World Cup 2026, playoff picture outlined: Italy's possible opponents
The fate of Italy, which if it does not beat Norway on Sunday by at least 9 goals (definitely unlikely, bordering on the impossible) will also play for access to the 2026 World Cup via the playoffs, is becoming increasingly clear. Indeed, after Saturday’s European qualifying matches, Gennaro Gattuso’s national team is increasingly aware of the fate that will await it in March 2026.
Italy, which occupies the first bracket alongside Poland, Turkey and Ukraine, knows that it will not face any of them in the semifinals. If anything, only the former could currently be the Azzurri’s opponent in the final act on March 31. Before then, however, there’s the hurdle of the semifinals to overcome.
Here the picture is now almost final, and interestingly features two genuine bogeymen of football Italy. Along with Romania and Northern Ireland, in fact, the list also features that Sweden that prevented the Azzurri from participating in the 2018 World Cup and North Macedonia that interrupted their path to the 2022 ones. Only the certainty of the latter scenario is missing, as the Macedonian selection could still be undermined by Wales. Decisive in this regard are next Tuesday’s matches. On Thursday, November 20, then, will come the draw that will make it all official.
EUFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, the picture:
First bracket:
Italy
Turkey
Ukraine
Poland
Second bracket:
.
Hungary
Scotland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Third bracket:
.
Albania
North Macedonia
Kosovo
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Fourth bracket:
Wales
Sweden
Romania
Northern Ireland.
