European teams have taken a major step toward qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a series of intense play-off semi-final matches held on Thursday.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Czechia advanced via penalty shootouts, while Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Sweden and Türkiye also secured victories to reach the play-off finals.
In the intercontinental play-offs, DR Congo will face Jamaica, who defeated New Caledonia in Mexico.
UEFA Play-Off Semi-Finals Results
Path A
Wales 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-4 penalties)
Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland
Bosnia and Herzegovina came from behind to force a shootout against Wales, with Kerim Alajbegovic converting the decisive penalty. Edin Dzeko had earlier equalised late in regulation time.
Italy secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland, thanks to second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
Final Fixture:
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy
Venue: Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Winner joins Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
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Path B
Poland 2-1 Albania
Ukraine 1-3 Sweden
Poland rallied from a goal down to defeat Albania, with Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski scoring the decisive goals.
Sweden cruised past Ukraine with a dominant display, powered by a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres.
Final Fixture:
Sweden vs Poland
Venue: Sweden (home advantage)
Winner joins Group F alongside Japan, the Netherlands and Tunisia.
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Path C
Slovakia 3-4 Kosovo
Türkiye 1-0 Romania
Kosovo edged a thrilling seven-goal encounter against Slovakia to move within one game of a historic first World Cup appearance.
Türkiye secured a narrow win over Romania, with Ferdi Kadioglu scoring the only goal of the match.
Final Fixture:
Kosovo vs Türkiye
Venue: Pristina, Kosovo
Winner joins Group C alongside USA, Paraguay and Australia.
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Path D
Czechia 2-2 Republic of Ireland (4-3 penalties)
Denmark 4-0 North Macedonia
Czechia staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat the Republic of Ireland on penalties in Prague.
Denmark delivered a commanding performance, thrashing North Macedonia 4-0 with goals from Mikkel Damsgaard, Gustav Isaksen (brace), and Christian Eriksen.
Final Fixture:
Czechia vs Denmark
Venue: Prague, Czechia
Winner joins Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and USA.
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Intercontinental Play-Offs
Pathway 1
New Caledonia 0-1 Jamaica
Final Fixture:
Jamaica vs DR Congo
Date: March 31, 2026
Venue: Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Pathway 2
Bolivia 2-1 Suriname
Final Fixture:
Bolivia vs Iraq
Only the two winners from the intercontinental play-offs will qualify for the World Cup.
All play-off finals are scheduled for March 31, 2026.
The expanded 48-team tournament will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
