Northern Ireland travel to Italy for playoff semi-final
One side will progress to the final, while the other must miss out on yet another World Cup, as Northern Ireland travel to Italy for their European playoff semi-final on Thursday evening.
The winner of a high-stakes clash in Bergamo will then visit either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a place in this year’s global finals up for grabs.
Italy may be four-time world champions – most recently two decades ago – but despite winning the delayed Euros in 2021, they last trod the global stage some seven years earlier.
This is their third consecutive World Cup qualifying campaign to end with a place in the playoffs, following painful defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia.
Last September, the Azzurri started Group I with a 3-0 away loss to Norway, which forced former coach Luciano Spalletti to depart; under new boss Gennaro Gattuso, they posted six straight wins before facing the Norwegians again.
Requiring a huge margin of victory to seize top spot – and, with it, direct qualification – Gattuso’s side instead finished with another dispiriting defeat, as Erling Haaland struck twice in a stunning away win.
Citing the crowd’s angry reaction to that 4-1 reverse in Milan, 2006 World Cup winner Gattuso asked to play this week’s game in nearby Bergamo, rather than at his old home ground of San Siro.
Reasoning that a more compact stadium could work in Italy’s favour, he must now lead La Nazionale into a nerve-shredding playoff decider by beating Northern Ireland.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Turkey host Romania at Besiktas Park
Turkey host Romania at Besiktas Park in the World Cup 2026 European playoff semi-finals, aiming to progress to next Tuesday’s final.
The most recent World Cup appearance for either nation came in 2002, underlining the importance of Thursday’s clash as both sides seek to move one step closer to the showpiece.
When Turkey claimed a bronze medal in only their second World Cup appearance in 2002, few would have predicted that would be their last finals appearance for some time.
That tournament in Asia ended a 48-year wait for the European nation, emphasising how rare it has been for them to feature on the global stage.
Although they are not yet guaranteed a place at the 2026 finals, Ay-Yildizlilar have an excellent opportunity to qualify under Vincenzo Montella.
Standing in their way are Romania, whose wait for a World Cup appearance stretches even longer than Turkiye’s, with Mircea Lucescu aiming to end the nation’s 28-year absence.
Having featured at every World Cup in the 1990s and reached the knockout rounds each time, the Tricolours have not kicked a ball at the tournament since exiting to Croatia in the 1998 round of 16.
Romania have twice fallen at the playoff stage, in 2002 and 2014, but hope it will be third time lucky.
A cagey encounter could be settled by a solitary moment of quality, with Turkey tipped to edge through.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Ukraine are favourites to defeat Sweden
Ukraine are favourites to defeat Sweden in Thursday’s World Cup 2026 European play-off semi-final at the Estadi Ciutat de València.
While Blagult have the element of surprise with Graham Potter now at the helm, Serhiy Rebrov’s side will hope to find solutions against opponents who went winless in Group B in qualifying.
Given that every match during World Cup qualifying effectively took place away from home, Ukraine reaching the playoffs was an admirable achievement for Rebrov’s team.
The national side’s only two defeats came against France, who reached the final in both 2018 and 2022 winning the former — and were always likely to top Group D.
The upshot of Ukraine’s inability to outdo Les Bleus is that they have once again failed to qualify automatically for the World Cup finals, with their only appearance remaining Germany 2006, when they reached the quarter-finals.
Only once in that period before the 2018 tournament have they failed to make the playoffs, ultimately losing to Greece in 2010, France in 2014 and Wales before the finals in Qatar.
Given that they are favourites to get the better of Sweden, it will be interesting to see if the national team can inflict further misery on Potter’s men and set up a playoff final with Poland or Albania.
Potter has been in charge of Sweden for only two matches, and the Englishman heads into Thursday’s tie aiming to rectify the nation’s previous mishaps.
Sweden’s attacking quality may threaten in moments, but Ukraine are still backed to claim a narrow victory.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Poland and Albania battle it out in Warsaw
Poland and Albania battle it out at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw for a place in the playoff final of 2026 World Cup qualifying on Thursday night.
The victors of this one-off tie will come up against either Ukraine or Sweden away from home next Tuesday for a place at this summer’s tournament.
Poland are looking to qualify for the World Cup for the 10th time in their history and for the third successive tournament after competing in the 2018 and 2022 editions in Russia and Qatar respectively, reaching the last 16 in the latter. The Eagles were unfortunate not to qualify automatically for the 2026 tournament, after they won five times and drew 1-1 both home and away against the Netherlands, who went on to win Group G by three points.
Jan Urban is yet to lose as Poland head coach since his appointment in July last year, winning four and drawing two of his six games in charge, including a 3-2 away victory over European minnows Malta in their final qualifier in mid-November.
Ranked 34th in the world by FIFA, Poland head into Thursday’s contest having won five ad drawn one of their last six home matches in all competitions, keeping four clean sheets in the process.
No more than two goals have been scored in 12 of Albania’s last 15 competitive international games and Sylvinho’s side could be involved in another closely-contested battle with Poland on Thursday.
This is a match that may require extra time, but we are backing the Lewandowski-inspired hosts to find a way to secure their place in the playoff final.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
FIXTURES
Czech Republic 19:45 Republic of Ireland
Wales 19:45 Bosnia-Herzegovina
