😬 Italy facing the play-offs? Draw, opponents and schedule: all the details | OneFootball

A true sporting miracle. That’s how one could describe the 9-goal victory margin that would be enough—using a hyperbole—for Gattuso’s Italy to overtake Norway at the photo finish in the 2026 World Cup qualification group and secure a ticket to the final phase of the prestigious competition.

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While waiting for tonight’s match at San Siro, the Azzurri’s minds are already in Zurich, where the draw will determine their playoff path in March.

Hoping to break the spell and end the curse after two consecutive eliminations in the playoffs—first at the hands of Sweden and then North Macedonia—which caused Italy to miss the last two World Cups, in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

🔍 How do the World Cup playoffs work?

The playoffs will assign another 4 spots to Europe, in addition to the 12 group winners from the qualification rounds.

In contention are the 12 group runners-up plus the four best Nations League teams that didn’t qualify directly.

✅ Who qualifies directly for the 2026 World Cup?

In addition to Norway, on the verge of mathematical qualification, France and England are flying directly to the World Cup.

Keep an eye on Spain, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Croatia, Netherlands, Switzerland, all ready to secure their direct ticket to America.

🔥 Date and seeding for the draw

The playoff draw is scheduled for Thursday, November 20 in Zurich at 1:00 PM.

Italy will be in the top seed due to ranking, along with Turkey, Poland, and Ukraine (if they stay ahead of Iceland).

The other eight runners-up will end up in the second (Wales, Scotland, Hungary, Czech Republic at the moment) or third pot (Slovakia, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo as of today) depending on the ranking.

⚔️ Who could Italy face?

Among Italy’s possible opponents is Sweden, who eliminated the Azzurri coached by Ventura in 2017.

Besides the Scandinavians, the national team could face one of Wales, North Macedonia, Romania, Northern Ireland, or Sweden.

📆 When and where are the playoffs played?

The schedule sets the playoffs for March 26 and 31, 2026.

Gattuso’s national team would play a single-leg semifinal at home against a fourth-seeded team, “repechaged” among the winners of the 2024/25 Nations League.

If they advance, the Azzurri would face a second or third-seeded team in the final.

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

📸 STEFANO RELLANDINI - AFP or licensors