The draw for the 2026 World Cup playoffs has determined that Wales will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their semi-final, while Northern Ireland will travel to Italy. Should both Wales and Northern Ireland win their respective semi-final matches, they would then play each other in Cardiff for a place in the World Cup finals.
The Republic of Ireland have been drawn to play the Czech Republic away in their semi-final, with a potential home final against Denmark or North Macedonia awaiting them if they advance. Europe will have four teams qualifying for the World Cup through this playoff system, with semi-finals scheduled for March 26th and finals on March 31st.
Wales and the Republic of Ireland qualified for the playoffs by finishing second in their groups, while Northern Ireland secured a playoff spot through the Nations League. Other European playoff paths include Ukraine versus Sweden, and Poland against Albania, with the winners meeting in a final.
Another pathway will see Slovakia or Kosovo play the winner of Turkey versus Romania.
