Italy vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Italy, the 4-time World Cup champion, is the most notable name participating in the play-offs in Europe. Under the guidance of coach Gennaro Gattuso, they want to win a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, after having missed the 2018 and 2022 World Cups twice in a row.
After defeating Northern Ireland 2-0, Italy will compete for a World Cup spot with Bosnia and Herzegovina - the team that defeated Wales in a penalty shootout. This match will take place at Bosnia's home ground, signaling many challenges for Italy.
The winning team in this match will fall into Group B at the upcoming World Cup along with Switzerland, Canada and Qatar.
Sweden vs Poland
In bracket B of the European regional play-off round, the Swedish team will meet Poland to compete for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. This is a "balanced match" and very unpredictable. In the semi-finals, the Swedish team defeated Ukraine 3-1, thanks to a hat-trick by Arsenal striker Gyokeres.
Meanwhile, the Polish team has overcome Albania in the semi-finals. The Polish team is aiming for their tenth World Cup appearance, with the best achievement being third place in 1974 and 1982.
The winning team in the Sweden vs Poland match will fall into Group F at the upcoming World Cup along with Japan, Netherlands and Tunisia.
Turkey vs Kosovo
The Turkish national team has not participated in the World Cup since the last time they won a memorable third place at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan. A new generation of players is aiming to bring them back to this third tournament, after defeating Romania in the play-off semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Kosovo had an excellent match when defeating Slovakia 4-3. If they continue to overcome Turkey, Kosovo will have its first World Cup appearance.
The winning team in this match will be in Group D with the USA, Australia and Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup.
Denmark vs Czech Republic
The opportunity to win a direct ticket to the World Cup has slipped out of the hands of Denmark after a late defeat to Scotland on the last day of the qualifiers, but their hope of having a 7th World Cup appearance is still there. In the play-off semi-finals, the Danish team had an easy 4-0 victory over the North Macedonia team.
In which, the Czech Republic team has overcome the Irish Republic team in the play-off semi-finals. If they overcome the Danish team, the Czech Republic team will have their 10th World Cup appearance, with the last one taking place in 2006.
The winning team in the Denmark vs Czech Republic match will play in Group A with Mexico, South Korea and South Africa at the upcoming World Cup.
