Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland have learned their opponents for the World Cup play-offs as they aim to secure spots in the upcoming tournament. The draw ceremony took place in Zurich, Switzerland.
Wales, positioned in pot 2, secured a home semi-final. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, in pots 4 and 3 respectively, are set to play their semi-finals away from home.
Wales will host Bosnia in their Path A semi-final, potentially setting up a final clash against Italy or Northern Ireland, also to be hosted at home. Northern Ireland faces the challenge of an away game against Italy before another potential away fixture.
The Republic of Ireland is scheduled to travel to Czechia for their Path D semi-final. The subsequent final could see them playing against Denmark or North Macedonia, with the Republic of Ireland having the home advantage.
The European semi-finals, all one-legged matches, are scheduled for Thursday, March 26. The finals will take place on Tuesday, March 31, just before the tournament commences.
In Path B, Poland will host Albania, while Ukraine will welcome Sweden, with the final match set to be hosted by either Ukraine or Sweden.
Path C will see Turkiye facing Romania, and Slovakia hosting Kosovo, with the final potentially hosted by either Slovakia or Kosovo.
Additionally, there will be two intercontinental play-offs in March with New Caledonia and Jamaica competing to play against DR Congo in the final.
Iraq will await the winners of the semi-final between Bolivia and Suriname, with the games to be held in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey, which are World Cup venues.
Predict which six teams will secure spots in the 2026 World Cup in the comments section.
Sky has announced a discount on its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, providing savings of £192 and offering over 1,400 live matches across various leagues. Sky will broadcast a minimum of 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase from the previous season.
Stay updated with Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to valuable news content.