⚠️ Italy, possible World Cup opponents: your guide to the rivals 🇮🇹 | OneFootball

A qualification that must be earned. 180 minutes in which to put heart, mind, and quality on the line to reach the final stage of the World Cup. A goal missed in the last two editions.

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Italy watched with keen interest as the draw for the group stage of the 2026 World Cup took place in Washington DC.

Today, the 12 groups required by the new 48-team format were drawn, with 42 national teams having already secured their spot and another 6 – 4 from UEFA and 2 from intercontinental playoffs among other confederations – still needing to earn their place.

Gattuso’s National Team already knows who they will face next summer if they manage to secure qualification through the playoffs, where they will take on Northern Ireland and then – if successful – the winner of Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Stars, threats, and talents: let’s discover the secrets of Italy’s possible opponents in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

🇨🇦 CANADA WITH MARSCH AND DAVID

Third World Cup, only defeats. 6 out of 6. After the 1986 and 2022 editions, Canada qualifies as a host nation for the World Cup. The star is Alphonso Davies from Bayern, sidelined since March due to injury and recently returned to group training: he’s set to claim a spot on the left wing. In midfield, Ismael Koné from Sassuolo continues to grow, while up front, the attacking burden falls on Jonathan David, who hasn’t yet reached his Lille levels with Juventus, but has been decisive for his national team, just as he was with the French club. Not to forget Buchanan, a brief presence at Inter after a great spell at Bruges and now at Villarreal in La Liga.

The coach is Jesse Marsch, leading Canada since May 2024 after winning two Austrian titles and two national cups with Salzburg. The latest step in a journey that began in 2010 as Bob Bradley’s assistant with the United States in their World Cup qualification campaign, a goal that was missed.

CANADA’S LAST LINEUP

TYPICAL LINEUP (4-4-2): St. Clair; Laryea, Cornelius, Bombito, Davies; Buchanan, Choiniere, Sigur, Ahmed; David, Larin.

🇨🇭SWITZERLAND WITH YAKIN AND MANY 'ITALIANS'

Switzerland qualified for the World Cup by finishing first in UEFA Group B. An almost perfect run for Murat Yakin’s team, with four wins and two draws. An opponent that brings back bad memories for Italy, eliminated in the round of 16 at the last European Championship by the Swiss. For Switzerland, the round of 16 is a taboo: in the last three World Cups, the Swiss have always been eliminated at this stage (by Argentina, Sweden, and Portugal).

Twice Swiss champion with Basel and with experience in Russia with Spartak Moscow, Murat Yakin took charge of Switzerland in 2021. This is his second World Cup: in Qatar, the Swiss journey ended in the round of 16 with a heavy 6-1 defeat to Portugal.

Switzerland can count on many players who play or have played in Serie A: from Manuel Akanji, Inter defender, to Ricardo Rodriguez, former Milan fullback, as well as former Udinese player Widmer, Pisa midfielder Aebischer, Fiorentina’s Sohm, and former Bologna player Ndoye. Alongside the latter, the Swiss attack relies on Breel Embolo, born in 1997 and currently at Rennes. Raised at Basel, after spells in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 and Borussia Monchengladbach, he moved to Ligue 1 with Monaco, and since last summer, he wears the red and black. So far, he has scored 4 goals and provided 1 assist in 11 league matches.

THE LAST LINEUP

TYPICAL LINEUP (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka; Ndoye, Rieder, Vargas; Embolo.

🇶🇦 QATAR AND THE SPANISH 'GURU'

In their second World Cup appearance, the first earned on the field, Qatar is the Asian team with the most losses in qualification. A statistic that does not bode well for Spanish coach Lopetegui. After topping Group A in Asian qualifiers, a goalless draw against Oman and a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates secured their ticket to the 2026 World Cup. The goal is to earn their first point after defeats in the home edition against the Netherlands, Senegal, and Ecuador.

The main figure, more on the bench than on the field, is Julen Lopetegui. His trophy cabinet includes European titles with Spain’s U19 and U21 teams, before being promoted to head coach between 2016 and 2019 and being dismissed just days before the World Cup in Russia due to an agreement with Real Madrid. That experience lasted only a few months before another bitter dismissal. He also won a Europa League with Sevilla in 2020.

If Afif is one of the most anticipated players, after disappointing in the home edition, there is also great ‘hype’ around Almoez Ali, a striker born in 1996 who plays for Al Duhail and is a teammate of former Lazio player Luis Alberto.

THE LAST LINEUP

TYPICAL LINEUP (4-2-3-1): Abunada; Al-Oui, Lucas Mendes, Al-Hussain, Al-Brake; Fathi, Madibo; Edmilson Junior, Al-Mannai, Afif; Almoez Ali.

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

📸 FABRICE COFFRINI - AFP or licensors