focus on the opening fixture. Northern Ireland is a side we can overcome.

They possess a distinctive approach, they are robust and physical, they will test us thoroughly yet we are capable of prevailing.

We are aware of the challenges posed by Wales and Bosnia, and competing in Cardiff presents difficulties for everyone, but at present, our attention should be on the semi final.

Disappointing Swedish qualifying effort

Ukraine, recovering from conflict, will confront a Swedish squad that may include Liverpools 125 million pound, which is 164 million dollars, forward Alexander Isak alongside Arsenals centre forward Viktor Gyokeres.

Nevertheless, the Swedish performance in the qualifying phase was poor, as they ended at the foot of their group, securing a playoff spot solely through their Nations League results.

The recently hired English manager Graham Potter, who previously led Brighton and Chelsea, has a challenging mission to guide Sweden to the tournament finals hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Potter remarked that Sweden possess a remarkable chance.

We must ensure we are well prepared by March. We should utilise the intervening period effectively, he added.

The outcome of the Ukraine versus Sweden encounter will determine who advances to meet the winner from Polands tie with Albania, where the Albanians aim to debut at footballs premier international competition.

In the meantime, the Republic of Ireland qualified for the playoffs via a thrilling last minute strike by Troy Parrott, clinching a 3 2 victory over Hungary on Sunday, and now they must travel to face the Czech Republic.

The successful team from that fixture will then host the winner from the Denmark against North Macedonia semi final.

Turkey are scheduled to meet Romania, who achieved a surprising quarter final appearance during the 1994 tournament held in the United States.

The winner of that pairing will compete against either Slovakia or Kosovo, both nations seeking their inaugural qualification to a World Cup.

All European semi finals are set for 26 March, followed by the finals on 31 March.

Regarding the inter continental playoffs, New Caledonia, another team aspiring for a debut at the World Cup finals, will battle Jamaica with the winner advancing to play the seeded Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bolivia will take on Suriname, the latter also pursuing a first ever participation, and the triumphant side will then face Iraq in a decisive match.

These fixtures are planned for March of the coming year.

The increase in the 2026 World Cup format to 48 teams, up from 32 in 2022, has opened doors for numerous debutants such as Curacao and Uzbekistan.