World Cup 2026 Play-off Draw: Italy Drawn Against Northern ireland, Wales to Face Bosnia
The path to the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking shape following today’s play-off draws. European hopefuls learned their fates, with Italy facing a challenging semi-final tie against Northern Ireland and Wales set to meet Bosnia and Herzegovina. these matches, along with all other European play-off semi-finals and finals, are scheduled for the next international break in March 2026.
The expanded tournament format means more opportunities for nations to qualify, but the play-offs remain a high-stakes route for those who narrowly miss automatic qualification. The draws determine the final contenders vying for a limited number of spots in the global competition. Alongside the European play-offs, a separate six-team intercontinental play-off tournament, to be held in Mexico in March, was also drawn.
Here’s a full look at the European play-off semi-final pairings:
* Italy vs. Northern Ireland
* Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Ukraine vs. Sweden
* Poland vs.Albania
* turkey vs. Romania
* Slovakia vs. Kosovo
* Denmark vs. North Macedonia
* Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland
The intercontinental play-off draw produced the following matchups:
* New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (winner to face DR Congo in the final)
* Bolivia vs. Suriname (winner to face Iraq in the final)
Several nations will be aiming to make their World Cup debuts in 2026, including Curacao, Cape Verde, uzbekistan, Jordan, New Caledonia, and Suriname.