World Cup Qualification Playoffs - March 2026

**Eirambler** · 16/11/2025, 4:25 PM

The draw is at midday on Thursday.

Because the games aren't until March, we will be in December's World Cup finals draw.

Apparently Iceland, Bosnia and North Macedonia are the teams we will be supporting over the next few days to get us a home semi final. More likely it will be Pot 3 and an away semi final against a Pot 2 team - not at all unlikely that it could be Scotland or Wales away. Italy are loitering in the background, but we couldn't play them until a playoff final, they will play a Nations League qualifying team in their playoff semi.

**Strongbow10** · 16/11/2025, 4:48 PM

Who are the nations league playoff teams?

Sweden, Northern Ireland, Romania and possibly Wales?

How are the seedings/pots looking as it currently stands?

**culloty82** · 16/11/2025, 4:58 PM

Apparently, based on FIFA rankings, rather than points accumulated in groups (even with fifth seeds discounted), so as places currently stand:

Top seeds - Italy, Turkey, Poland, Scotland
Second - Czech, Slovakia, Albania, Ireland
Third - Macedonia, Iceland, Bosnia, Kosovo
Fourth - NI, Wales, Sweden, Romania

So we want Austria not to lose to Bosnia, Wales not to beat Macedonia, and Iceland not to lose to Ukraine.

**Bungle** · 16/11/2025, 5:03 PM

Originally Posted by culloty82

Apparently, based on FIFA rankings, rather than points accumulated in groups (even with fifth seeds discounted), so as places currently stand:

Top seeds - Italy, Turkey, Poland, Scotland
Second - Czech, Slovakia, Albania, Ireland
Third - Macedonia, Iceland, Bosnia, Kosovo
Fourth - NI, Wales, Sweden, Romania

So we want Austria not to lose to Bosnia, Wales not to beat Macedonia, and Iceland not to lose to Ukraine.

Thanks for that.

Presumably, we will get a huge rise in the rankings after these games though? Portugal are one of the biggest nations in the world and Hungary are 35th (not sure if away result gives bigger points totals).

**culloty82** · 16/11/2025, 5:08 PM

Yes, but the rankings aren't out until Wednesday, to take account of this full round, so Austria, Ukraine and Wales for instance, would still be well ahead of us as second seeds if they ended up in that position:

https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men

**Insidetherock** · 16/11/2025, 5:10 PM

They're redoing the rankings on Wednesday. So the Portugal and Hungary results will be effective in the rankings.. surely will lift us a few spots..

A 2nd seed placing would be massive.. you'd have to give us a decent chance against any of the four teams in Pot 3 above, if that's the way it panned out..

Apart from Italy, I'd fancy a shot at any of the 1st seeds too..

Who cares at this stage.. we're still in it

**pixiehead** · 16/11/2025, 5:13 PM

**Strongbow10** · 16/11/2025, 5:13 PM

Yeah and the one off nature of the games will suit us I reckon, rather than 2 legged affairs. Good chance we get the odd shock as well with a top seed getting taken out in semi final

**legendz** · 16/11/2025, 5:29 PM

I think this is the breakdown from a quick check for the top 3 pots:

Italy 9
Turkey 26
Ukraine 27 (or Iceland 74)
Poland 33

Wales 34 (or Macedonia 65)
Scotland 38
Czech Republic 44
Slovakia 46

Albania 61
Ireland 62
Bosnia 75
Kosovo 84

Ukraine and Iceland kicked off at 5pm. Playoff permutation will be clearer after that. Iceland above Ukraine and Macedonia above Wales looks like the results required for a home playoff semi final.

Italy 9
Turkey 26
Poland 33
Scotland 38

Czech Republic 44
Slovakia 46
Albania 61
Ireland 62

Macedonia 65 (or Wales 34)
Iceland 74 (or Ukraine 27)
Bosnia 75
Kosovo 84

Note: Ireland beat Portugal 5 and Hungary 37. Maybe those results will move Ireland above Albania before the draw. Something to be confirmed.

**rebelmusic** · 16/11/2025, 5:29 PM

Have the Iceland game on and they're looking very comfortable so far

**pixiehead** · 16/11/2025, 5:34 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

I think this is the breakdown from a quick check for the top 3 pots:

Italy 9
Turkey 26
Ukraine 27 (or Iceland 74)
Poland 33

Wales 34 (or Macedonia 65)
Scotland 38
Czech Republic 44
Slovakia 46

Albania 61
Ireland 62
Bosnia 75
Kosovo 84

Ukraine and Iceland kicked off at 5pm. Playoff permutation will be clearer after that. Iceland above Ukraine and Macedonia above Wales looks like the results required for a home playoff semi final.

Italy 9
Turkey 26
Poland 33
Scotland 38

Czech Republic 44
Slovakia 46
Albania 61
Ireland 62

Macedonia 65 (or Wales 34)
Iceland 74 (or Ukraine 27)
Bosnia 75
Kosovo 84

Note: Ireland beat Portugal 5 and Hungary 37. Maybe those results will move Ireland above Albania before the draw. Something to be confirmed.

Ireland are above Albania now yes, there are websites that track live rankings e.g https://football-ranking.com/fifa-rankings?page=2

Basically, we don't want Wales or Ukraine to win and definately not Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If we're are in Pot 2, we can look forward to a Home game v
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Kosovo
North Macedonia or Iceland

**culloty82** · 16/11/2025, 5:36 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

I think this is the breakdown from a quick check for the top 3 pots:

Italy 9
Turkey 26
Ukraine 27 (or Iceland 74)
Poland 33

Wales 34 (or Macedonia 65)
Scotland 38
Czech Republic 44
Slovakia 46

Albania 61
Ireland 62
Bosnia 75
Kosovo 84

Ukraine and Iceland kicked off at 5pm. Playoff permutation will be clearer after that. Iceland above Ukraine and Macedonia above Wales looks like the results required for a home playoff semi final.

Italy 9
Turkey 26
Poland 33
Scotland 38

Czech Republic 44
Slovakia 46
Albania 61
Ireland 62

Macedonia 65 (or Wales 34)
Iceland 74 (or Ukraine 27)
Bosnia 75
Kosovo 84

Note: Ireland beat Portugal 5 and Hungary 37. Maybe those results will move Ireland above Albania before the draw. Something to be confirmed.

Almost certainly - our two wins will be worth more points than even a goalless draw against England (as it currently stands).

**pineapple stu** · 16/11/2025, 6:12 PM

There's more beatable teams in that than I was fearing

Which is probably bad for us given our record against beatable. Still though, you never know

**The Fly** · 16/11/2025, 6:18 PM

**The Fly** · 16/11/2025, 6:38 PM

**Eirambler** · 16/11/2025, 6:41 PM

HH's countrymen not doing him any favours right now, Ukraine 1-0 up unfortunately.

**rebelmusic** · 16/11/2025, 6:42 PM

Ukraine scored

**culloty82** · 16/11/2025, 6:51 PM

And again - looks like we're all Macedonians on Tuesday!

**Eirambler** · 16/11/2025, 7:02 PM

Yes, we need Wales to have a Macedonia now. For what it's worth, Wales were poor the last day against Liechtenstein and picked up a few suspensions as well.