The final four European spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are still up for grabs and the road to securing them continues Thursday, March 26 with 16 teams in action. The winners of eight UEFA World Cup playoffs semifinals on Thursday will advance to next Tuesday’s finals, where four nations will earn a trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer in North America.
Four-time World Cup champions Italy are among the teams fighting to advance, and they face Northern Ireland at 3:45 p.m. ET on Thursday in Bergamo, Italy. The winner faces the winner of the other Path A match, Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina. The other matches Thursday are Ukraine vs. Sweden and Poland vs. Albania (Path B), Slovakia vs. Kosovo and Turkey vs. Romania (Path C), Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland and Denmark vs. North Macedonia (Path D).
Those interested in wagering on Thursday’s games have to see what SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green is locking in for his best bets. After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others.
Here are Green’s best bets and analysis for Thursday’s games. Sports fans interested in tailing Green’s picks can use the latest DraftKings promo code for these contests.
UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs bets for Thursday, Feb. 26
- Wales vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina – Both teams to score (+100)
- Poland money line vs. Albania and Under 4.5 Goals (-118)
- Turkey + Italy money line parlay (-118)
Wales vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina both teams to score (+100)
This should be an entertaining clash between two attacking teams. Bosnia and Herzegovina have found the back of the net in their last 11 games, a run stretching back to November 2024 — when they lost 7-0 to Germany. However, they rarely keep clean sheets. They’ve conceded in their past five matches, and BTTS paid off in eight of their last 11 games.
Wales also struggle to keep clean sheets. They’ve conceded in four of their past five. The only exception was a 1-0 win against minnows Liechtenstein, so it’s hard to see them shutting out this dangerous Bosnia and Herzegovina team. Veteran striker Edin Džeko is still going strong while Stuttgart forward Ermedin Demirovic could also cause problems for the Welsh defense.
Wales are coming off a 7-1 victory against North Macedonia. They have talented Premier League stars like Harry Wilson and Brennan Johnson in their ranks, so they should also get on the score sheet in this game.
Poland money line vs. Albania and Under 4.5 Goals (-118)
Poland should be too strong for Albania when the teams meet in Warsaw this week. The Poles have a very strong home record, with five wins and a draw from their last six games. That draw came against a star-studded Netherlands team, which featured the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo. Poland manager Jan Urban has called up a strong squad for this game, featuring Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski, and Atalanta‘s Nicola Zelewski.
His team should have enough quality to breach the Albanian defense. Poland also look strong at the back with the likes of Jakub Kiwior, Matty Cash and Bartosz Bereszynski all in good form. They’ve only conceded two goals in their last six home games and all six of them saw Under 4.5 goals. For that reason, combining Poland to win with Under 4.5 goals looks appealing. Albania aren’t a particularly exciting team — they only scored seven goals and conceded just five times in eight matches during the World Cup qualifying campaign – so this could be a tight, low-scoring affair. Home advantage should ultimately swing it in Poland’s favor, as they have more quality in attack.
Turkey + Italy money line parlay (-118)
Turkey should get the better of Romania in Istanbul. They’re on a four-game unbeaten streak, and they’re coming off an impressive 2-2 draw with European champions Spain. The squad is packed with quality players, including Real Madrid‘s Arda Güler, Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz and Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu. They should outclass Romania, as they look superior in pretty much every department.
Combining Turkey to beat Romania with Italy to beat Northern Ireland looks appealing. The Italians are also playing at home and it would be a major upset if they failed to beat Northern Ireland in Bergamo. Once again, they have a vastly superior squad to their opponents, featuring world-class players like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, and Nicolò Barella. Inter striker Pio Esposito is going from strength to strength, and he could put Northern Ireland to the sword.
