Newcastle United & Sunderland stars to meet in World Cup playoff - plus Yoane Wissa update
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Newcastle United latest news: Sandro Tonali will square-off against Sunderland stars in March in the final set of World Cup playoff matches.
Sandro Tonali could come up against Sunderland duo Dan Ballard and Trai Hume when Italy face Northern Ireland in March’s World Cup playoff. Italy finished second in their qualifying group to Norway, ensuring that their place at next summer’s World Cup would be decided via the playoffs.
Despite being reigning European champions at the time, Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after being defeated by North Macedonia in the playoffs. That defeat ensured that the four-time world champions would not feature at back-to-back World Cups having also failed to qualify for the 2018 edition of the tournament.
The Azzurri have the opportunity to right that record during the next international break when they face Northern Ireland. However, defeating Northern Ireland won’t book Italy their spot in the group stage of the World Cup, instead only setting up a playoff final game against the winner of Wales’ clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy will have home advantage for their game against Northern Ireland, but would then have to make the trip to Cardiff or Sarajevo for the final match. Italy and Tonali will have to wait until March to play these games - in a break that comes immediately after Newcastle United take on Sunderland at St James’ Park or the Carabao Cup final - depending on the Magpies’ progression in that competition.
World Cup playoff matches confirmed
Alongside Italy’s game against Northern Ireland, seven other matches will also take place with four spots at the World Cup up for grabs for the winners of those games. As mentioned, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina will compete for the right to face Italy or Northern Ireland.
Elsewhere, the Republic of Ireland face Czechia with the winners of that tie facing Denmark or North Macedonia. Slovakia and Kosovo will face each other with Turkey or Romania the opponents for the winner.
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Poland and Albania will also compete for a spot in the playoff final where they will face Ukraine or Sweden. Anthony Elanga and Emil Krafth were both included in Graham Potter’s first international squad this month and will hope to force themselves into the former Chelsea and Brighton manager’s plans for the next international break.
It wasn’t just Europe where World Cup playoff games were drawn on Thursday, however, as the draw for the final two interconfederation spots also took place. The 2026 Intercontinental playoff draw paired Bolivia and Suriname together, with the winner of that tie taking on Iraq for a spot at the World Cup.
DR Congo have also discovered their opponents for their win at all costs playoff match. The African nation will face either Suriname or Jamaica.
Yoane Wissa, who is still yet to make his debut for Newcastle United, should be back and fully fit by the time that match is played in March. Wissa could come up against former Magpies midfielder Isaac Hayden in that game, although Steve McClaren won’t be in the Reggae Boyz’s dugout after he resigned from his post following their defeat to Curacao earlier this week.