Italy is set to face Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifying playoff match in March. If Italy emerges victorious, they will then travel to play against either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina to secure a spot in the first 48-team finals tournament in North America.
Having not participated in a World Cup since 2014, Italy had to settle for a playoff spot after finishing as runners-up in their qualifying group led by Norway. In another European playoff scenario, Ukraine will host Sweden, with the winner facing either Poland or Albania on home turf.
Kosovo, aiming for their first-ever World Cup appearance as Europe’s newest soccer nation, will play away against Slovakia before hosting either Turkey or Romania. Ireland, following impressive wins over Portugal and Hungary, will compete in a playoff semifinal against the Czech Republic, with the winner subsequently hosting Denmark or North Macedonia.
FIFA also conducted the draw for the intercontinental playoffs involving six nations excluding Europe. Iraq, a seeded team, will need to overcome the challenge of Bolivia or Suriname in a one-game playoff to secure a spot in the finals tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Congo, the other seeded team in the intercontinental playoffs, awaits the winner of a semifinal between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
The intercontinental playoff matches are scheduled to take place in Mexico from March 23-31, with games hosted in Guadalajara and Monterrey, which will each hold four World Cup matches next June. Six teams are expected to progress from these playoffs in March to complete the 48-nation lineup for the tournament.
The World Cup draw is set for December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where the six remaining playoff teams will be drawn as placeholders from the lowest-ranked teams in the seeded draw. Iraq secured their playoff spot with a crucial penalty goal in stoppage time against the United Arab Emirates, ensuring their participation in the global playoffs. Iraq’s only previous World Cup appearance was in 1986, with coach Graham Arnold previously leading Australia to the round of 16 in the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
New Caledonia, ranked lowest among the playoff teams at 149th out of 211 FIFA member nations, earned their playoff berth by defeating Tahiti before falling to New Zealand in the Oceania qualifying final. Coach Johann Sidaner’s team recently won against Gibraltar in a friendly match, preparing for their upcoming playoff challenge.