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 Thursday, 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, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Kosovo, Denmark, Turkey, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Wales have all finished second in their qualifying groups and are therefore through to the playoffs alongside Ireland.
Joining them are North Macedonia, Sweden, Romania and Northern Ireland, who qualified for the playoffs via the Nations League.
How will it be decided who plays who?
Here is what the four pots look like based on the current Fifa rankings, Ireland gained three spots to 59th, which puts them in pot 3:
Pot 1: Italy (current Fifa ranking, 12th), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28)
Pot 2: Poland (31), Wales (32), Czech Republic (44), Slovakia (45)
Pot 3: Republic of Ireland (59), Albania (63), Bosnia & Herzegovina (71), Kosovo (80)
Pot 4 (Nations League qualifiers): Sweden (43), Romania (47), North Macedonia (65), Northern Ireland (69)
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 the Nations League teams in Pot 4 will play their semi-finals away from home.
The home side for each final will be decided by Thursday’s draw.
There will be no replays with all ties decided on the night, with extra-time and penalties if necessary.
