Northern Ireland to Face Italy in World Cup Play-off Semi-final
Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy is scheduled to take place at Stadio di Bergamo on March 26.
Michael O'Neill's team secured their spot in the play-offs by finishing third in Group A of the qualifying rounds, which allowed them to qualify as a pot four team through their Nations League performance. Consequently, they will face a pot one team in the semi-final.
Italy, having finished second in Group I, enters the play-offs as the highest-ranked team, giving them the advantage of playing at home against Northern Ireland at the Atalanta stadium.
Italy's last match at Stadio di Bergamo was a World Cup qualifier against Estonia, which they won decisively 5-0. However, their most recent qualifier ended in a 4-1 defeat to Norway at Milan's San Siro.
The Bergamo stadium has a seating capacity of just 21,300, meaning that Northern Ireland fans will likely receive just over 1,000 tickets for the match, in accordance with UEFA regulations.
The winner of this play-off will advance to face either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 31, with the victor earning a coveted spot in next summer's World Cup in North America.