The long road to North America: Can Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland write history at the 2026 World Cup?

For Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, the road to the 2026 World Cup has been one of drama, determination, and no small amount of heartbreak. England and Scotland have already booked their places in North America, but for the other home nations, history is still very much up for grabs.

You can access the LiveScore Bet app on your smartphone to follow all the action as the drama unfolds. The playoff ties of late March could yet deliver some of the most memorable moments in each nation's footballing story.

Wales

Wales have qualified for the World Cup just twice in their history. Their first appearance came in 1958, when a golden generation spearheaded by the great John Charles reached the quarter-finals in Sweden before falling to a single goal from a 17-year-old Pele.

It would be 64 years before they returned, when a dramatic 1-0 win over Ukraine sent a nation into raptures ahead of Qatar 2022. That tournament ended in disappointment, with Wales finishing bottom of a group containing England, the USA, and Iran, but the hunger to reach back-to-back World Cups for the first time in their history is palpable.

Craig Bellamy's current side finished second to Belgium in Group J of qualifying, and now face Bosnia and Herzegovina before a potential playoff final on March 31. A third World Cup appearance, and consecutive ones at that, would represent a seismic moment in Welsh football.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's World Cup record is one of sport's great underdog stories. They have appeared at three tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals in both 1958 and 1982, but have not been seen at the finals since 1986, nearly four decades ago.

Their finest hour came in Spain in 1982, when Gerry Armstrong's famous strike against the host nation sent a country of fewer than two million people into delirium. Norman Whiteside, meanwhile, made his World Cup debut in that same tournament at just 17 years and 41 days old, a record for the youngest player in World Cup history that still stands today.

The current side travel to Bergamo to face Italy in the playoff semi-final on March 26, with a potential final to follow on March 31. Should they overcome the Azzurri, a potential home nations clash with Wales could await, with only one of them able to book a flight to North America. It is the toughest ask of the three nations, but for a team with Northern Ireland's history of giant-killing, the impossible has never felt entirely out of reach.

Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland have appeared at three World Cups, in 1990, 1994, and 2002. Their first finals in Italy in 1990, under the legendary Jack Charlton, remains one of the defining eras in Irish sport, where they reached the quarter-finals, beating Romania on penalties.

They made the last 16 in 1994 and again in 2002, in what proved to be their last appearance at the tournament. That is now 24 years and counting without a World Cup, a gap that gnaws at every Irish supporter who grew up during the Charlton years.

Heimir Hallgrimsson's side arrived at the playoffs on the back of one of the most dramatic qualifying finishes in recent memory, with Troy Parrott's hat-trick in Budapest sealing back-to-back wins over Portugal and Hungary in November.

They face the Czech Republic in Prague on March 27, before a potential home final on March 31 against either Denmark or North Macedonia. A return to the World Cup after more than two decades would mean everything to a football nation still dreaming of reliving its finest days.

Who Will Make History?

Wales look the most likely of the three to qualify, with Ireland's momentum making them genuine contenders too. Northern Ireland face the steepest climb, but their history proves that steep climbs are nothing new. Whatever happens on March 31, at least one of these nations should hopefully be heading to North America with a story worth telling.