What happens now?
Ireland’s stunning 3-2 win over Hungary has ensured an invaluable second-place finish in their World Cup qualifying group. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s team become one of 12 group runners-up to qualify for the World Cup playoffs, along with four teams from the 2024-25 Nations League.
The 16 teams go forward to a playoff structure broken into four sections. Each section consists of two semi-finals and a final, which means four places at the World Cup are up for grabs.
Ireland must win a playoff semi-final on March 26th, 2026, and follow it up with victory in the playoff final five days later to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup. Not easy, but it has already been quite the achievement to get to the playoffs after coming back from the brink against Hungary thanks to that Troy Parrott hat-trick.
When is the draw?
The draw to determine the four playoff sections, or “paths”, will be held at midday on Thursday in Zurich.
RM Block
Who will they play?
Albania, Ukraine and the Czech Republic have finished second in their qualifying group and are therefore through to the playoff.
Turkey are three points behind Spain and likely to finish in the playoff position. Italy, Poland and Kosovo also look likely to be playoff bound.
If Slovakia pull off a shock win away to Germany on Monday, the Germans will be relegated to the playoffs. However, it is more probable that Slovakia will finish as group runner-up, taking one of the 16 slots.
North Macedonia and Wales – who have both already qualified for the playoffs through the Nations League – face off for second in Group J in a contest that is more likely to decide seeding. Then we have other final matchups for first or second – Scotland or Denmark, Austria or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also through the Nations League, as well as North Macedonia or Wales, are Sweden, Romania and Northern Ireland.
How will it be decided who plays who?
The 12 group runners-up will be allocated to pots one to three (seeded based on the Fifa men’s world ranking of November 2025), while the four teams advancing via the Nations League will be automatically placed into pot four. Romania, Sweden and Northern Ireland are guaranteed to be in pot four. The other team will be North Macedonia or Wales.
Teams from Pot 1 will be drawn against those from Pot 4 with Pot 2 facing sides from Pot 3.
Here is a potential list of seeding positions, as things stand, but they are very much subject to change in the coming days:
Pot 1:
Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland
Pot 2:
Scotland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland.
Pot 3:
Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Kosovo
Pot 4:
Sweden, Wales, Romania, Northern Ireland
Worth remembering
The likes of Denmark and Austria could also be involved. And Ukraine’s late goals against Iceland on Sunday may yet play a part in pushing Ireland into an unseeded position in pot three.
What do seeded and unseeded pots mean?
If you are seeded in Pot 1 and 2 you play the playoff semi-final at home. The unseeded teams in Pot 3 and Nations League teams in Pot 4 will play their semi-finals away from home. The home side for each final will be decided by a draw. There will be no replays with all ties decided on the night, with extra-time and penalties if necessary.
