A worst-case scenario for Poland in the play-offs. Germany can change everything
On Monday, November 17, the Polish national football team will play against Malta for points, although promotion to the play-off phase is already assured. However, the result of this clash is still important to us – we explain why.
Even before the match against Malta, it was known that Poland had qualified for the play-off phase. This means that although we will not advance directly to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, we are still in the game for advancement.
What happens after the Malta-Poland match? Scenarios for the play-offs
Thanks to the good play of the Polish national team and the weaker play of Finland, we have already secured our participation in the play-offs. We will probably not overtake the Netherlands, because we would have to make up for the difference of 13 goals, and the first-place team would have to lose to Lita. We will almost certainly finish the qualifying round in second place in the group.
If we win against Malta, it puts us in a good position for the play-offs. Losing means the risk of losing the first seed and having to play against opponents like Italy or Turkey. Even if we win, we still have to look at other teams.
We may drop out of the top spot if Scotland overtakes Denmark in Group C. A similar scenario awaits us if Bosnia and Herzegovina defeats Austria. The third situation, when we are not seeded, requires a sensation in Group A, where Slovakia would have to overtake Germany.
This clearly shows that in the last round of qualifying matches we can support not only the White and Reds. We also keep our fingers crossed for Denmark, Germany and Austria. If everything goes well, we will enter the March play-offs in a slightly better position.
Play-offs for the 2026 World Cup
What will the 2026 World Cup play-offs look like? The semi-finals will be held on March 26 and the finals on March 31. 16 European teams will compete, divided into 4 baskets. In the semi-finals, we will see clashes between teams from pots 1 and 4 and 2 and 3. The hosts of these matches will be the teams from higher pots (1 and 2). The hosts of the finals will be selected in a draw.
Currently, the first basket includes Italy, Türkiye, Ukraine and Poland. Basket number two is Hungary, Scotland, Czech Republic, Slovakia. In the third we have Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last group now includes Wales, Sweden, Romania and Northern Ireland.
