World Cup Playoffs: Italy’s Last Chance & Final Qualifying Battles
The final call for the 2026 World Cup involves 22 national teams from five continents vying for the last six spots in the expanded 48-team tournament, a mix of desperation and ambition playing out in a series of playoff matches. Among those battling for a place are four-time champions Italy and nations like New Caledonia, Suriname, and Kosovo, all seeking their first-ever appearance on the global stage.
Italy, absent from the last two World Cups, faces a daunting task to avoid an unprecedented third consecutive failure to qualify, especially with the tournament now featuring 16 European teams. The pressure is immense, and the team is under the guidance of the volatile Gennaro Gattuso, a manager known for his passionate, often emotional approach.
The Azzurri surrendered first place in their qualifying group to Norway, losing 3-0 in Oslo and 1-4 in Milan, forcing them into a playoff route that evokes painful memories. In similar situations, they were previously eliminated by Sweden before the 2018 World Cup and by North Macedonia before the 2022 tournament. Now, they face Northern Ireland , a match Gattuso describes as the most vital of his career, fueled by a supportive article in La Gazzetta dello Sport from Marcello Lippi, the coach who led Italy to World Cup glory in 2006. Lippi wrote, “Rino [Gattuso’s nickname], you were one of my best students. We won a World Cup together, we were a team. You deserve the best and we will achieve it.”
Gattuso has chosen to play the match in Bergamo, at the Atalanta stadium, hoping to leverage home advantage. While Italy may lack a wealth of attacking talent, they are heavily favored against Northern Ireland, ranked 69th in the FIFA rankings compared to Italy’s 12th. A win would advance them to a further playoff against the winner of the Wales-Bosnia and Herzegovina tie. “We cannot reckon about the past,” Gattuso cautions, acknowledging the weight of past disappointments on his team.
Should Italy navigate these hurdles, they would find themselves in a relatively accessible World Cup group alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.
The other European playoff paths also present challenges. Ukraine hosts Sweden, with the Scandinavians fielding Gyokeres but missing the injured Isak. The winner of that match will face the victor of the Poland-Albania clash. Turkey and Denmark are considered favorites in their respective ties, with Turkey taking on Romania and Denmark facing Macedonia. The winners of those matches will then compete against the winners of Slovakia-Kosovo and Czech Republic-Ireland, respectively, with both final matches being played on opponent’s territory.
Italy’s participation in the expanded 48-team format is particularly noteworthy given the recent history of their qualifying struggles. The expansion, increasing the number of teams from 32, was intended to provide more opportunities for nations to compete on the world stage.
Beyond the European playoffs, a separate intercontinental playoff tournament is being held in Mexico, specifically in Monterrey and Guadalajara, two of the tournament’s host cities. Iraq will face the winner of the Bolivia-Suriname match in one bracket, while the winner of the New Caledonia-Jamaica tie will play against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the other. These matches will determine the final two qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Italy’s current squad features 815 personnel serving in KFOR, the NATO mission in Kosovo, with Italy providing the largest contingent of troops within the force. Ambassador Antonello De Riu has consistently emphasized Italy’s full support for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration process, and has called for progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue on normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Economically, Italy is Kosovo’s second-largest trading partner, and there is a growing interest in Italian investment within Kosovo, driven by a favorable business climate and a young workforce. The use of the Euro as a common currency also simplifies trade transactions between the two nations.