Italy beat Northern Ireland 2–0 to boost their bid to reach the Men’s World Cup for the first time since 2014, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Kosovo, Czech Republic and Denmark also won their European playoff semi-finals.
Four-time champions Italy, who lost in the playoffs for the 2018 and 2022 editions, will travel to Bosnia on Tuesday for the final knowing a win would send them to the June and July tournaments in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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Sandro Tonali fired home a superb blast from the edge of the box before Moise Kean made the game safe in the second half of a nervy one-off semi-final in Bergamo on Thursday.
“We made life a little difficult for ourselves, but in the second half we found our rhythm,” said Italy coach and 2006 champion Gennaro Gattuso. “Now we are going to play this final. We know it is difficult. The stress we are feeling will be felt by our opponents too.”
Bosnia beat Wales on penalties in Cardiff after a 1–1 draw after extra time.
Daniel James used his pace to score early in the second period for the hosts and Karl Darlow then made a stunning save from an Ermedin Demirovic header. Edin Dzeko, 40, equalized late in normal time.
Darlow again saved from Demirovic in the shootout, but Brennan Johnson and Neco Williams both missed.
Kosovo have never reached the World Cup, but they reached the playoff final at home to Turkiye on Tuesday after winning a thrilling 4-3 game in Slovakia.
The Kosovans twice avoided defeat and a goal from Krasnik Hazariji in the 72nd minute proved the difference.
Ferdi Kadioglu’s second-half goal put Turkey ahead after a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Romania.
Kadioglu calmly scored on 53 minutes after a magical assist from Arda Guler at the Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul.
Romania coach Mircea Lucescu, 80, who counts Türkiye among his former jobs, had to regret Nicolae Stanciu’s hit of the post as the Tricolors missed the World Cup for the seventh consecutive edition.
Turkey, which finished third in 2002, have not reached the Men’s World Cup since.
Victor Gykeres scores a hat-trick in Sweden’s 3-1 win over Ukraine in Valencia. Ukraine have not played on home soil since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than four years ago and have missed out on another World Cup.
Graham Potter’s Sweden side next face Poland, who came from behind to beat Albania 2-1 in Warsaw.
Arbor Hoxha scored after 42 minutes after a mistake by Jan Bednarek as Albania looked to move closer to their first World Cup appearance. But record Poland scorer Robert Lewandowski equalized, and Piotr Zielinski scored from distance to win it in style.
Gustav Isaksen scored twice in two minutes as Denmark beat North Macedonia 4-0 and set up a showdown with the Czech Republic, which needed a penalty to overtake Ireland in Prague.
Troy Parrott, the hero of the Irish’s run to the playoffs at the end of November’s group stage, scored the opener from the spot, and an own goal exposed poor Czech defence.
But the hosts staged a comeback through Patrik Schick’s penalty and Ladislav Krajci’s late header to make the score 2–2, forcing extra time, with the Czechs winning in the shootout.
The tournament, to be held in North America in June and July this year, will feature 48 teams, meaning more countries will have a chance to qualify.
Twelve European countries have already advanced by winning their groups. The playoffs are made up of second-placed teams and sides that performed well in previous Nations Leagues.
Bolivia beats Suriname, Jamaica beats New Caledonia to reach playoff final
In FIFA intercontinental playoff games on Thursday, Bolivia beat Suriname 2-1 to qualify for the final qualifying playoff against Iraq.
Liam Van Gelderen put Suriname ahead in the 48th minute, but Moises Paniagua equalized the score in the 72nd minute, and Miguel Terceros scored the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 79th minute for the Bolivians, who are aiming to appear in their second World Cup.
The Bolivians had only previously played in a World Cup in 1994 in the Americas. Suriname was looking to qualify for the first time.
Bolivia plays Iraq in Monterrey next Tuesday, with the winner qualifying for Group I along with France, Norway and Senegal.
Elsewhere on Thursday, a first-half goal from Wrexham striker Bailey Cadamarteri gave Jamaica a 1-0 win over New Caledonia and a place in the international playoff final against Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Reggae Boyz participated in only one World Cup, in France in 1998. Oceania’s New Caledonia saw its chance to advance at the end of the first World Cup.
Jamaica will take on DRC next Tuesday at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara. DRC qualified for the playoffs by defeating Nigeria in the African playoff.
The winner in Guadalajara will play in Group K of the tournament along with Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.
