How can Sweden, Nigeria & Italy Qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?

The current 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification scenario has put several big teams on the edge of play-offs once again. When the global football body announced that the World Cup in the USA would have 48 teams, everyone thought of a confirmed ticket for all big nations. While almost every international powerhouse like Spain and Portugal are cruising towards snatching a direct qualification, some of the renowned countries like Italy, Sweden, and Nigeria are still hanging by a thread in this qualification battle.
Gennaro Gattuso's Italian side are currently sitting in the second spot in Group I with five wins and one loss, trailing the group leaders Norway by three points. In Africa's World Cup 2026 qualification, the Nigeria national football team have failed to make it to the top after being pipped by South Africa, who will return to the global tournament after almost 15 years. For Sweden, the road to the USA also looks bleak. With almost all European teams entering the final stage of the qualifiers, the race to the top spots of all twelve groups definitely tightens. We, at Sportsdunia, have calculated how Sweden, Nigeria and Italy can qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sweden: A Nation That Faces a Gloomy Future

Sweden's hopes for the finals are almost shattered as per the current 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification scenario. Only their golden luck can save them from another embarrassment at the top level. The Blue and Yellow are currently at the bottom of Group B. They have not won a single game in the qualifiers so far, having lost 0-1 in their last game against Kosovo and earned only one point from a 2-2 draw against Slovenia last month.
Their chances of earning a direct ticket to the USA are gone. Now, only mathematics keeps their hopes alive. The equation is simple for Jon Dahl Tomasson's boys. First, they must win the remaining two games against Switzerland and Slovenia, respectively. And then they will have to pray for two consecutive Kosovo defeats, which should be big in margins. The Swedish national team currently have a four-goal trail to Kosovo in terms of goal difference. It's been five years since the blue and yellow have qualified for a major competition. If they fail to make it to the playoffs of the World Cup 2026 qualification, the embarrassing drought would continue.

Will Italy Play in Another World Cup Play-offs?

The champions of 2006 are desperate to end their eight-year banishment from the FIFA World Cup, and under Gennaro Gattuso, they have been clinical enough to achieve that. But, an unbeaten Norway stand between them and a direct qualification for the 2026 USA World Cup.
They have emerged victorious in five out of six games, yet trail Erling Haaland's nation in Group I by three points. Their recent win has come in the form of a flawless 3-0 at home. In order to topple the group leaders, Norway, Italy must beat them and Estonia in their last two fixtures for a possible World Cup 2026 qualification scenario. However, Gattuso's side can only top the group if the Norway national football team drop points against Estonia in their last qualifier. If not, then Italy will once again play in the dreaded play-off, an event that denied them a World Cup ticket in the last edition of the tournament, following painful losses to North Macedonia and Sweden. The UEFA play-offs for the 2026 World Cup are scheduled to be held in March next year.

Nigeria's Road to 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Nigeria have finished their group stage campaign for the World Cup 2026 qualification and they have fallen short of finding a place in the nine-team automatic qualification zone. The Super Eagles' thumping 4-0 win against Benin was not enough to go past a consistent South African team in Group C of the World Cup African qualifiers.
Bafana Bafana have finished the group with 18 points, leading the Super Eagles by one point. But, Nigeria's dream of playing in the USA still remains intact as their attention will now turn to the African play-offs. From the African continent, nine teams have already qualified for the ultimate showdown. The battle is now for the remaining one spot. For that, four top runners-up from eight groups - Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo will fight it out this November. The semifinals and final of the play-offs will be held in Morocco. So, according to the 2026 World Cup qualification scenario, Nigeria's chance to grab a ticket to the USA still lingers.

How Can San Marino Qualify for the USA World Cup?

San Marino, a country that is like Halley's Comet in the world of football, has a chance to qualify for next year's World Cup in the USA. Isn't it surprising? Well, numbers and mathematics can make it possible if luck rides by their side. Currently, the San Marino national football team sit bottom of Group H of the European World Cup qualifiers, having lost all seven games.
The European nation topped their group in the Nations League, a feat that has put them in a position to feature in the World Cup qualifying play-offs. With 12 countries directly qualifying for the main event, four remaining spots will be filled through play-offs. Twelve runners-up and four best Nations League group winners will take on each other in this. If any two among Romania, Wales, Sweden and Northern Ireland stay in the top two spots in their respective groups in the World Cup 2026 qualification, then San Marino will play in the play-offs.