Italy to meet Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup play-off

Italy vs Northern Ireland, Ukraine vs Sweden are notable matches in the European play-off round of the 2026 World Cup. This round will determine the last 4 European spots to participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Captain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is confident he will lead Italy through the play-off round - Photo: Reuters

The draw for the 2026 World Cup play-off round in Europe took place in the early morning of November 21, with a total of 16 teams divided into 4 groups. The champion team of each group will win a ticket to the biggest football festival on the planet next summer.

Bracket A is determined by two semi-final matches between: Italy - Northern Ireland and Wales - Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winners of these two matches will meet in the final to determine a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Since the introduction of the UEFA play-off format, Italy have suffered two consecutive defeats. The first was ahead of the 2018 World Cup, when Italy lost 0-1 to Sweden in the first leg and drew 0-0 in the second leg at San Siro, a result that saw the Azzurri absent from the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.

This pain is repeated in 2022, right after winning Euro 2021, the Italian team lost 0-1 to North Macedonia in the play-off semi-finals with a goal conceded in the 92nd minute. Now they are in this round for the third time in a row, they will certainly be very cautious and determined.

Bracket B is also worth watching with two semi-final matches between Ukraine - Sweden and Poland - Albania. Bracket C has two semi-final matches: Slovakia - Kosovo, Türkiye - Romania. Bracket D is Czech Republic - Ireland, Denmark - North Macedonia.

The play-off semi-finals will take place on March 26, the finals on March 31.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/y-gap-bac-ireland-o-vong-play-off-world-cup-2026-20251121055809424.htm