Cabin BLV: Italy will not easily defeat Bosnia

The playoff matches for the 2026 World Cup will decide the last four spots for European teams. Naturally, the focus is on Italy, aiming to make a comeback to the World Cup after over ten years away.

1. The victory over Northern Ireland in the semifinal of the European playoff for the 2026 World Cup allowed Italy to breathe a sigh of relief. In the two previous World Cup qualifying cycles, Italy stumbled in the playoff rounds. During the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Italy lost to Sweden 0-1 over two matches. In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, they disappointed even more by losing 0-1 to North Macedonia right in the semifinal of Path C. It would be a disaster if Italy fell for the third consecutive time upon entering playoff matches.

Therefore, the win against Northern Ireland was a match that not only relieved psychological pressure for Italy but also for coach Gennaro Gattuso personally. This 48-year-old manager only took charge last summer, and the match against Northern Ireland was a genuine experience for Gattuso in a crucial match for Italy. It is no coincidence that Gattuso said it was the most important match in his coaching career. He faced immense pressure after Italy failed to secure a direct ticket to the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The psychological burden from past failures clearly affected Gattuso and his team. Thus, the victory over Northern Ireland will boost morale as Italy heads to Bosnia for the final match in their quest for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

This will not be a simple match because, compared to Northern Ireland, Bosnia is a much stronger opponent. Italy's squad is still rated higher than Bosnia, but that does not guarantee Gattuso's team will have an easy game. Italy has a chance to win, but ensuring a convincing victory is very difficult. Bosnia enjoys home advantage and could drag the match into a protracted battle. Therefore, the personal view is that it will be a hard-fought victory for Gattuso's team. At least, Italians do not want to see their team miss the World Cup for the third consecutive time.

2. Besides the Italy-Bosnia match, the other three playoff matches in Europe are also highly anticipated. Kosovo, after an impressive qualifying journey, has a great opportunity to achieve a happy ending: making their first-ever appearance in a World Cup final. They defeated Slovakia 4-3 in the semifinal of Path C and only need to beat Turkey in the final to realize their dream of participating in the USA, Canada, and Mexico this summer. In theory, that is the case, but Turkey is entirely different in caliber compared to Slovakia. Turkey has not qualified for the World Cup since 2002, so their desire is abundant. Therefore, it is very difficult for Kosovo to shock Turkey.

The other two matches are considered quite evenly matched: Poland-Sweden and Czech Republic-Denmark. Sweden's issue before facing Poland is that they only have Gyokeres as the attacking focal point, as Alexander Isak is still unavailable. The Arsenal striker recently scored a hat-trick against Ukraine, but alone he is not enough for Sweden to make a difference, as Poland has better squad depth. The chance to reach the 2026 World Cup in this match leans slightly toward Poland. For the Czech Republic-Denmark pairing, Denmark is rated higher than their opponent, and it would not be surprising if Rasmus Hojlund's team emerges victorious to secure a ticket to the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Denmark's squad is considered slightly superior to the Czech Republic, as coach Brian Riemer has many quality players competing in Europe, which will be a crucial difference.