All 4 Play-off finals of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the European region will take place at 1:45 AM on April 1st (Vietnam time).
The confrontation that many fans are most interested in is the match between Bosnia Herzegovina and Italy. If Bosnia Herzegovina wins dramatically against Wales, Italy will not encounter too many difficulties against Northern Ireland, but it cannot be denied that Azzurri also has many times of deadlock against the opponent's crowded defense.
This is the match that decides Gennaro Gattuso's fate as Azzurri captain. The former AC Milan midfielder was appointed to this hot seat with the sole task of bringing the Azzurri team back to the World Cup arena after 12 years of waiting.
Among the players who started Italy against Northern Ireland in the recent semi-final, no individual has experienced the World Cup atmosphere. If they fail again, Italy will have to wait another 4 years, extending the wait period to 16 years, since their last participation in 2014. For many current players, waiting another 4 years is an extremely big challenge because they do not know what their form will be like.
12 years of waiting have passed is an extremely long time, it can witness 2 generations of Azzurri players not participating in the World Cup. Italy is still the team that owns 4 world cups, the class has been proven in the past, but the distant glory has never been a good enough premise to stand firm in this volatile period. Witnessing how strong Norway is in the qualifiers, Italy understands that their real-world level is being left out by many opponents.
In recent years without participating in the World Cup, Italy has won EURO 2020, so they need to recreate that class in the decisive match on April 1. There are many opinions that Bosnia Herzegovina is easier to breathe than Wales, but right now, they are a more dangerous team. Playing against an opponent who is extremely determined away from home is too big a challenge for Gattuso and his students. If they lose, Italy will lose everything, but on the contrary, they will do what they have not been able to succeed in for 12 years.
The remaining notable match is Sweden - Poland. Besides the fact that the forces of both sides are quite balanced, this match also attracts fans with the confrontation of two center forwards Viktor Gyokeres and Robert Lewandowski.
In the semi-finals, Gyokeres scored an impressive hat-trick against Ukraine and Lewandowski scored an important goal against Albania. This year he is 37 years old and may retire from his peak career after this season ends, Lewy understands better than anyone the importance of the 2026 World Cup. If he successfully wins a ticket, he may play in the last major international tournament in his career. Conversely, if he fails, the Barcelona star may say goodbye immediately.
On the other side, Gyokeres is much younger than Lewy (27 years old). Although no longer a young star, the Arsenal striker has recently been noticed by the media after playing well in Sporting Lisbon last season. The hat-trick for Sweden and improving form in Arsenal are enough proof for fans to believe Gyokeres can shine in this decisive match.
When Alexander Isak is absent due to injury, the burden is on Gyokeres' shoulders and he needs to reciprocate the trust from Swedish fans. If success helps Sweden win a ticket, Gyokeres' confidence may be enough luggage for him and Arsenal to sprint successfully in the final stage of the season.
The remaining two matches are the showdown between Czech Republic - Denmark and Kosovo - Turkey. All European regional Play-off World Cup 2026 finals are broadcast live on MyTV and TV360.
