Italy's Potential 2026 World Cup Group Opponents After Playoffs: Who Would the Squadra Azzurra Face?
Italy is still battling in the playoffs for its ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here's who the Squadra Azzurra might face in the tournament's group stage.
The Italian national team must secure its participation in the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, through the playoff rounds. Historically, Italy competed in the semi-finals against Northern Ireland on Thursday, March 26th, and then faced Bosnia-Herzegovina in the final on Tuesday, March 31st, as part of their qualification journey.
Potential Group Stage Opponents for Italy at the 2026 World Cup
The Squadra Azzurra faces a challenging path to the World Cup. However, should they successfully qualify, a seemingly manageable task awaits in the group stage. Italy would be placed in Group B, alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.
Here's an overview of the potential Group B:
| Group B |
|---|
| Canada |
| Italy / Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| Qatar |
| Switzerland |
Italy's Squad for the World Cup Qualification Playoffs
Here is the Squadra Azzurra's roster for the World Cup qualification playoffs:
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Alex Meret (Napoli) |
| Defenders | Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Diego Coppola (Paris FC), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli) |
| Midfielders | Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle) |
| Forwards | Federico Chiesa (Liverpool), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atalanta), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta) |
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