Italy's Pio Esposito reacts during the 2026 World Cup Group I qualifier against Norway in Milan, Italy, on Sunday. (AP photo)

ZURICH — Italy was stopped by Sweden from getting to the 2018 World Cup. It was North Macedonia in 2022. Now it is Northern Ireland’s turn.

Four-time World Cup winner Italy is back in the qualifying playoffs for a third straight time and the draw by FIFA on Thursday plots a tricky path toward ending a remarkable 12-year wait to play on soccer’s biggest stage.

Italy first hosts Northern Ireland in a single elimination game on March 26 with the winner having to travel to face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina. At stake is a place at the first 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Northern Irish shape as a similar test to North Macedonia, which resisted waves of attacks in Palermo in March 2022 before stunning Italy with a single goal in stoppage time.

“There will be immense pressure on Italy, they have obviously missed the last two World Cups,” Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill told The Associated Press. “We have everything to gain in this situation.”

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, whose team was beaten 4-1 by group winner Norway in Milan on Sunday, declined to speak with the AP.

European brackets

Among three other European playoff brackets, Ukraine will host Sweden with the winner then at home to Poland or Albania.

Ukraine played its qualifying group home games in three different Polish cities while the country is under military invasion by Russia, and could end up hosting Poland in Poland.

First, Ukraine must get by Sweden which finished last in its qualifying group won by Switzerland but earned a playoffs place by winning a Nations League group last year.

“We are playing a proud, strong football nation,” new Sweden coach Graham Potter said of Ukraine. “Everyone wants to play for their nation. Emotion will be a part of the game that we have to manage, and manage well.”

In 2022, Ukraine won a playoff semifinal in Scotland that was postponed for more than two months because of the war, then lost the decisive qualifying game at Wales.

Outside Europe

FIFA also made the draw for the six-nation intercontinental playoffs that do not involve Europe.

Iraq, which was seeded in the draw, will have to beat Bolivia or Suriname in a one-game playoff next March to qualify for the finals tournament.

Congo was seeded in the other intercontinental playoffs bracket and will play the winner of a single-game semifinal between New Caledonia and Jamaica.

The six intercontinental playoff games will be staged in Mexico from March 23-31 at stadiums in Guadalajara and Monterrey, which each will host four World Cup games next June.

A penalty scored by Iraq in the 17th minute of stoppage time against the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday sent coach Graham Arnold’s team through to the global playoffs. Iraq’s 2-1 win in Basra sealed a 3-2 victory in the two-leg Asian playoff.

New Caledonia is the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, at No. 149 of the 211 FIFA member countries.

New Caledonia effectively advanced to the playoffs by beating Tahiti 3-0 in March, before losing the Oceania qualifying final against New Zealand. Coach Johann Sidaner’s team has played just one game since, beating Gibraltar in a friendly last month.

A total of six teams will advance from the two sets of playoffs in March to complete the first 48-nation lineup.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer