[BREAKING] World Cup 2026 UEFA Playoff Semifinals – All 8 Match Previews | March 26 | Exclusive on DAZN

WC 2026 UEFA Playoff Semifinals – Full Preview of All 8 Matches

The UEFA Playoff Semifinals for the final 4 spots at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off simultaneously on Thursday, March 26. It's a one-legged knockout format — lose and your World Cup dream is over. Here is a preview of all 8 matches across the four paths (A–D), organized by kickoff time.

📺 Broadcast Information

Only available on DAZN. Since DAZN is set to stream all matches of the World Cup itself, signing up now is highly recommended.

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🕐 First Kickoff｜3/27 (Fri) 2:00 JST

Path C: Turkey 🇹🇷 vs Romania 🇷🇴

Preview

Turkey, who made waves at EURO 2024, host Romania at home. With a talented attacking lineup featuring Arda Güler (Real Madrid) and Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Galatasaray), Turkey hold an overwhelming advantage. Romania did top their group at EURO 2024, but pulling off an upset against a higher-ranked side away from home will be a tall order.

Predicted Winner: 🇹🇷 Turkey (Confidence: ★★★★☆)

Hosting at FIFA ranking 25th. Given the tendency for higher-ranked teams to deliver when it matters most, Turkey's progression looks highly likely.

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🕐 Second Kickoff｜3/27 (Fri) 4:45 JST

The remaining 7 matches all kick off simultaneously at 20:45 CET (3/27 4:45 JST).

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Path A-1: Italy 🇮🇹 vs Northern Ireland 🇬🇧

Preview

Italy hold the highest FIFA ranking of any team in these playoffs. Despite a disappointing EURO 2024 campaign, they are rebuilding under manager Luciano Spalletti. The midfield pairing of Barella (Inter) and Tonali (Newcastle) is among the best in Europe. The ranking gap against Northern Ireland stands at 56 places — the largest of any match in this round. It is hard to imagine Italy missing the World Cup for the second consecutive time.

Predicted Winner: 🇮🇹 Italy (Confidence: ★★★★★)

FIFA ranking 13th vs 69th. The largest ranking gap of any match in this round. Italy's progression is all but certain.

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Path A-2: Wales 🏴 vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦

Preview

Wales qualified for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but the team's strength has been on a downward trend since Gareth Bale's retirement. Even so, in a one-legged tie at home in Cardiff, they can mount an attack led by Brennan Johnson (Tottenham) and Harry Wilson (Fulham). Bosnia have struggled for goals since Edin Džeko retired from international football.

Predicted Winner: 🏴 Wales (Confidence: ★★★☆☆)

Home advantage and the ranking edge favor Wales, but Bosnia are resilient and not to be underestimated.

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Path B-1: Ukraine 🇺🇦 vs Sweden 🇸🇪

Preview

A clash between Ukraine, who have shown remarkable unity despite the ongoing conflict, and Sweden, a team with a rapidly emerging generation of young talent. Ukraine boast players from Europe's top leagues in Mudryk (Chelsea) and Dovbyk (Roma). Sweden also have plenty of attacking talent in Isak (Newcastle) and Kulusevski (Tottenham). This is one of the most compelling matchups of the entire round.

Predicted Winner: 🇺🇦 Ukraine (Confidence: ★★★☆☆)

A 12-place difference in FIFA ranking. The unique circumstances of the conflict make this difficult to predict, but Ukraine's higher ranking gives them a slight edge.

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Path B-2: Poland 🇵🇱 vs Albania 🇦🇱

Preview

This is a battle for Robert Lewandowski's (Barcelona) last chance at a World Cup in his international career. For the 37-year-old legend, this is in all likelihood his final shot. In front of a packed home crowd in Warsaw, can Poland's experience and determination overwhelm Albania? Albania impressed at EURO 2024, but beating a higher-ranked side away from home remains a difficult task.

Predicted Winner: 🇵🇱 Poland (Confidence: ★★★★☆)

Lewandowski's last dance. Home advantage plus the ranking edge make Poland the likely side to advance.

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Path C-2: Slovakia 🇸🇰 vs Kosovo 🇽🇰

Preview

Slovakia, who reached the Round of 16 at EURO 2024, host Kosovo at home. Slovakia boast a solid defensive unit built around Serie A players such as Lobotka (Napoli). With a ranking gap of 62 places over Kosovo, a straightforward Slovakia victory is the expected outcome.

Predicted Winner: 🇸🇰 Slovakia (Confidence: ★★★★☆)

Home advantage plus a large ranking gap. Slovakia are strong favorites to advance.

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Path D-1: Denmark 🇩🇰 vs North Macedonia 🇲🇰

Preview

Denmark sit 2nd among the playoff teams at FIFA ranking 21st. With the attacking quality of Eriksen (Manchester United) and Højlund (Manchester United), plus the experience of Schmeichel (Celtic), their overall quality is extremely high. North Macedonia will be dreaming of repeating the giant-killing act that famously eliminated Italy in 2022, but pulling that off in Copenhagen at home for Denmark is highly unlikely.

Predicted Winner: 🇩🇰 Denmark (Confidence: ★★★★★)

Hosting at FIFA ranking 21st. The second-strongest side in the playoffs — their progression is all but certain.

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Path D-2: Czech Republic 🇨🇿 vs Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪

Preview

The tightest contest of the round. Czech Republic have players like Schick (West Ham) and Černý (Wolfsburg) and benefit from home advantage. Republic of Ireland's traditional physical style of play means anything can happen in a one-legged tie. The ranking gap of 16 places is the smallest of all 8 matches.

Predicted Winner: 🇨🇿 Czech Republic (Confidence: ★★☆☆☆)

The closest match on paper. Czech Republic get a slight edge thanks to home advantage, but an upset is very much possible.

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📊 Predicted Winners Summary

Basis for predictions: Heavy emphasis has been placed on the tendency of higher-ranked teams to perform when it counts. The home side (who hold the higher ranking in every match) has been judged to hold the advantage throughout.

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🔮 Semifinal → Final Outlook

The semifinal winners will meet in the Finals on March 31. If the predictions hold:

The 4 countries that win their respective finals will secure qualification for WC 2026.

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_The information in this article is accurate as of March 26, 2026. Please check the UEFA official website or DAZN's official channels for the latest updates._