World Cup play-off: Dates and kick-off times as Italy aim to secure qualification

Italy will play Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final on March 26, while the potential final will be played away against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31.

The March international break marks a crucial moment for the Azzurri as Gennaro Gattuso’s boys will be tasked with qualifying for the World Cup after missing the previous two editions in 2018 and 2022.

The semi-final will be played at home in Bergamo against Northern Ireland on March 26, while the potential final is an away fixture against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Both semi-finals will be played on March 26 at 20:45 CET. Football Italia will provide live updates via a live blog, but you can also follow live action through the livescore app.

Oddly, if Italy fail to beat Northern Ireland, they’ll still play a second game during the March break, also on March 31, but against the loser of the Wales-Bosnia and Herzegovina game.

It goes without saying that the game against Northern Ireland is beyond crucial for the Azzurri.

After missing out on qualification in 2018 and 2022, Italy cannot afford another fiasco, especially as one of the most successful countries in the competition, with four World Cup victories, just one behind Brazil.

Inevitably, pressure is mounting on the Azzurri, who will start preparations for the semi-final on March 23 at their training centre in Coverciano.

Gattuso was hired less than a year ago to replace Luciano Spalletti and has won five of six, losing the most recent one to Norway 4-1 at San Siro.

Italy legend Gigi Buffon, one of the 2006 Italy World Cup winners alongside Gattuso, had a role in the coach’s appointment as the Azzurri’s delegation chief.

Buffon, however, has already announced that he’ll step down from his role if the Azzurri fail to qualify for the World Cup.

“I’m always the first to take responsibility for everything. I’ll step aside if a scapegoat needs to be found,” said the legendary goalkeeper in a recent interview.

“I’ll pack up and go home. Is that the problem? What kind of reasoning is that? It drives me crazy. There’s never any effort to understand whether a professional actually has values or is capable. Instead, it’s like flipping a coin; if things go well, everyone is great, if they go badly, everyone is useless. I find this way of thinking and making choices embarrassing, but apparently it’s fine.

“We need to be constructive and optimistic and not always act like harsh critics,” he continued.

“In my opinion, it shows very little love, not just for the national team, but for the nation itself. In Italy, football isn’t just about sport; it’s about something more. It has much greater value. Now that we’re facing more difficulties, people should support us, yet instead they attack us. That bothers me.”

Italy began preparations for the World Cup play-off on Monday, March 23.

Coach Gattuso held a press conference to explain his squad selection and even why the semi-final against Northern Ireland will be played in Bergamo, rather than in a bigger stadium, such as San Siro.

“I chose the stadium. I want to thank the President and Buffon for letting me decide. I believe that when you go to a 60,000-seat stadium like San Siro, there are Inter and Milan fans, and they might start booing after a few wrong passes. Playing in a smaller stadium will likely give us a better atmosphere,” Gattuso said.

“They did so in my first game as Italy’s coach, despite finishing the first half with a 0-0 draw. We hope to create a real cauldron-like atmosphere and that we haven’t messed things up.

“Thursday’s game is the only target. All the rest is the past, and I think we have a great chance.

“All players who are here are aware of what we play for and how important this game is,” continued the Azzurri boss.

“We do what we have to in order to get to the game with great tranquillity; there’s no need to suffocate them. These are players who have won a lot, played Champions League Finals, and won the Euros with the Azzurri shirt. I strongly believe in our players. It takes great confidence because these players are accustomed to playing these games, so we must have the right mentality and serenity.

“We must get to this game with great desire, be clear-headed and smell the danger. We respect the opponents, they run so much, they have a big heart and are scary from set pieces.”

Federico Chiesa was initially included in the team but ultimately pulled out due to not being fully fit, so Gattuso called up Bologna’s Nicolò Cambiaghi instead.

Inter star Alessandro Bastoni missed the last two games at a club level, but should be eligible to play in the World Cup play-off semi-final for the Azzurri as he continued to recover from a fibula injury at the Azzurri training centre, Coverciano.