The final places in the FIFA 2026 World Cup are set to be decided this month, and the battle is already underway in Europe for the last four UEFA qualification spots to the world’s most prestigious football competition.
16 countries competed across eight play-off semi-finals for the chance to move into a play-off final, where the four winners will consequently book their place at the summer’s tournament in North America.
All eight semi-final matches took place on Thursday earlier this week, and plenty of entertainment was provided as all 16 sides battled to the very last minute to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
In Path A of the UEFA qualifiers, Italy defeated Northern Ireland 2-0 thanks to goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, setting up a final against Bosnia & Herzegovina, who dramatically defeated Wales 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
In Path B, Sweden progressed past Ukraine with a 3-1 win thanks to a Viktor Gyokeres hat-trick, meaning they will now face Poland in the final after Jan Urban’s side defeated Albania 2-1 in the other semi-final.
In Path C, Turkey bested Romania 1-0 courtesy of Ferdi Kadioglu’s second-half strike, while Kosovo shocked Slovenia with a thrilling 4-3 win to move one step closer to booking their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Finally, in Path D, Denmark comfortably advanced past North Macedonia with an emphatic 4-0 triumph, setting up an intriguing final against Czech Republic, who equalised from 2-0 down before winning 4-3 on penalties against the Republic of Ireland.
All eight of these teams will now battle in the four UEFA play-off finals, which are scheduled to unfold on Tuesday 31 March.
UEFA Play-off Finals:
Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Italy – 19:45 (Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Sweden vs Poland – 19:45 (Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden)
Kosovo vs Turkey – 19:45 (Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri, Pristina, Kosovo)
Czech Republic vs Denmark – 19:45 (EPET ARENA, Prague, Czech Republic)
