What Italy need to qualify for 2026 World Cup

With the World Cup group stage draw taking place on Friday, December 5, 2026, we take a look at what Italy need to be in the competition hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada next year.

The Azzurri once again finished as runners-up in their World Cup qualifying group, so they’ve been forced to go through the play-off to qualify for the tournament.

Italy earned 18 points in Group I, winning six matches and losing twice to Norway, conceding seven goals and scoring just once across the two meetings with the Scandinavians.

Italy had already missed out on World Cup qualifications in 2018 and 2022, losing in the play-off to Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively.

This time around, they’ll face Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final on March 26, 2026. On Thursday, the FIGC confirmed that the match would be played in Bergamo.

If the Azzurri progress to the final, they’ll visit Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in a final played away from home on March 31.

Technically, Italy are just two victories away from the 2026 World Cup qualification, but this doesn’t mean Gattuso has an easy task, given the expectation of seeing the Azzurri back on the world stage after a 12-year absence.