Wales are set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup qualifying play-off semi-finals, giving Craig Bellamy’s nation a huge advantage.
If Wales defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, they will face either Italy or Northern Ireland at home in the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off final. The Red Dragons finished second in Group J after eight games, missing out on automatic qualification to next summer’s tournament against Belgium by just two points.
As a result, they will face Group H runners-up Bosnia next year with the aim of clinching a ticket to North America through the World Cup playoffs. Manager Craig Bellamy knew his side were scheduled to face Serge Barbares’ side at Cardiff City Stadium, but Wales have also been chosen to host the play-off final if they advance.
However, they will face stiff competition in the preliminary final from either Italy or Northern Ireland, with both countries performing well throughout the group stage despite missing out on a top spot.
read more: Breaking news: Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland find World Cup play-off opponentsread more: 2026 World Cup draw live, Northern Ireland draw with Italy, Wales host Bosnia, both teams likely to play each other
Thomas Tuchel’s England and Steve Clarke’s Scotland have already booked their places in next summer’s tournament for the prestigious Jules Rimet Cup, while Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland each have a chance to join them in North America.
Wales will play Bosnia, Northern Ireland will face Italy, while the Republic of Ireland will face the Czech Republic in the play-off semi-finals in March. A win there would see the country move on to play either Denmark or North Macedonia and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Here are all possible matches for the World Cup Qualifier Playoffs Finals:
Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy or Northern Ireland Ukraine or Sweden vs Poland or Albania Slovakia or Kosovo vs Turkey or Romania Irish Republic or Czech Republic vs Denmark or North Macedonia
On the challenges ahead, Bellamy said: “We still have a difficult team left, but we’ll adapt.”On Tuesday, Wales defeated North Macedonia 7-1, making Harry Wilson the first player to score a hat-trick for his country since Gareth Bale’s treble against Belarus in 2021.
“A big congratulations to Scotland as well. I love to see my country doing so well, I really do. It’s given us extra inspiration. Personally, I’d love to join Scotland, so I hope we can do that.”
Wales can hope to do better than at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar if they qualify for next summer’s tournament. During that match, the Red Dragons only earned points for their efforts, finishing last in Group B.
After opening the season with a 1-1 draw with the United States, they lost to Iran 2-0 and England 3-0, failing to advance to the finals. The final match ended 3-3 after extra time, with Argentina winning the tournament by defeating France in a penalty shootout.
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