With 80 days left until the start of the World Cup, and with 42 of the 48 teams already qualified, the week marks the beginning of the disputes that will define the six remaining places for the tournament that begins on June 11th.
Four of the vacancies will be filled by European teams, with 16 teams from the Old Continent facing each other in knockout matches starting on Thursday (26).
The other two places will be defined through intercontinental playoffs, also starting on Thursday, with the participation of six teams from the Americas, Oceania, Asia and Africa.
The teams with a guaranteed place in the World Cup will play preparatory friendlies throughout the FIFA Data, with emphasis on the clashes between the Brazilian team against France and Croatia, which take place in the United States.
In the European playoff, the teams best ranked in the FIFA rankings play at home for the right to advance to the second round. One of the most anticipated duels will be between four-time world champion Italy (12th in the FIFA rankings) and Northern Ireland (69th) at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia Stadium, in Bergamo.
Whoever passes will face on the 31st the winner of the clash between Wales (35th) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (71st), which takes place at the Cardiff City Stadium, in Cardiff, the Welsh capital.
Under the command of Gennaro Gattuso, the Azurra are looking to return to the World Cup after their absence in the last two editions — they were eliminated by Sweden in the 2018 World Cup play-offs, and by North Macedonia in the 2022 World Cup.
The team that wins group A of the European repechage will enter group B of the World Cup, alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
In group B of the European playoff, Ukraine (30th in the ranking) plays against Sweden (42nd) in Ciutat de València, Spain — because of the war conflict with Russia. Whoever wins will face in the decisive round the team that advances from the duel between Poland (34th) and Albania (63rd), at the Warsaw National.
The qualified team enters group F of the World Cup, along with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.
In group C, Turkey (25th) hosts Romania (49th) at Besikitas Park, in Istanbul, while Slovakia (44th) faces the Kosovo team (79th) at the Bratislava National. The winner will be in Group D, with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
In group D, Denmark (21st) and North Macedonia (66th) face each other at the Parken Stadium, in Copenhagen, and the Czech Republic (43rd) and Ireland (59th), at the Fortuna Arena, in Prague. The classified completes group A, alongside Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
Intercontinental repechage will give place to the French and Portuguese groups
In the intercontinental playoff, which will be played in Mexico, four teams will face each other in the first round, with the two best classified in the FIFA rankings — Democratic Republic of Congo (48th) and Iraq (58th) — awaiting the winners.
Seventh-placed in the South American Qualifiers, Bolivia (76th) — which has defender Marcelo Torrez and striker Miguel Terceros, from Santos — will play against Suriname (122nd) at El Gigante de Acero, in Monterrey. Whoever passes will face Iraq, on the 31st. The surviving team will make up Group I of the World Cup, alongside France, Norway and Senegal.
In the other intercontinental group, Jamaica (70th) and New Caledonia (150th) face each other at the Akron Stadium, in Guadalajara, for the right to duel against Congo. The team that wins advances to Group K of the World Cup, alongside Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.
Current champion, Argentina reschedules duels twice
Among the FIFA Data friendlies involving teams with a guaranteed place in the World Cup, the Brazilian team will have two important tests against France, on Thursday, at the Gillette Stadium, in Boston, at 5pm (Brasília time), and against Croatia, on the 31st, at the Camping World Stadium, in Orlando, at 9pm.
For the last tests before the group that goes to the World Cup is called, Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti called for the first time to take a closer look at the trio formed by strikers Endrick, from Lyon, Rayan, from Bournemouth, and Igor Thiago, from Brentford.
Defenders Bremer (Juventus), Ibañez (Al Ahli) and Léo Pereira (Flamengo) were also called up for the first time by the Italian, as well as midfielders Danilo (Botafogo) and Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray).
From the initial squad, Alisson (Liverpool) and Alex Sandro (Flamengo) were cut due to injury, giving way to Hugo Souza (Corinthians) and Kaiki (Cruzeiro). Gabriel Magalhães also ended up being recalled due to physical problems, with no replacement for the defender.
Current World Cup champions, Lionel Messi’s Argentina, face Mauritania, on the 27th, and Zambia, on the 31st, at Bombonera, in Buenos Aires.
Initially, the Albiceleste would compete in the Finals against Spain, but the duel between the champions of South America and Europe, which was scheduled for the 27th, in Qatar, ended up canceled after the start of the war in the Middle East.
After the cancellation, Argentina scheduled a friendly against Guatemala, but the duel also had to be canceled because of a FIFA rule that prevents a team from playing on different continents on the same FIFA Date — the Guatemalan team already had a game scheduled against Algeria, away from home, on the 27th.
Spain, in turn, ended up playing a friendly against Serbia, at the Estádio de la Cerámica, in Villarreal, on the 27th.
Among the main European teams, Germany plays friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana, while the Netherlands plays against Norway and Ecuador. Without Cristiano Ronaldo, out due to injury, Portugal faces Mexico and the United States. England takes on Uruguay and Japan.
European repechage – Thursday (26), at 4:45 pm (Brasília time)
Italy x Northern Ireland
Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ukraine x Sweden
Poland x Albania
Türkiye x Romania*
Slovakia x Kosovo
Denmark x North Macedonia
Czech Republic vs Ireland
*at 2pm
Intercontinental repechage
Bolivia x Suriname (at 8pm)
Jamaica x New Caledonia (at 11pm)
