who will ireland play in playoffs

Ireland will play Czechia away in Prague in their World Cup 2026 play-off semi-final, and if they win, they will then face either Denmark or North Macedonia at home in the play-off final.

Who Ireland will play in the playoffs

• In the World Cup 2026 UEFA play-offs, the Republic of Ireland has been drawn to play Czechia (Czech Republic) in a single-leg semi-final on 26 March, in Prague’s Fortuna Arena.

• If Ireland beats Czechia, they will advance to a one-off final on 31 March against either Denmark or North Macedonia , with that final to be hosted by the winner of Czechia vs Ireland.

Quick context and stakes

• Ireland reached the play-offs thanks to a dramatic late winner by Troy Parrott against Hungary, which secured second place in their qualifying group behind Portugal and kept their World Cup hopes alive.

• Only four teams will emerge from the 16-team European play-off field to claim spots at the 2026 World Cup, so this Czechia tie and the potential Denmark/North Macedonia final are effectively do-or-die matches for Ireland’s qualification chances.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.