World Cup playoff draw: Italy get N. Ireland, Wales or Bosnia - ESPN

Italy will first host Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifying playoff in March but then would need to go on the road to qualify for their first tournament after back-to-back failures at this stage.

On Thursday, FIFA held the playoffs draw that will send the winner between four-time champion Italy and the Northern Irish on March 26 to travel to face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina five days later. At stake was a place at the first 48-team finals tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Italy have not played at a World Cup since 2014 and were pushed into the playoffs after finishing runners-up in a qualifying group won by Norway this month.

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

Kosovo's path to a first-ever World Cup as Europe's newest football nation is away to Slovakia followed by hosting Turkey or Romania.

Ireland's reward for remarkable back-to-back wins over Portugal and Hungary in the past week is a playoff semifinal at the Czech Republic with the winner then hosting Denmark or North Macedonia.

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

Iraq, who were seeded in the draw, will have to beat Bolivia or Suriname in a one-game playoff next March to qualify.

Congo were 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, who each will host four World Cup games next June.

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