✅Official Italy-Northern Ireland line-ups: Bastoni, Politano and Esposito

It’s a night worth a lot, a whole lot! The mantra? No mistakes allowed. Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy is putting everything on the line against Northern Ireland in the World Cup 2026 playoff semifinal: 90 minutes (or more) to stay alive or sink into another nightmare.

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After years of disappointment and two missed World Cups, the Azzurri can no longer afford mistakes. Bergamo is getting ready to roar the team on in a thrilling clash where every ball matters and every chance can change their fate.

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What’s at stake is not just a final against the winner of Wales-Bosnia, but the chance to erase a taboo that has lasted far too long. History says Italy , but the pitch demands heart, character, and courage.

Italy’s path in the 2026 World Cup playoffs follows a very clear format: two one-off matches to win in order to qualify.

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The first obstacle is the semifinal against Northern Ireland, scheduled for March 26 in Bergamo. If the Azzurri manage to get through this round, they will return to the pitch on March 31 for the Path A final, which will be played away against the winner between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning in Cardiff or Zenica.

The final follows the same rules: a single match and, if the score is level after 90 minutes, it goes to extra time and then, if necessary, a penalty shootout. In short, Italy must win two consecutive matches, both knockout games, to finally return to the World Cup.

In the World Cup playoffs, as in the clash between Italy and Northern Ireland, it’s a one-off match.

👉 If the score is level after 90 minutes: extra time is played (30 minutes in total)

👉 If the score is still tied: it goes to penalties

For Italy , this is not just a playoff semifinal: it’s a battle against its own past.

Their last World Cup appearance dates back to 2014, followed only by disappointment and regret. First came the heartbreak against Sweden in 2017, then the shocking collapse against North Macedonia in 2022: two eliminations that turned the playoffs into a real taboo.

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The numbers against Northern Ireland seem reassuring (7 wins, 3 draws, and just 1 defeat), but the most recent meeting weighs like a boulder: the 0-0 in Belfast in 2021, which forced the Azzurri into the playoffs that then proved fatal.

Even older history tells of bitter episodes: in 1958, again against Northern Ireland, Italy suffered a decisive defeat that cost them their first-ever failed World Cup qualification.

ITALY (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui. Coach: Gattuso

NORTHERN IRELAND (3-5-2): P.Charles; McConville, Hume, McNair; Devlin, Gaibraith, S.Charles, Devenny, Spencer; Price, Donley. Coach: O'Neill

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 ALBERTO PIZZOLI - AFP or licensors