Even though Romania lost in an incredible manner in Bosnia, with a score of 1-3 in Zenica on Saturday evening, Romania has not missed any chance of qualifying for the World Cup 2026.
We will go to the play-offs because we won the Nations League group a year ago, but in this play-off, we missed a great opportunity to get a more accessible opponent, and especially the chance to play the semifinal at home in March 2026.
The national team is confident that they will finish in third place in this group, so we will go to the play-offs from the last pot, thanks to the 4 spots allocated to the teams coming from the Nations League. Besides us, there are also Sweden, North Macedonia, and Northern Ireland.
However, these four teams will be paired with teams from pot 1. This means facing the giants Italy, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine. Scenarios can change in the final round of qualifiers, but the chances for surprises are very slim.
The play-off semifinal will take place in a single leg on March 26, 2026, away for us, and if we make it, the final will be played on March 31, with the host being determined by draw.
The draw for the semifinals will take place on Thursday at 2 PM. Romania has not participated in a World Cup since 1998.