Bergamo, Italy – September 5: Italian team formation before the Italian and Estonian FIFA World Cup qualifying matches at the Studio Di Bergamo held in Bergamo, Italy on September 5, 2025. (Photo: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Italy may be forced to force the World Cup playoffs again, especially after Norway won 11-1 in Moldova. Ironically, Sweden and North Macedonia are currently one of the possible semi-final opponents.
Italy sits second in Group I and takes the match six points below Norway, but there is a major disadvantage in the difference in goals.
As things stand, Azzurri will be forced to play the World Cup playoffs to compete in the 2026 tournament. They were eliminated at the same stage in 2018 and 2022 by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively.
Ironically, the same two countries are one of Azzurri’s opponents, but in October and November, upcoming games will decide which teams will take part in the World Cup playoffs.
As UEFA explained, the runner-ups of 12 groups took part in the playoffs, with four best-ranked group winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League not finishing the European Qualifying Group Stage in either 1st or 2nd place.
World Cup Playoff Rules
The 16 teams participating in the playoffs will attract four teams. The playoff matches will be held in the single-leg semi-finals, followed by a single-leg final in March 2026 within the same international window.
The 16 teams participating in the playoffs will be placed in four pots. Four teams in the better FIFA rankings for Pot 1 and Pot 3 follow the same criteria, but Pot 4 includes Nations League teams.
The team in Pot 1 meets the team in Pot 4, and the team in Pot 3 meets the team in Pot 2.
The semi-finals will be held at the homes of teams who are better in the FIFA rankings, and the final venue will be decided by a draw.
Each of the two games lasts for 90 minutes with potential extra time and penalty shootouts.
Pot 1v. Two Pot4 winners will meet two winners of Pot 2 V Pot 3 in the final.
Italy’s potential opponent in the World Cup playoffs
As Italy is likely to be in Pot 1, as Gazzetta reported on Wednesday, potential semi-final opponents are currently Sweden, Northern Ireland, Moldova and San Marino.
Obviously, it is much more unpredictable to know what enemies are possible in a potential final, but it appears that Slovakia, Armenia, Scotland, Greece, Iceland, Georgia, Turkey, North Macedonia, Wales, Serbia and the Czech Republic are in the better range at the moment.
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