World Cup play-offs: Who could Ireland play and how does the draw work?

Michael Bolton

After the excitement of Ireland's incredible 3-2 comeback over Hungary, attention will now turn to who Ireland will play in the play-offs.

In what looked like Mission Impossible before Thursday, Troy Parrott's heroics ensured Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side finished second in their group and entered the play-offs.

In what may have been forgotten in the excitement of it all, Ireland still needs to win two more games to be in the World Cup next summer.

16 teams, 12 who finished second in their group, and four from the Nations League will be in the semi-finals and finals for the play-offs.

Ireland must win a semi-final on March 26th. Should they win, a final awaits them five days later.

When is the draw

The draw for the play-offs is on Thursday in Zurich at midday.

Who will be in the draw?

Albania, Ukraine, Italy and the Czech Republic have finished second in their qualifying group and are therefore through to the playoffs.

With games to be decided on Monday and Tuesday, Turkey are currently three points behind Spain, who play each other on Tuesday. Unless Turkey pull off a shock, they will be in the play-offs.

Slovakia are also in a similar position when they take on Germany on Monday night, with a shock needed for Germany to drop down to second.

Wales and North Macedonia will qualify through the Nations League.

However, as they face each other on Tuesday, the winner will have a better seeding position.

Scotland v Denmark and Austria v Bosnia and Herzegovina are also games which will decide group winners and runners-up.

Who is in which pot for the draw?

Based on world rankings, the group runners-up are allocated to pots one to three.

Romania, Sweden and Northern Ireland are guaranteed to be in pot four. The other team will be North Macedonia or Wales.

Teams from Pot 1 will be drawn against those from Pot 4, with Pot 2 facing sides from Pot 3.

Here is what the four pots look like as things stand.

Pot 1:

Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, and Poland.

Pot 2:

Scotland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland.

Pot 3:

Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo.

Pot 4

Sweden, Wales, Romania, Northern Ireland.

Pot 1 and Pot 2 teams will be at home for the semi-finals, with a draw to determine who is at home for the finals.