Italy Sets Bergamo Venue for 2026 World Cup Playoff vs. Northern Ireland on March 26

Overview

• The FIGC confirmed the single-leg semifinal will be played at Atalanta’s Gewiss/New Balance Arena in Bergamo.
• If Italy advances, it will travel on March 31 to face the Wales–Bosnia and Herzegovina winner for a World Cup berth in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
• Italy is unbeaten in Bergamo with two wins and two draws, most recently a 5–0 victory over Estonia in September in Gennaro Gattuso’s debut.
• The Azzurri enter a playoff for the third straight cycle after finishing second behind Norway, following prior eliminations by Sweden in 2018 qualifying and North Macedonia in 2022.
• Context for the matchup includes FIFA rankings (Italy 12th, Northern Ireland 69th) and a head-to-head record favoring Italy (7 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss), with their last meeting a 0–0 draw in 2022 qualifying.