ZURICH (SWITZERLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Two treacherous paths but both within reach. Italy is beginning to scrutinize the path to the 2026 World Cup to be played in less than two years in Canada, Mexico and the United States: the first official act was celebrated in Zurich, with the draw of the European qualifying rounds. A half draw, because it is tied to the outcome of the Nations League quarterfinals that will be played in March. So here are two possibilities for the Azzurri: in case of success over Germany, it will be group of four (Group A) with coach Francesco Calzona’s Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg; in case of elimination at the hands of the Germans, the doors of Group I – this one of five – will open for the Azzurri, where the main insidia is Erling Haaland’s Norway, as well as Israel, recently faced in the Nations League, Estonia and Moldova. The dates also change depending on the scenarios: in Group A, the qualifiers would kick off in September 2025 in order to play the Nations League Final Four in June; in Group I, on the other hand, the run-up to the World Cup finals would start as early as six months from now. In any case, after being a spectator in Russia first and Qatar later, Italy cannot fail: this means aiming to win the round, whatever it may be, since only the first-place finishers will qualify directly, while the last four places – the 2026 World Cup will be the first 48-team World Cup, the places for Europe have increased from 13 to 16 – will be awarded in the double playoff between the 12 second-place finishers and the four best Nations League national teams that did not qualify and did not enter the playoffs as runners-up. “We have to go into this match as if it were a very important match,” Luciano Spalletti stressed to the Raisport microphones, speaking about the challenge with Germany, “We have to consolidate the good things we have seen during this Nations League. From there we draw new forces to spend in future matches, we have to get there with as many wins as possible in this qualification. You don’t make calculations, you play to win all the time. You have to honor the sport.”These are the groups:GROUP A: winner Germany/ITALY, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg;GROUP B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo;GROUP C: loser Portugal/Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus;GROUP D: winner France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan;GROUP E: winner Spain/Holland, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria;GROUP F: winner Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Armenia;GROUP G: loser Spain/Holland, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta;GIRON H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia, Cyprus, San Marino;GIRON I: loser Germany/ITALY, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova;GIRON J: Belgium, Wales, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein;GIRON K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra;GIRON L: loser France/Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.- photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
