LAST UPDATE | 17 Nov 2025

The 42

Updated 17/11

IRELAND’S DRAMATIC 3-2 win over Hungary yesterday afternoon has seen the men’s national football team secure its first World Cup play-off for eight years. 

Portugal topped Ireland’s group and heads straight through the finals next year but Ireland still has work to do.

The team is now two matches away from a place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next June but all eyes will now turn to who might stand in our way. 

The first thing to know is that the draw for the play-offs takes place on Thursday at 12pm Irish time. So we don’t have long to wait to know our opponents 

However, the games themselves don’t take place until the end of March.

The format sees 16 play-off teams, including Ireland, being split into four mini tournaments, with four teams in each.

Each mini tournament will have two semi-finals, with the winners of each of these playing each other in a final leg. These are all knock-out matches, meaning only a win will do and there’ll be extra-time and penalties if needed.  

All of the semi-finals and finals will take place on 26 and 31 March, with higher ranked teams playing their semi-final at home and the home team for the final being decided by a draw. 

So who could Ireland be paired with in Thursday’s draw?

The short answer is that that picture won’t be clear until some qualifying games are completed today and tomorrow. 

The draw will be seeded based on FIFA world rankings which means that better ranked teams are drawn against lesser ranked teams. 

Countries will also be seeded into Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4. Pot 1 teams will face Pot 4 countries in the semi-final, with Pot 2 and Pot 3 sides clashing in the last four.

Ireland will be in either Pot 2 or Pot 3, but won’t know for certain which pot they are in until the remaining qualifiers have been played on today and tomorrow. 

Ireland will be hoping that their coefficient is good enough to see them seeded in Pot 2, which would ensure that they play their play-off semi-final at home in the Aviva Stadium.

However, for that to happen, they will need some results over the next 48 hours to fall their way.

What is unequivocal is that Romania, Sweden and Northern Ireland have all been confirmed for Pot 4 — that’s because none of that trio secured a top-two finish in their group but get in via the backdoor thanks to their Nations League performances.

At the time of writing, Albania, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Italy are the only other sides whose second-place finish has been confirmed and are definitely in the playoffs.

🚨 🇮🇪 Ireland will secure Pot 2 and host Pot 3 nation in the Semifinals of the UEFA Play-offs if both of these occur:

1⃣ 🇧🇦 Bosnia do NOT win vs 🇦🇹 Austria

2⃣ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales do NOT win vs🇲🇰 North Macedonia

🚨 🇮🇪 Ireland could host BOTH the Semifinals and Final, as draw will… pic.twitter.com/dYs780lGke

— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) November 16, 2025

The reliable @FootRankings X account yesterday published a state of play showing that Ireland are in Pot 3 as it stands but could move up to Pot 2 if two things happen. 

They highlighted how the Boys in Green could be moved into Pot 2 if Wales fail to overcome North Macedonia and Bosnia don’t prevail away to Austria.

So basically, the two games the country will be watching are both tomorrow evening when we’ll selfishly be hoping that North Macedonia can get at least a draw in Wales and Austria can avoid defeat at home to Bosnia. 

If those things happen Ireland will have a home semi-final but if not the team will be away from home.

Regardless of those results though, Ireland are in the play-offs and we’ll know our opponents on Thursday. 

Written by Paul Fennessy with reporting by Rónán Duffy

Originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.