Italy to face Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup playoffs / Photo: © AFP
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Italy to face Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup playoffs
Four-time World Cup winners Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European playoffs for the 2026 tournament, following the draw on Thursday.
If Italy get through that match on March 26 next year, they will play the winner of Wales's semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina five days later.
The Italians will be hoping to avoid the painful elimination they suffered in the playoffs for the 2022 finals in Qatar.
In other eye-catching matchups, war-torn Ukraine will play a star-studded Sweden team that could feature Liverpool forward Alexander Isak and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.
If the Ukrainians get past the Swedes, they will face the winner of Poland's match against Albania for a place in the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs thanks to a late goal from Troy Parrott that earned a 3-2 win in Hungary on Sunday, must travel to the Czech Republic.
The winner of that match will host the winner of the semi-final between Denmark and North Macedonia.
Turkey will play Romania, who were surprise quarter-finalists the last time the tournament was played in the United States in 1994.
The winner of that game will face either Slovakia or Kosovo, who are bidding to reach a World Cup for the first time in their history.
In the inter-continental playoffs, New Caledonia -- bidding to reach a World Cup for the first time -- will play against Jamaica for the right to face the seeded Democratic Republic of Congo.
And Bolivia will play Suriname -- another country seeking a first ever appearance at football's showpiece -- with the winner going on to a winner-takes-all game against Iraq.
P.Vogel--VB