Wales and Eire are hoping to achieve the World Cup finals when the nations participate within the European play-offs in March.
Craig Bellamy’s aspect host Bosnia and Herzegovina within the semi-finals, with Heimir Hallgrimsson’s crew travelling to Czechia.
The victors of these one-legged ties will face a one-legged closing on March 31 to safe their spot on the event, which begins in June and is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Right here’s who Wales and Eire will meet of their potential play-off finals and on the World Cup in the event that they qualify, in addition to a have a look at their potential schedules.
2026 World Cup qualifiers: Wales, Eire path
Ought to Wales win their semi-final, they’ll host the winners of the tie between Italy and Northern Eire, which is going down in Bergamo.
If Eire win away to Czechia, they’ll journey to the winners of the tie between Denmark and North Macedonia in Copenhagen.
Each ties involving their potential opponents happen on the similar time on Thursday.
The ultimate will happen on Tuesday, March 31 (19:45 BST), with the winners advancing to the World Cup.
Thirty minutes of additional time and penalties will likely be used within the play-off ties, if obligatory.
World Cup 2026: Wales, Eire group, groups
The draw for the finals has already taken place. Wales will enter Group B in the event that they qualify. Eire will likely be in Group A in the event that they advance.
Right here’s how these teams look, together with a have a look at every crew’s FIFA rating earlier than the play-off semi-finals.
Who may Wales play on the World Cup? Group B
| Nation | Rank |
| Switzerland | 18 |
| Canada | 29 |
| Qatar | 56 |
Switzerland are the highest-ranked crew, with Canada doubtlessly buoyed by their standing as co-hosts on the finals.
Qatar – led by former Actual Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui – hosted the 2022 version.
Who may Eire play on the World Cup? Group A
| Nation | Rank |
| Mexico | 16 |
| South Korea | 22 |
| South Africa | 60 |
FIFA World Cup: Wales, Eire schedule, fixtures
Wales would meet Canada first, then Switzerland and Qatar. Fixtures with an asterisk begin the next day.
| Date | Match | BST (UK) | ET (East) | PT (West) | Venue |
| June 12 | Canada | 20:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 | BMO Area, Toronto |
| June 18 | Switzerland | 04:00* | 23:00 | 20:00 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| June 24 | Qatar | 04:00* | 23:00 | 20:00 | Lumen Area, Seattle |
Ought to they win their group on the World Cup, Wales will face one of many eight best-performing groups to have completed third among the many 12 teams.
In the event that they end second, they’ll meet the runners-up from Group A, which is able to include Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and a European play-off winner.
In the event that they attain the knockout stage as a third-placed crew, they’ll encounter the winners of Group D or E. The USA, Australia, Paraguay, a European play-off winner, Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador are in these sections.
Eire would tackle South Korea first, then South Africa and co-hosts Mexico. Fixtures with an asterisk begin the next day.
| Date | Match | BST | ET | PT | Venue |
| June 11 | South Korea | 03:00* | 22:00 | 19:00 | Estadio Guadalajara, Mexico |
| June 18 | South Africa | 17:00 | 12:00 | 09:00 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 24 | Mexico | 02:00* | 21:00 | 18:00 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico Metropolis |
Ought to they win their group on the World Cup, Eire will face one of many eight best-performing groups to have completed third among the many 12 teams.
In the event that they end second, they’ll meet the runners-up from Group B, which is able to include Switzerland, Canada, Qatar and a European play-off winner.
In the event that they attain the knockout stage as a third-placed crew, they’ll encounter the winners of Group E or G. Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand are in these teams.
Take a look at the total World Cup bracket.
When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup begin?
The World Cup begins with a gathering between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico Metropolis on June 11 (20:00 BST).
What are Wales and Eire’s World Cup probabilities?
For Wales, a lot may rely upon how they cope with a frightening potential play-off closing in opposition to an Italy crew ranked twelfth.
Having gained 5 and misplaced two of their qualifying video games on their method to pushing Belgium shut of their part, Wales would at the least again themselves to carry out higher of their group on the finals than they did in 2022, after they completed backside of their pile.
Ireland reached the play-offs with a late win in Hungary in qualifying and, at 59th within the rankings, would see a match in opposition to South Africa as their most winnable potential match on the finals.
Their finest marketing campaign was a quarter-final look in 1990, adopted by runs to the final 16 in 1994 and 2002.
