Wales have been handed a home tie against Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Northern Ireland face a tough away trip to Italy in the World Cup play-off semi-finals.
The winners of each match will move into their respective finals, where a place at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be on the line. Wales will also host their final if they advance, giving them another valuable home advantage.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland head to the Czech Republic, with the possibility of hosting Denmark or North Macedonia in the final. All semi-finals will be played on 26 March, followed by the finals on 31 March, with each fixture being a single-leg showdown.
A total of sixteen nations are battling for the remaining four World Cup spots. The draw, held in Switzerland, paired top-seeded teams with pot-four sides, while pot-two teams were matched with pot-three nations. The layout of the paths also determined both potential opponents and who would host each final.
“The format really puts emphasis on home advantage, and some teams have clearly benefitted,” said a tournament official during the draw proceedings.
Twelve teams qualified for the play-offs by finishing second in their qualifying groups. The remaining four—including Northern Ireland—booked their places by topping their Nations League groups last year.
The official World Cup draw, featuring both England and Scotland, is scheduled for 5 December in Washington DC.
European Play-Off Path Overview
Path A
- Italy v Northern Ireland
- Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina*
Path B
- Ukraine v Sweden*
- Poland v Albania
Path C
- Turkey v Romania
- Slovakia v Kosovo*
Path D
- Denmark v North Macedonia
- Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland*
*Winner of these ties will host the final.
Wales: Favourable Conditions but Tough Opponents
Wales have once again enjoyed a favourable draw, securing yet another home fixture. Since the introduction of the one-leg semi-final and final format, Wales have played all their play-off matches in Cardiff—four so far, and potentially six by next year.
Their semi-final opponent, Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a team Wales defeated in Cardiff to qualify for Euro 2016, their first major tournament in nearly six decades.
A victory would set up a possible home final against Italy. The Italians lost on their last visit to Cardiff in 2002, a match where current Wales boss Craig Bellamy scored the decisive goal. Gennaro Gattuso, now Italy’s manager, featured as a substitute in that game.
Italy, four-time World Cup winners, remain the highest-ranked team in the play-offs, making the path challenging. Still, Wales will back themselves to reach a second consecutive World Cup—only the third in their history.
“Wales have momentum and belief, especially when playing in Cardiff,” noted BBC Sport Wales analyst Dafydd Pritchard.
Northern Ireland: A Challenging Road Ahead
Northern Ireland have met Italy 11 times, with their only win coming back in 1958—a historic victory that helped them qualify for the World Cup in Sweden.
This time, however, the challenge is steep. Italy represent the toughest possible draw based on FIFA rankings. Even if Northern Ireland pull off an upset in Italy, they would still face an away final against Wales or Bosnia.
Michael O’Neill’s side undeniably face one of the most difficult routes to qualification.
Intercontinental Play-Off Draw
The intercontinental play-off fixtures, also announced, will take place in Mexico during the late March international window. Two of the six competing nations will qualify for the World Cup.
The four lowest-ranked teams will contest the semi-finals, with DR Congo and Iraq—being the highest-ranked—awaiting in the finals.
- Semi-final: New Caledonia vs Jamaica
Final: DR Congo vs winner of New Caledonia/Jamaica - Semi-final: Bolivia vs Suriname
Final: Iraq vs winner of Bolivia/Suriname
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