Once the qualifying groups have closed, the semi-final and final playoff draws will be held in Zurich on Thursday 20 November to establish the last four European teams that will access the final phase of the 2026 World Cup
Having completed the European qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup, we finally have a clear picture of what awaits Italy in the next playoffs. Draw on Thursday 20 November in Zurich (Switzerland), with semi-finals and finals to elect the last four European teams for next year’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
World Cup 2026, qualify for Europe
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They will go to the World Cup as group winners: Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Austria, Norway, Belgium, England and Croatia.
Italy, playoff semi-finals
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Italy, second in Group I, is seeded thanks to the Fifa ranking: therefore it will play the semi-final at home against a fourth-tier team; the venue for the eventual final will always be drawn on November 20th in Zurich, and there is no protection for the seeded players in that case, so we could play the eventual decisive match away. For the semi-final, Italy can meet a national team placed in the fourth pot, therefore one of Sweden, Northern Ireland, Romania and Macedonia.
Italy, possible playoff final
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Like Italy, Denmark, Türkiye and Ukraine will also be in the first tier, teams that will not meet our national team even in a possible final. If Gattuso’s Azzurri were to pass the first round, the playoff final would be played against a national team placed in the second or third tier, again established according to the FIFA ranking, who would play the semi-finals among themselves. In the second tier there are Poland, Wales, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the third tier are: Albania, Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.
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