For the third edition in a row Italy will be forced to play i playoffs For qualify to World Cup. Gattuso’s troops enter the rankings second position behind Norway, who closed group a full score, with eight wins out of eightincluding two tough ones with the Azzurri: 3-0 in Norway, 1-4 in San Siro on the last day of qualifying. The national team – the Italian team – who won all the other matches in the group, but against modest opponents: Israel, Estonia, Moldova. Now, in March, it’s playoff time: semi-finals and then maybe final, dry racing. There are no other opportunities.
World Cup 2026, playoffs dates: when Italy plays
Thursday 20 November, in Zurich, in 1 pm, Italy will find out for itself against in the semifinals (and their eventual opponents in the finals) of the playoffs to advance to 2026 World Cup. The 16 teams that qualify for the playoffs will be divided into four different play-off paths (A, B, C and D) and will compete in the semifinals and finals, both in one-off matches. That four winners they will fly to Mexico, Canada and the United States. The blue selection will return to the field in March, specifically they will play the semifinal round March 26, 2026 (Thursday) and a possible ending March 31, 2026 (Tuesday). Two important dates, from inside or outside.
Rules and draw: who are Italy’s likely opponents in the playoffs
Gattuso’s national team will be included in it first band in interesting scheduled in Zurich on Thursday thanks best ranking. Barella and his teammates will face off semi-dry (at home) the fourth tier team, therefore among the four teams “recovered” thanks to the victory Nations League 2024/25. Then, in the event of a final, the second and third tier teams: home or not will be determined by drawing lots.
The sixteen national teams in the playoffs will actually be divided into four bands: The twelve group runners-up are classified according to the November 2025 FIFA rankings (which is why Italy will be in first place) in the first three pots, while the four pots coming from the Nations League will go into the fourth pot.
But What’s that Therefore team that Italy could face in semi-finals? Among the four candidates to qualify for the UEFA Nations League, three of them are certain, while the fourth has yet to be decided. The three safe ones are Romania, Sweden and Northern Ireland. To this we will add one of them Wales And North Macedonia (Tuesday’s match was crucial: Macedonia, which had the best goal difference, only needed a draw to finish second). And if there is a final? Italy could also meet one of the other runners-up: currently they are Scotland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Albania (second pot) and North Macedonia (if they finish second in the group and win the semifinals), Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo (third pot).
