🇮🇹 Italy: play-off opponents revealed, Sweden a major threat ⚠️ | OneFootball

If Italy manages to beat Israel, they will be mathematically guaranteed a spot in the playoffs to reach the 2026 World Cup, since first place seems firmly held by Norway.

But if the Azzurri go to the playoffs, who could they face in the semifinals and possibly in the final? Let's look at the current situation.

Who would Italy face in the semifinals? Sweden at 25%

The playoff rounds, which include the semifinals and then the final, will feature:

The teams currently brought in from the Nations League are:

One of these four national teams could be Italy’s opponent in the semifinals. However, the list may change: if any of them finish 1st or 2nd in their qualifying group, their spot will go to another team.

The only team in doubt is Wales, who are fighting for the top spot in Group J with Belgium and North Macedonia. The following teams will remain on this list: Sweden (last in Group B), Romania (3rd in Group H), and Moldova (last in Group I).

Possible playoff final: against whom?

If Italy qualifies for the playoffs, they would be in the top seed thanks to their ranking and (as mentioned) would face one of the Nations League teams in the semifinals. This means they would play:

But which teams are currently in the second and third seeds that could face Italy in a hypothetical playoff final?

CURRENT THIRD SEED:

CURRENT FOURTH SEED:

However, the standings are subject to many changes for various reasons: we need to see which teams finish 2nd in their groups and, once the standings are confirmed, the seeds will be determined based on the ranking.

Who Italy cannot face (for now)

Italy cannot face the teams in the top seed, which at the moment are:

CURRENT TOP SEED:

The standings are subject to change, since Belgium is fighting for the top spot in their group (in any case, we cannot face them), while Turkey and Ukraine are battling for 2nd place against Iceland and Georgia. In

Obviously, changes in the standings would also alter the third and fourth seeds based on the ranking. For example: if Georgia or Iceland finish 2nd, all the seeds would need to be recalculated.

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

📸 ANDREAS SOLARO - AFP or licensors