The four last European representatives at the World Cup will be known this Tuesday, March 31: at 8:45 pm, the playoffs continue!
Just over two months before the start of the World Cup, not all the tickets have been distributed yet. In Europe, there are still four slots to be allocated. The lucky winners will be revealed on the evening of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Italy, finally the right one?
Twenty years ago, Italy won its fourth World Cup by defeating France in a penalty shootout. Since then, the football competition queen has been giving a hard time to the Nazionale. In 2010 and 2014, it failed in the group stage. But above all, the Squadra Azzurra was eliminated in playoffs in the 2018 and 2022 editions.
In other words, it has been 12 years since Italy last participated in a World Cup. Finishing second in its qualification group behind Norway in 2025, the Italian team had to go through these decisive matches. They won the first one against Northern Ireland (2-0) and now have to travel to Bosnia to end this drought.
A clash between Sweden-Poland
While the Bosnia-Italy duel will be closely followed, this European playoffs act II will also feature a match between Sweden and Poland. An exciting match awaits, while at the same time, Denmark will travel to the Czech Republic. Finally, the fourth match will see Kosovo and Turkey go head-to-head.
Each winner will know what awaits them next June:
– Bosnia or Italy: in Group B, with Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland – Sweden or Poland: in Group F, with Japan, the Netherlands, and Tunisia – Kosovo or Turkey: in Group D, with Australia, the United States, and Paraguay – Czech Republic or Denmark: in Group A, with South Africa, South Korea, and Mexico
The schedule
The four matches will kick off at 8:45 pm and will be broadcast in split-screen on La Chaîne l’Équipe. It will also be possible to follow each game on “L’Équipe Live foot,” the streaming platform available on the newspaper’s website.
