Four-time champion Italy hosts Northern Ireland in the standout semifinal of the World Cup playoffs in Europe on Thursday.
The Azzurri are under pressure to avoid failing to qualify for soccer’s biggest event for a third consecutive time after being eliminated by Sweden in 2017 and North Macedonia in 2022.
The winner of Italy and Northern Ireland, and the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina will face off in the qualifying finals Tuesday. The victor will play Canada at Toronto Stadium on June 12.
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.
In all, 16 teams are competing for four spots at the World Cup in North America.
Eight one-off semifinals are followed by four finals next week. The winners of the finals secure qualification.
Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland, Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden, Poland vs. Albania.
Path C: Turkey vs. Romania, Slovakia vs. Kosovo.
Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia, Czech Republic vs. Ireland
© 2026 The Canadian Press