FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Can Italy Make It? Teams in the Race Explained

• UEFA's FIFA World Cup 2026 playoffs will send four European teams to the global finals in North America.
• The expanded 23rd FIFA World Cup will feature 16 European teams; 12 have already qualified.
• Four remaining slots will be filled from 16 nations including Italy, Ukraine, Sweden, and Poland.
• The European play-offs involve 12 group runners-up and four UEFA Nations League winners, drawn into four paths.
• Italy must defeat Northern Ireland, then Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina, to qualify for the World Cup.