2026 World Cup: 22 teams in search of the last 6 spots amid dreams of glory and long droughts

There is not only ITALY-NORTHERN IRELAND on the list of matches taking place between March 26 and 31 that will award the last six spots for the 2026 World Cup. 22 teams will compete for them. Sixteen are European, divided into four paths, each with two semifinals and a final (the team with the highest ranking hosts the semifinals), starting with WALES-BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA in Cardiff.

Wales ended a 64-year drought from the finals by qualifying for Qatar 2022. The outcome of this match in Path A will determine the next opponent for the azzurri, provided they overcome the Irish on Thursday in Bergamo. The winner will join Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland in Group B of the World Cup.

The six non-European teams will be reduced to two through the FIFA Playoff Tournament, which will take place in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey.

In Path B, UKRAINE-SWEDEN (on neutral ground in Valencia) and POLAND-ALBANIA will face off. Ukraine finished second in Group D behind France, while Sweden aims for its 13th qualification. Poland can achieve its third consecutive appearance, while Albania seeks its first. The winner will join Japan, Netherlands, and Tunisia (Group F).

Path C features TURKEY-ROMANIA and SLOVAKIA-KOSOVO in the semifinals. Turkey, coached by Vincenzo Montella, has not participated in the World Cup since 2002, while Romania has been absent since 1998. The winner will join Australia, Paraguay, and the United States (Group D).

In Path D, DENMARK-NORTH MACEDONIA and CZECH REPUBLIC-REPUBLIC OF IRELAND will clash. The Danes, in particular, lost direct qualification with a defeat in the final minutes against Scotland on the last matchday. The winner will join South Korea, Mexico, and South Africa (Group A).

In the Path 1 of the Fifa Playoff Tournament, the Democratic Republic of the CONGO is the only African representative, having eliminated the major powers Camerun and Nigeria in the playoffs, thanks to a second place in Group B of the qualifiers behind Senegal. The Leopards have been chasing the final phase of the World Cup since 1974 and will contest it against the winner of NEW CALEDONIA-JAMAICA. The winner will join Colombia, Portugal, and Uzbekistan (Group K).

In Path 2, the first finalist is IRAN. The Lions of Mesopotamia have only participated in the 1986 edition, in Mexico. They are waiting for the winner of BOLIVIA-SURINAME. From here, the fourth team will emerge for the grouping with France, Norway, and Senegal (Group I).