World Cup Playoffs: 16 Teams Compete for 4 European Spots

The World Cup playoffs commence on Thursday, featuring 16 teams competing for four coveted European spots in the tournament set to take place in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Among the eight semi-finals, Wales will host Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Northern Ireland travels to Italy and the Republic of Ireland faces Czech Republic.

The playoffs consist of 12 teams that finished second in their World Cup qualifying groups and four best-ranked Nations League group winners, all vying for a chance to qualify.

Each of the four play-off paths contains four teams, with one-legged semi-finals and finals scheduled. The semi-finals are set to kick off at 7:45 PM, leading to the finals on March 31.

Wales and Northern Ireland are both in Path A, meaning that at least one of them will not qualify. Wales must defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina and then the winner of the Italy vs. Northern Ireland match to secure their spot.

Conversely, Northern Ireland needs to overcome Italy and then the winner of the Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match to advance.

The Republic of Ireland, positioned in Path D, must beat Czechia and then the winner of Denmark vs. North Macedonia to qualify.

For the first time, 16 European teams will compete in the World Cup, a result of the 50 percent increase in the size of the 2026 tournament.

As the playoffs unfold, the anticipation builds for which teams will secure their place in the prestigious tournament. The winner of each playoff path will join a specific group in the World Cup.

Wales holds a FIFA ranking of 35, while Italy is ranked 13, adding an extra layer of challenge for the teams involved.

Wales hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina while the Republic of Ireland travels to Czech Republic and Northern Ireland visits Italy in one-legged semi-finals.