Italy at risk of 2026 World Cup play-offs: possible opponents | OneFootball

Italy must prepare for another high-tension moment: the playoffs for qualification to the 2026 World Cup. Unless there are sensational results in the other groups—such as a defeat or draw for Norway against Israel—Luciano Spalletti’s Azzurri will most likely finish second in their group and will be forced to fight for a place at the World Cup through the playoffs in March 2026.

Italy, Playoff Risk for the 2026 World Cup: Possible Opponents and How the Playoffs Work

This is not a new path for the Italian National Team, which, after the disappointments of Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, is finally seeking a return to the world stage.

When the Playoff Draw Will Take Place

The European playoff draw for the 2026 World Cup will be held on November 21 in Zurich, at FIFA headquarters. On that occasion, the four brackets with single-leg semifinals and finals will be determined.

One thing is already certain: thanks to the FIFA ranking, Italy will be a seeded team and will therefore play the semifinal at home. The venue for the final, however, will be decided by the draw and could make the difference between an easy qualification and another night of fear: playing at the Olimpico or San Siro is certainly not the same as facing a final in Belgrade or Budapest.

How the 2026 World Cup Playoffs Work

The UEFA playoffs for the 2026 World Cup will involve 16 teams:

the 12 runners-up from the qualifying groups,

and the 4 best Nations League teams not yet qualified.

These 16 national teams will be divided into 4 paths of 4 teams each. Each path will award one World Cup spot, for a total of 4 remaining European tickets.

The format features single-leg semifinals and finals (one match only): the seeded teams will play the semifinal at home, while the final venue will be determined by the draw. The scheduled dates are:

March 26, 2026: playoff semifinals

March 31, 2026: playoff finals

Teams Qualified Directly for the 2026 World Cup

The 12 winners of the qualifying groups will fly directly to Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The groups now appear almost decided:

Group A: Germany

Group B: Switzerland

Group C: Denmark

Group D: France

Group E: Spain

Group F: Portugal

Group G: Netherlands

Group H: Austria

Group I: Norway

Group J: Belgium

Group K: England

Group L: Croatia

Probable Playoff Participants

Based on the current situation, among the runners-up and teams in contention via the Nations League, the possible playoff participants would be:

Italy (Group I)

Scotland (C)

Ukraine (D)

North Macedonia (J)

Poland (G)

Bosnia (H)

Czech Republic (L)

Serbia (K)

Hungary (F)

Slovakia (A)

Turkey (E)

Sweden (B)

To these will be added the four best non-qualified teams from the Nations League, which at the moment appear to be Wales, Romania, Northern Ireland, and Moldova.

Italy as a Seeded Team: Who They Could Face

Italy, thanks to their FIFA ranking which places them in the world’s Top 10, will be a seeded team. Based on the current scenario, the Azzurri could face in the playoff semifinal a team from the fourth pot, namely one of:

Wales

Romania

Northern Ireland

Moldova

On paper, the most manageable opponent would be Moldova, while Wales would represent the most serious threat.

In the second bracket of the path, teams from the intermediate pots would face each other:

Seeded teams: Serbia, Poland, Czech Republic, Scotland

Third pot: Hungary, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia

The winners of the two semifinals will face each other on March 31, 2026, in the decisive final for World Cup qualification.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.