Italy move one win from ending World Cup drought

Italy kept their World Cup hopes alive with a 2–0 victory over Northern Ireland in Bergamo, pushing them into Tuesday’s decisive play‑off against Bosnia for one of Europe’s final four spots at the 2026 tournament. Goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean secured the win for a nation absent from the World Cup since 2014.

Bosnia reached the final after edging Wales on penalties, with Edin Džeko cancelling out Daniel James’ opener before a 4–2 shootout triumph.

Elsewhere, Kosovo stunned Slovakia 4–3 to set up a home showdown with Turkey, who eliminated Romania thanks to Ferdi Kadıoğlu’s strike. Kosovo now chase their first‑ever World Cup appearance.

In Path B, Sweden and Poland advanced after beating Ukraine and Albania. Viktor Gyökeres hit a hat‑trick for Sweden, while Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zieliński led Poland’s comeback.

The final European berth will be decided between the Czech Republic and Denmark.