By:
Graeme Hanna
With the World Cup playoff draw made on Thursday, the levels of excitement and anticipation are high among Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland fans, but a cruel trap door threat awaits.
The Boys in Green will need to get past the Czech Republic to set up a playoff final against Denmark or North Macedonia at the Aviva Stadium, while the Green and White Army face a daunting Italian Job, away from home.
If Northern Ireland can beat Italy, they will play the World Cup playoff final away to Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The games will take place in four months, with the single-leg semi-final scheduled for March 26, followed by the final ties on March 31.
Now that the draw is set, the teams know their potential path to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but a surprising element has emerged.
It was assumed there would be no further action for the beaten semi-finalists once they reached the end of the World Cup playoff road, but speculation online has indicated that the losers will be obligated to play a friendly game against the other defeated semi-final nation in the same bracket of the draw.
While the winners will progress to a World Cup playoff final shootout to book a ticket to North America, the losing sides will gather for a low-key, low atmosphere friendly game, in possibly the worst case of ‘here’s what you could have won’ ever.
The update was discussed on Thursday morning on the X social media platform by Joel Taggart, a BBC Northern Ireland presenter, and has been followed up on after the draw by several other journalists and commentators.
Whatever happens, Defintely 2 games in March. The 2 losing semi finalists in each pathway obliged to play each other in a friendly. If you were drawn to host the final but lost your semi final then you will be at home for the friendly. https://t.co/yvguF4wuXz
— Joel Taggart (@TaggartJoel) November 20, 2025
Another motivating incentive for success in World Cup playoff games
Now that the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales know what stands in their way to join England, Scotland, and the rest of the nations at the World Cup, the countdown to March is on.
The friendly game obligation is a very unusual development and will not be welcomed by many, especially for its timing.
National team coaches always want games and training camps for their teams, but how productive will such a game between beaten World Cup playoff semi-finalists be?
The lack of enthusiasm and morale at this time will be a factor, but the news provides another motivating incentive for success in the upcoming playoff games.
There is so much to play for, and then there is the unwanted, obligatory friendly game.
FIFA sources have confirmed the games are in place, with UEFA nations contracted to play two games in March for TV contracts.
Image credit: northernireland/X
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