UEFA play-off finals: 4 matches that will decide Europe’s World Cup spots

It’s crunch time in the UEFA qualifiers as eight European nations battle it out for the four remaining spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup .

With the final tickets to this summer’s tournament set to be stamped early next week, tension is reaching fever pitch as Europe’s hopefuls prepare for their defining moment.

The stakes are at an all-time high as eight teams, including four-time world champions Italy and potential debutants Kosovo , gear up for the play-off finals.

Edin Dzeko rolled back the years to help Bosnia & Herzegovina overcome Wales in the play-off semi-finals at Cardiff City Stadium, though they still had to survive a nerve-shredding penalty shootout to set up this tie.

Potentially 90 minutes away from reaching only their second World Cup as an independent nation, Sergej Barbarez’s charges must defy the odds once again as they entertain four-time world champions Italy in Zenica.

Sandro Tonali emerged as the nation’s hero in the semi-finals, delivering a match-winning performance in a 2-0 victory over a spirited Northern Ireland side amid growing Manchester United links (via ChronicleLive ).

Tonali’s heroics in Bergamo brought the Azzurri to the brink of their first World Cup appearance since 2014. However, they cannot afford to take anything for granted after failing to navigate their last two play-off campaigns.

What the Czech Republic did in their semi-final clash against the Republic of Ireland was nothing short of spectacular, as they bounced back from a two-goal deficit to take the game to penalties and eventually secure a place in the final.

Desperate to return to the most prestigious international tournament for the first time since 2006, Miroslav Koubek’s side are up against a bogey opposition in this mouth-watering Prague showdown.

Not since 2004 have the Czechs beaten Denmark , going seven consecutive meetings with the Scandinavian nation without a victory, including a 2-1 defeat in their most recent encounter at Euro 2020.

History beckons for the heavily fancied Danes, who could secure a third consecutive World Cup qualification for the first time after a 4-0 thrashing of North Macedonia in the semi-finals.

Arguably the biggest surprise package of the current qualifying campaign, Kosovo stunned Slovakia in a thrilling 4-3 semi-final victory, booking their place in the final against every expectation.

Riding a wave of confidence after that dramatic triumph, Franco Foda’s side will believe they can pull off another upset as they chase a historic first-ever World Cup appearance.

However, star-studded Turkey stand in their way with momentum of their own after squeaking past Romania in the semi-finals, courtesy of Ferdi Kadioglu’s second-half winner.

With both sides just one win away from the North American showpiece, this high-stakes fixture promises fireworks, as Kosovo look to continue their fairytale run against the battle-hardened Crescent-Stars.

Viktor Gyokeres may not be having the best of seasons at Arsenal , but he soaked up the limelight as Sweden’s saviour in the semi-finals, notching his first international hat-trick to inspire ‘Blagult’ to a 3-1 win over Ukraine.

Graham Potter’s men return to Solna for a ‘make or break’ tie against Poland , looking to avoid the ignominy of missing out on back-to-back World Cup finals for the second time in the 21st century.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport , Juventus’ representatives were in Warsaw to scout Barcelona veteran Robert Lewandowski , as Poland fought back from a half-time deficit to beat Albania 2-1 on Thursday.

Lewandowski initiated the comeback with a towering header before Piotr Zielinski completed the turnaround to put Jan Urban’s team within touching distance of this summer’s showpiece.

On paper, this looks like the most evenly-poised fixture of the four, yet Sweden should have a substantial psychological advantage, having won seven successive matches against Poland before a 2-0 defeat in the last World Cup play-off final.