Italy to face Bosnia in 2026 World Cup playoff final match

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Italy Advances to Men’s World Cup Final with 2-0 Win Over Northern Ireland

In the European playoff semifinals, Italy secured a spot in the men’s World Cup final after defeating Northern Ireland 2-0. The win marked Italy’s first appearance in the tournament since 2014.

Italy’s Sandro Tonali scored the opening goal in the second half, and Moise Kean sealed the victory with a late strike. Coach Gennaro Gattuso praised his team’s performance, saying they “found our rhythm” in the second half to overcome their opponents.

In another European playoff semifinal, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Wales 1-1 (4-3 on penalties) after an extra-time draw. Daniel James scored for Wales, but Edin Dzeko equalized late in normal time.

Kosovo also advanced to Tuesday’s playoff final against Turkey with a 4-3 win over Slovakia. Kreshnik Hajrizi’s goal on 72 minutes proved the difference, while Ferdi Kadioglu scored the winner for Turkey in their 1-0 home victory over Romania.

Sweden defeated Ukraine 3-1, with Viktor Gykeres scoring a hat-trick. The loss marked Ukraine’s absence from the World Cup for the seventh consecutive time.

Denmark thumped North Macedonia 4-0 to set up a meeting against the Czech Republic in their playoff semifinal. Gustav Isaksen scored twice in two minutes to help Denmark secure the win.

In the intercontinental playoff semifinals, Bolivia defeated Suriname 2-1 to qualify for the final qualifying playoff against Iraq. Moises Paniagua tied the score at 72 minutes, and Miguel Terceros scored the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 79th minute.

The expanded 48-team tournament will feature more nations competing for World Cup spots. The playoffs are made up of second-placed teams and sides that performed well in the previous Nations League.

Source: Al Jazeera