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Italy are aiming to avoid missing out on a third successive edition of the World Cup finals when the Azzurri take part in the play-offs.
Their initial opponents are a visiting Northern Ireland side hoping to end a 40-year exile from the World Cup.
The victors of the one-match tie must then win a one-legged final on March 31 to secure their spot at the tournament, which starts in June and is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Here’s who Italy or Northern Ireland will meet at the tournament if they qualify, as well as a look at their potential schedule.
2026 World Cup qualifiers: Italy, Northern Ireland path
The winners of the semi-final will visit the winners of the tie between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is taking place in Cardiff at the same time on March 27.
The final will take place on Tuesday, March 31 (19:45 BST), with the winners advancing to the World Cup.
Thirty minutes of extra time and penalties will be used in the play-off ties, if necessary.
World Cup 2026: Italy, Northern Ireland group, teams
The draw for the finals has already taken place, putting the victors in this play-off path in Group B.
Here’s how that group looks, including a look at each team’s FIFA ranking before the play-off semi-finals.
| Country | Rank |
| Switzerland | 18 |
| Canada | 29 |
| Qatar | 56 |
Switzerland are the highest-ranked team, with Canada potentially buoyed by their status as co-hosts at the finals.
Qatar – led by former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui – hosted the 2022 edition.
FIFA World Cup: Italy, Northern Ireland schedule, fixtures
The path winners will meet Canada first, then Switzerland and Qatar.
| Date | Opponents | BST | ET | PT | Venue |
| June 12 | Canada | 20:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 | BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 18 | Switzerland | 04:00* | 23:00 | 20:00 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| June 24 | Qatar | 04:00* | 23:00 | 20:00 | Lumen Field, Seattle |
Should they win their group at the World Cup, Italy or Northern Ireland will face one of the eight best-performing teams to have finished third among the 12 groups.
If they finish second, they will meet the runners-up from Group A, which will contain Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and a European play-off winner.
If they reach the knockout stage as a third-placed team, they will encounter the winners of Group D or E. The USA, Australia, Paraguay, a European play-off winner, Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador are in those sections.
Check out the full World Cup bracket.
When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?
The World Cup starts with a meeting between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11 (20:00 BST).
What are Italy and Northern Ireland’s World Cup prospects?
With Italy 12th in the rankings and Northern Ireland 69th, there would be a contrast in expectations for either country in the event of either qualifying.
New Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti midway through a qualifying campaign in which his nation finished second in their section to Norway, played a pivotal part in their fourth and most recent World Cup triumph in 2006.
Northern Ireland reached the quarter-finals in 1958 and 1982 and went out in the group stage on their last appearance in 1986.
With Michael O’Neill at the helm for a second spell, Northern Ireland finished third in their qualifying group this time – behind section winners Germany and second-placed Slovakia – but reached the play-offs courtesy of their Nations League performance.
