Italy was halted by Sweden and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Later, it was North Macedonia that blocked their path in 2022. Now, Northern Ireland stands in their way.
The four-time World Cup champions return to the qualification playoffs for the third consecutive time, and after Thursday’s draw, they face a challenging path to return to football’s global stage after a 12-year absence, reports the Associated Press.
Italy will first host Northern Ireland in a direct knockout match on March 26. The winner will travel to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina. All these national teams will compete for a place in the expanded 48-team World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Northern Ireland’s form is somewhat reminiscent of North Macedonia, which resisted Italy’s relentless attacks in Palermo in March 2022 before stunning them with a stoppage-time goal.
“There will be immense pressure on Italy since they missed the last two World Cups,” said Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill for the Associated Press. “We are in a position with everything to gain.”
Italy’s coach, Gennaro Gattuso—whose team lost 4–1 to group winners Norway on Sunday in Milan—declined to comment for AP.
European Playoff Brackets
In the other three European playoff brackets, Ukraine will host Sweden, and the winner will then play at home against Poland or Albania.
Ukraine played its regular qualification matches in three different Polish cities, and the country—still under Russian invasion—may find itself playing Poland in Poland. First, however, Ukraine must beat Sweden, which finished last in a group won by Switzerland but qualified for the playoffs through the Nations League.
“We’ll play against a proud nation with strong football traditions,” said Sweden’s new coach Graham Potter about facing Ukraine. “Everyone wants to fight for their country. Emotion will be a major factor, and we must manage it well.”
In 2022, Ukraine won a delayed playoff semifinal in Scotland—but lost the decisive match against Wales.
Kosovo’s Potential Debut
Kosovo’s journey toward its first-ever World Cup participation as Europe’s newest national team will begin away against Slovakia. The winner will then host Turkey or Romania.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, was admitted to UEFA and FIFA eight years later, alongside Gibraltar.
Ireland, meanwhile, achieved notable back-to-back wins over Portugal and Hungary, with all five goals scored by Troy Parrott. In the playoff semifinal, Ireland will travel to the Czech Republic, and the winner will face either Denmark or North Macedonia.
Denmark dropped into the playoff position after losing 4–2 to Scotland on Tuesday, a match that produced even more drama than the one in Budapest.
“I saw Scotland’s reaction after their victory,” Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson told AP. “That’s what the beautiful game gives us. I hope it continues—and that we’re part of such moments.”
Intercontinental Playoffs
FIFA also made the draw for the six national teams competing in the intercontinental playoffs, which exclude Europe.
Iraq, a seeded team, must defeat Bolivia or Suriname in a March playoff to qualify for the tournament.
The Congo, also seeded, will face the winner of New Caledonia vs Jamaica.
All six intercontinental playoff matches will be played in Mexico on March 23 and 31 at stadiums in Guadalajara and Monterrey, which will also host four World Cup matches in June.
A penalty scored by Iraq in the 117th minute against the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday sent Graham Arnold’s team to the global playoff. Iraq’s 2–1 win in Basra gave them a 3–2 aggregate victory in the two-leg Asian playoff.
“They were crazy scenes and an extraordinary result—and here we are,” Arnold told AP.
Iraq’s only previous World Cup appearance was in 1986, while Arnold guided Australia to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
New Caledonia is the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, at 149th among FIFA’s 211 members.
New Caledonia entered the playoffs after beating Tahiti 3–0 in March before losing the Oceania final to New Zealand. Coach Johann Sidaner has overseen only one match since then—a friendly win against Gibraltar last month.
World Cup Draw
In total, six teams will advance from the two playoff paths in March, completing the 48-team World Cup lineup.
Forty-two other national teams were confirmed this week after the end of group stages and playoff rounds across four continents.
The World Cup draw will take place on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
