World Cup 2026 is just six months away folks and the best football nations on the planet are already dreaming of glory, but there is still some business to be settled when the European play-offs kick off in March.
In Canada, Mexico and the United States of America the 2026 showcase will, fittingly, be the biggest and boldest finals yet, with 48 nations competing, up from 32. 42 counties have already booked their places, including the co-hosts, holders Argentina and debutants Uzbekistan and Cape Verde.
There are still six places up for grabs, four in Europe and two in the inter-continental play-offs, and my focus today is on the SBOTOP guide to the European shootouts, and a look at the nations involved.
The Format
16 European teams will compete for the final four World Cup places in March, with four separate pathways and single-elimination clashes. 12 teams have already qualified and so it is now four from the last 16 standing. And the big guns from Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Poland and Sweden are all involved.
The play-offs will be divided into four pathways (A, B, C, and D) each producing one qualifier, with semi-finals reducing the number of nations to two in each pathway, and the winning two will play a sudden death final. The stakes are high and the semi-finals will take place on March 26th with the higher seeded teams playing at home and the losers will pack their bags and go home.
The winners play their finals on March 31st with a new draw determining who plays at home and then, at the final whistle, we’ll know who is heading to America and who will be watching from Europe.
The Fixture List
There are some big European nations with proud histories in the play-off lottery, with Italy and Denmark, placed 12th and 21st in the FIFA World rankings, still sweating.
The Azzurri are still a powerful football nation, as European champions in 2020, and the World Cup 2026 betting odds rate them as ninth favourites to win the tournament, even though they aren’t there yet. And, having failed to make the finals in 2018 and 2022, Italy, now managed by the old warhorse Gennaro Gattuso, will be desperately keen to make it third time lucky. As four times World Cup winners Italy are royalty in the game and the 2026 tournament will be the richer for their presence. The USA has a big Italian population and the Azzurri will be a force to be reckoned with…if they make it.
Serie A is strong with the best title race in Europe unfolding, and when the domestic league is in good shape the national team often thrives, and I expect the Azzurri to win their Group A semi-final against Northern Ireland, before meeting the winners of Wales and Bosnia Herzegovina in the other semi-final.
There are two fascinating match-ups in Group B where Ukraine face Sweden and Poland take on Albania. Sweden had a terrible run of World Cup 2026 results, losing four and drawing two of their last six and they will enter their clash with Ukraine with some trepidation. The Yellow and Blues have won three of their last four, beating Iceland twice, but they did suffer a 4-0 beating at the hands of France.
Poland ran the Netherlands very close in their group, winning four of their last five and with Robert Lewandowski, one of the best strikers in world football over the past ten years, they will take some stopping. But Albania, who impressed at Euro 2024, will be no pushover.
Group C has a standout team in Turkey, captained by Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu. The Turks have two of the most exciting young players around, in Juventus star Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, both 20 years of age and each with over 20 caps already. Turkey face Romania and the winners of that tie will meet either Kosovo or Slovakia in the final.
And Group D has two mouth-watering clashes to take in. Denmark face North Macedonia, and that’s a game that Brian Riemer’s men must get themselves up for after a frustrating group stage. They dominated for much of the qualifiers but the Danes were stunned by Scotland right at the death, and now they face the play-off pressure.
If Denmark get past the Macedonians they will then meet the victors of a well matched tussle between the Republic of Ireland and the Czech Republic. I’d back Denmark to get through and, this time, I don’t think the Azzurri will choke.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
