How to watch Italy vs Northern Ireland: Free streams & TV Details as the Azzurri look to avoid another embarrassing World Cup qualifying exit

Watch Italy vs Northern Ireland in the World Cup 2026 qualification play-offs today, as FourFourTwo brings you a comprehensive guide on live streams and TV coverage wherever you are in the world.

There's a school of thought that a World Cup isn't really a World Cup without Italy.

The four-time winners have tested that outlook to its limits. In the four finals tournaments since their last win in 2006, the Azzurri have put in two poor performances in the group stage and failed to qualify twice.

Northern Ireland stand in the way of a first World Cup appearance since 2014. The winners will face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home for a finals berth.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information on how to watch Italy vs Northern Ireland online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Italy vs Northern Ireland for FREE in the UK

Italy vs Northern Ireland will be shown live across the UK on BBC Three and on BBC Northern Ireland, so if you're a television licence holder in the UK you can stream the match for free on BBC iPlayer. Kick-off is at 7:45pm GMT.

Italy vs Northern Ireland free live stream

Online viewers will find the game on the BBC iPlayer. A simple registration and television licence are all that's needed to tune in.

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❗ Coverage is geo-restricted, but you can use a VPN to get your usual access if you're away from the UK right now – more on that below.

Watch Italy vs Northern Ireland from anywhere

What if you're away from home when Italy vs Northern Ireland is on, and find access to your usual streaming service geo-blocked? The solution is a VPN, a piece of software that sets your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock the streaming services you're subscribed to, with a host of privacy and protection benefits on top – that sounds like a result.

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Is Italy vs Northern Ireland on TV in the US?

US-based football fans can watch Italy vs Northern Ireland on Fubo or ViX (Spanish commentary).

Fubo requires a single pay-per-view purchase for the game with prices starting at $19.95. ViX is only $5.99 for a full subscription, but commentary comes in Spanish.

How to watch Italy vs Northern Ireland in Australia

Along with almost every other football match you can possibly think of, Italy vs Northern Ireland will be available to watch in Australia on Stan Sport.

Stan Sport prices start at AU$20/month though you will need a Stan base plan (AU$12) as well.

See also ► All the build-up to World Cup 2026 from FourFourTwo

Italy vs Northern Ireland: Preview

Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland were assured of a play-off spot some time ago. They finished third in their qualifying group but booked a place in the play-offs thanks to their success in the Nations League.

The Green and White Army haven't qualified for the World Cup for 40 years. They'll be clear underdogs in Bergamo but they wouldn't have it any other way.

Italy have turned making a meal of qualifying into a nasty habit and they're 180 minutes away from finishing their dinner for the first time in three attempts.

They finished second in Group I, six points behind a flawless Norway campaign, and Gennaro Gattuso will need to make sure they're on their guard against Northern Ireland.

History isn't in Northern Ireland's favour. They have beaten Italy only once, in 1958, and have six of the subsequent eight meetings between these proud football nations.

Both of the draws were on home soil but one of them was the most recent fixture between Northern Ireland and Italy. They drew 0-0 in Belfast in a qualification match for World Cup 2022.

There's quite a prize on offer for the team that wins the Path A play-offs final between the winners of this game and either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their first match in Group B will be against host nation Canada in Toronto.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Italy 2-1 Northern Ireland

We fancy Northern Ireland to have a real go at this crucial match but our prediction is a late win for the Azzurri.