Italy missed out on direct qualification for next summer's World Cup, which will be held for the first time with 48 teams. Now the four-time world champions know their opponents in the play-offs.
20.11.2025, 14:21
20.11.2025, 17:45
SDA
The four "semi-final" groups were drawn at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich at the end of March. Only the winner of each group will go through to the World Cup.
Italy missed out on the last two World Cups in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar - and also failed to qualify directly for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico this year. After the two defeats against Norway led by superstar Erling Haaland, Gennaro Gattuso's team must once again take the detour via the play-offs as group runners-up. The Italians were eliminated by North Macedonia in the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup and by Sweden in the play-offs for the 2018 World Cup.
Both opponents also loomed in the draw this time, but Italy escaped a déjà vu of this kind. It was drawn with Northern Ireland for the play-off semi-final in Zurich on Thursday. The "Squadra Azzurra" has the right to play at home in this knockout match. In a possible final in Pool A, the opponents would be Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina - but Italy would have to play away from home.
Sweden to Ukraine, Kosovo to Slovakia
Sweden, who lost four out of six games in qualifying and finished bottom of the Swiss group, made it through to the play-offs as group winners of the Nations League and will face Ukraine away from home in the semi-finals. The winner of this clash will face the winner of the Poland v Albania game at home.
Kosovo, who finished second in the Swiss qualifying group, will first play Slovakia away from home for a place in the final. In the potential final, the Kosovars would face Turkey or Romania, in which case they would play at home.
In the other semi-finals, Denmark and North Macedonia and the Czech Republic and Ireland will face off. The Czech Republic or Ireland would have home advantage in a possible final in the battle for one of the remaining four World Cup tickets.
Jamaica against New Caledonia
In addition to the four places for Europe, two tickets will be awarded in the intercontinental play-off tournament between March 23 and 31. This will be a duel between New Caledonia and Jamaica. The winner will face African representative DR Congo in the final, with the winner going to the World Cup. In the other semi-final clash, Bolivia and Suriname will meet. The winner will face Iraq in the final. The matches will take place in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey.
The six play-off places will be drawn as wild cards at the World Cup draw on December 5 in Washington.
