Both Wales and Ireland harbor aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup tournament as they compete in the European play-offs scheduled for March.
Craig Bellamy’s squad will welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina for their semi-final clash, while Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team will journey to Czechia.
The triumphant teams from these single-match encounters will then proceed to a one-legged final on March 31, aiming to clinch their place in the main competition. This major event is set to commence in June and will be jointly presented by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Below is an outline of the prospective opponents Wales and Ireland could encounter in their potential play-off finals and, should they advance, during the World Cup itself. Also included is an examination of their possible fixture timetables.
2026 World Cup preliminary rounds: Wales and Ireland’s route
If Wales emerge victorious in their semi-final, they are set to welcome the triumphant team from the match between Italy and Northern Ireland, an encounter scheduled to be held in Bergamo.
Should Ireland secure an away victory against Czechia, their next journey will be to Copenhagen to face the victors of the clash involving Denmark and North Macedonia.
The two matches featuring their prospective adversaries will be held concurrently on Thursday.
The decisive match is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 (19:45 BST), and the successful teams will progress to the World Cup tournament.
Should it be required, thirty minutes of added time and a penalty shoot-out will be implemented in the qualification matches.
World Cup 2026: Wales, Ireland’s pool and participating nations
The lottery for the main event has already been conducted. Should they make it through, Wales will be placed in Group B. If Ireland progress, they will feature in Group A.
Below is an overview of how those sections are structured, encompassing each nation’s FIFA standing prior to the play-off semi-finals.
Which nations might Wales encounter at the World Cup? Group B
| Country | Rank |
| Switzerland | 18 |
| Canada | 29 |
| Qatar | 56 |
Switzerland stands as the top-ranked nation, while Canada could arguably be encouraged by their role as joint organizers of the finals.
Qatar – guided by Julen Lopetegui, formerly manager of Real Madrid and Spain – staged the 2022 tournament.
Which teams might Ireland compete against at the World Cup? Group A
According to their standings, Ireland’s matches at the finals would appear to become gradually simpler.
| Country | Rank |
| Mexico | 16 |
| South Korea | 22 |
| South Africa | 60 |
FIFA World Cup: Wales, Ireland’s timetable and matches
Wales are set to face Canada initially, followed by Switzerland and Qatar. Encounters marked with an asterisk will commence on the subsequent day.
| Date | Match | BST (UK) | ET (East) | PT (West) | Venue |
| June 12 | Canada | 20:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 | BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 18 | Switzerland | 04:00* | 23:00 | 20:00 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| June 24 | Qatar | 04:00* | 23:00 | 20:00 | Lumen Field, Seattle |
If they emerge as group winners at the World Cup, Wales would then encounter one of the eight highest-achieving teams that concluded in third place across the 12 sections.
Should they place as runners-up, they are slated to play against the second-placed team from Group A, a section comprising Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, and a European play-off winner.
Should they advance to the elimination rounds as a team finishing third, they would face the victors of Group D or E. Those pools include the USA, Australia, Paraguay, a European play-off winner, Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador.
Ireland are set to compete against South Korea initially, followed by South Africa and joint hosts Mexico. Matches marked with an asterisk will commence on the subsequent 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 City |
If they top their section at the World Cup, Ireland would then meet one of the eight top-achieving teams that placed third across the 12 groups.
Should they come in second, they are scheduled to encounter the second-place finishers from Group B, a section featuring Switzerland, Canada, Qatar, and a European play-off winner.
If they advance to the elimination rounds as a team in third position, they will face the victors of Group E or G. Those sections include Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
Examine the complete World Cup draw.
When will the 2026 FIFA World Cup commence?
The World Cup will commence with an encounter between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11 (20:00 BST).
What are Wales and Ireland’s World Cup prospects?
For Wales, a significant portion could hinge upon how they manage a formidable prospective play-off final against an Italy squad positioned 12th.
Having triumphed in five and suffered defeats in two of their preliminary matches, which saw them challenge Belgium tightly in their group, Wales would likely expect themselves to fare more successfully in their section at the main tournament than they did in 2022, when they placed last.
Ireland advanced to the qualification rounds following a last-minute victory in Hungary during the preliminary stages. Positioned 59th in the standings, they would view an encounter against South Africa as their most achievable prospective game at the tournament proper.
Their most successful tournament was reaching the quarter-finals in 1990, succeeded by progress to the last 16 in both 1994 and 2002.