Newspaper picks two teams Italy should avoid in World Cup play-off | OneFootball

La Gazzetta dello Sport picks Sweden and Romania as the two teams Italy will not be happy to meet in the World Cup play-off semifinal in March 2026.

Italy will learn their World Cup playoffs opponents in tomorrow’s draw.

The Azzurri are in pot 1 and will meet one team from pot 4 in the semifinal, playing the one-legged tie at home.

Italy’s possible opponents in World Cup play-off

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 16: Referee, Alejandro Hernandez, shows a yellow card to Gennaro Gattuso, Head Coach of Italy, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Northern Ireland, Sweden, North Macedonia and Romania are among Italy’s possible opponents.

Wednesday’s printed edition of Gazzetta dello Sport notes that Romania and Sweden are the two teams Italy would be happy to avoid in the play-off semifinal.

Gazzetta dello Sport printed edition, Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Page 5.

Sweden finished at the bottom of Group B with just two points in six games but qualified for the playoffs via the Nations League.

Sweden still the most dangerous opponent for Italy?

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 17: Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Despite their poor results, they remain the most dangerous opponent from a technical standpoint thanks to the likes of Aleksander Isak, Dejan Kulusevski and Viktor Gyokeres.

Romania are not in their best moment historically, but it is better ‘not to trust’ an experienced coach such as Mircea Lucescu, wrote Gazzetta.

The pink paper added that Northern Ireland are less dangerous when playing away, while North Macedonia’s ‘Catenaccio’ could be a threat for the Azzurri even if they just conceded seven goals against Wales, showing ‘incredible defensive fragility.’