Who Will Italy Play In World Cup 2026 Playoffs? Azzurri At Risk Of Missing Another Major Tournament

Finishing second in Group I means Italy must compete in a playoff to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup – but who could the Azzurri face?

Who Will Italy Play In World Cup 2026 Playoff?

Qualifying for the World Cup is a feat that has remained out of reach for the Italian national side since 2014 and the Azzurri still have work to do in 2026.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side finished second in Group I of the World Cup qualification stage, ending their campaign with a humiliating 4-1 defeat by Norway on November 16th.

Failing to progress automatically means that the Azzurri must face another set of fixtures to book their flight to the United States next year, as the tournament takes place in Christian Pulisic’s home nation.

The USMNT star is set to be one of the biggest talking points of the tournament and the World Cup could be a crucial moment for the 27-year-old as Pulisic seeks an increased salary with AC Milan.

Due to their place in the FIFA rankings, Italy will be in the top seed and could go up against five possible nations from pot four in Wales, North Macedonia, Romania, Northern Ireland, or Sweden.

Wales and North Macedonia will go head-to-head on November 18th, with the winner booking a place in the World Cup play-off stages as both nations sit on 13 points in Group J.

Craig Bellamy’s side must pick-up all three points to leapfrog North Macedonia, as the Welsh boast a significantly worse goal difference.

Northern Ireland and Romania have both cemented a third placed finish in Group A and Group H respectively, with many deeming these nations as a more favorable opposition for the Azzurri.

As for Sweden, the World Cup qualification stage has been nothing-short of a disaster – sitting bottom of Group B with just one point from five matches.

Graham Potter recently took the managerial reins in Sweden and the Englishman oversaw a 4-1 defeat by Switzerland in his opening match in charge.

Sweden will progress to the World Cup playoff stage due to their Nations League C group victory and will be hoping to see some improvements under Potter.

When Is World Cup 2026 Playoff Draw?

Italy will be eagerly awaiting the World Cup 2026 playoff draw and the selection is set to take place on November 20th in Zurich, Switzerland.

The exact pot ranking will be confirmed once every World Cup qualification match is completed on November 18th and Italy are expected to be joined by Turkey, Poland and Ukraine in the top seed.

Performing on the international stage is a necessity for the Italian national team, as the European Championships will take place in Italy in 2032 and the Azzurri will want to be a top nation when the competition comes to town.

Italy are already preparing for the 2032 tournament, selecting the best grounds to host the matches which could include the new Cagliari stadium as the Serie A side consider plans of a huge renovation.

Gattuso will be aware of this burden but the Italian is directing all of his focus to November 20th and the playoff encounters are set to take place between March 26th-31st.

When Was Italy’s Last World Cup Playoff Appearance?

The Azzurri’s record in the World Cup has been disastrous since winning the competition in 2006, as Italy have not made it past the group stages in 20-years.

In 2018, the Italian national team were beaten 1-0 by Sweden in the opening World Cup playoff stages and missed out on the trip to Russia.

Four years later the Azzurri were once again on the receiving end of a humiliating WC playoff defeat, as Italy suffered a 1-0 defeat by North Macedonia – with the European minnows scoring a 93rd minute winner.

Gattuso’s place as Italy manager will be reliant on qualifying for the World Cup in 2026 and the iconic midfielder will be relieved of his duties if the Azzurri do not book a place in the iconic soccer tournament.