diff --git a/mypy/message_registry.py b/mypy/message_registry.py
index 2e40048cbb58..9cea9e8383bc 100644
--- a/mypy/message_registry.py
+++ b/mypy/message_registry.py
@@ -281,6 +281,12 @@ def with_additional_msg(self, info: str) -> ErrorMessage:
 # Match Statement
 MISSING_MATCH_ARGS: Final = 'Class "{}" doesn\'t define "__match_args__"'
 OR_PATTERN_ALTERNATIVE_NAMES: Final = "Alternative patterns bind different names"
+NAME_CAPTURE_MAKES_REMAINING_UNREACHABLE: Final = (
+    'Name capture "{}" makes remaining patterns unreachable'
+)
+WILDCARD_MAKES_REMAINING_UNREACHABLE: Final = (
+    "Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable"
+)
 CLASS_PATTERN_GENERIC_TYPE_ALIAS: Final = (
     "Class pattern class must not be a type alias with type parameters"
 )
diff --git a/mypy/patterns.py b/mypy/patterns.py
index a01bf6acc876..2917a5c6e5d9 100644
--- a/mypy/patterns.py
+++ b/mypy/patterns.py
@@ -148,3 +148,19 @@ def __init__(
 
     def accept(self, visitor: PatternVisitor[T]) -> T:
         return visitor.visit_class_pattern(self)
+
+
+def get_irrefutable_pattern(pattern: Pattern) -> AsPattern | None:
+    """Return the capture or wildcard pattern that makes this pattern irrefutable.
+
+    An irrefutable pattern matches any subject: a capture pattern, a wildcard
+    pattern, an as pattern whose subpattern is irrefutable, or an or pattern
+    whose last alternative is irrefutable. Returns None for refutable patterns.
+    """
+    if isinstance(pattern, AsPattern):
+        if pattern.pattern is None:
+            return pattern
+        return get_irrefutable_pattern(pattern.pattern)
+    if isinstance(pattern, OrPattern):
+        return get_irrefutable_pattern(pattern.patterns[-1])
+    return None
diff --git a/mypy/semanal.py b/mypy/semanal.py
index cd1b0a738974..86d4abf8d3de 100644
--- a/mypy/semanal.py
+++ b/mypy/semanal.py
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@
     SingletonPattern,
     StarredPattern,
     ValuePattern,
+    get_irrefutable_pattern,
 )
 from mypy.plugin import (
     ClassDefContext,
@@ -5785,12 +5786,28 @@ def visit_match_stmt(self, s: MatchStmt) -> None:
         infer_reachability_of_match_statement(s, self.options)
         s.subject.accept(self)
         for i in range(len(s.patterns)):
+            # An unguarded irrefutable pattern is only allowed in the last case,
+            # otherwise the remaining cases could never match. CPython rejects
+            # such match statements at compile time with a SyntaxError.
+            if i < len(s.patterns) - 1 and s.guards[i] is None:
+                irrefutable = get_irrefutable_pattern(s.patterns[i])
+                if irrefutable is not None:
+                    self.fail_irrefutable_pattern(irrefutable)
             s.patterns[i].accept(self)
             guard = s.guards[i]
             if guard is not None:
                 guard.accept(self)
             self.visit_block(s.bodies[i])
 
+    def fail_irrefutable_pattern(self, pattern: AsPattern) -> None:
+        if pattern.name is None:
+            msg = message_registry.WILDCARD_MAKES_REMAINING_UNREACHABLE
+        else:
+            msg = message_registry.NAME_CAPTURE_MAKES_REMAINING_UNREACHABLE.format(
+                pattern.name.name
+            )
+        self.fail(msg, pattern, serious=True)
+
     def visit_type_alias_stmt(self, s: TypeAliasStmt) -> None:
         if s.invalid_recursive_alias:
             return
@@ -6555,6 +6572,13 @@ def visit_as_pattern(self, p: AsPattern) -> None:
             self.analyze_lvalue(p.name)
 
     def visit_or_pattern(self, p: OrPattern) -> None:
+        # An irrefutable alternative is only allowed in the last position,
+        # regardless of where the or pattern appears. CPython rejects other
+        # placements at compile time with a SyntaxError.
+        for pattern in p.patterns[:-1]:
+            irrefutable = get_irrefutable_pattern(pattern)
+            if irrefutable is not None:
+                self.fail_irrefutable_pattern(irrefutable)
         for pattern in p.patterns:
             pattern.accept(self)
 
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-python310.test b/test-data/unit/check-python310.test
index 01e490d0da50..1ef9a3c98500 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-python310.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-python310.test
@@ -4005,3 +4005,120 @@ def enum_then_dummy_class(arg: DummyClass | Literal[MyEnum.RELEVANT]):
         case _:
             pass  # E: Statement is unreachable
 [builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+
+[case testMatchIrrefutablePatternNotLastCase]
+# Irrefutable patterns before the last case are a SyntaxError at runtime
+def capture(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case y:  # E: Name capture "y" makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+        case 1:
+            pass
+
+def wildcard(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case _:  # E: Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+        case 1:
+            pass
+
+def as_capture(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case (y as z):  # E: Name capture "y" makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+        case 1:
+            pass
+
+def or_ending_irrefutable(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case 1 | _:  # E: Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+        case 2:
+            pass
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testMatchIrrefutablePatternAllowed]
+def capture_last(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case 1:
+            pass
+        case y:
+            pass
+
+def wildcard_last(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case 1:
+            pass
+        case _:
+            pass
+
+def check(v: int) -> bool: ...
+
+def guarded_capture(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case y if check(y):
+            pass
+        case _:
+            pass
+
+def guarded_wildcard(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case _ if check(x):
+            pass
+        case 1:
+            pass
+
+def matches_anything_but_refutable(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case int():
+            pass
+        case _:
+            pass
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testMatchIrrefutableOrPatternAlternativeNotLast]
+# An irrefutable or pattern alternative is only allowed in the last position,
+# even in the last case, in a guarded case, or nested in another pattern
+def wildcard_alternative_last_case(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case 1:
+            pass
+        case _ | 2:  # E: Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+
+def check(v: int) -> bool: ...
+
+def wildcard_alternative_guarded(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case _ | 1 if check(x):  # E: Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+        case 2:
+            pass
+
+def nested_in_sequence(x: object) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case [_ | 1, y]:  # E: Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+
+def nested_in_or(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case 1 | (2 | _) | 3:  # E: Wildcard pattern makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+
+def or_ending_irrefutable_last_case(x: int) -> None:
+    match x:
+        case 1:
+            pass
+        case 2 | _:
+            pass
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testMatchIrrefutablePatternUncheckedFunction]
+def f(x):
+    match x:
+        case y:  # E: Name capture "y" makes remaining patterns unreachable
+            pass
+        case 1:
+            pass
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]