Spain and Lamine Yamal, France and Kylian Mbappé, and Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo are close to confirming their place in the 2026 World Cup.
Erling Haaland’s 12 goals so far have taken Norway closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since before he was born, pushing Italy towards a play-off spot. The four-time champion suffered a shocking loss. In the past two editions.
Germany also risks not being able to advance directly as European group winners. The Germans could face Slovakia in Leipzig on Monday.
European World Cup qualifiers will resume on Thursday and six days later a further 11 group winners will join England in the first 48-team knockout tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Europe has 16 spots in the expanded World Cup, compared to 13 spots in the previous 32-team World Cup in Qatar in 2022, with the final four spots to be decided in the following way: March playoff bracket.
Croatia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium are all set to secure a return to the World Cup.
Denmark and Austria go into the final week aiming to top their group, but could be upset in their final games against Scotland and Bosnia and Herzegovina respectively.
Return of Yamal
Spain has a perfect record with four wins, 15 goals and no conceded, but they still have two difficult games remaining – against Georgia on Saturday and against hosts Turkey three days later.
where is tbilisi Yamal’s international career began In September 2023, he became the youngest player on the Spanish national team at the age of 16 and less than two months old. He then came on as a substitute and scored in the 7-1 win against Georgia in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Three of Yamal’s 23 games for Spain came against Georgia, including the 4-1 win. Round of 16 victory Toward the eventual champions at Euro 2024.
Türkiye, Euro 2024 quarter-finalistscould start by defeating Bulgaria and put pressure on Spain ahead of next Tuesday’s final match in Seville.
With Turkey in the first tiebreaker on goal difference, Spain will need to drop a point against Georgia or else win big in Seville. That seems unlikely after Spain’s 6-0 win in Türkiye in September.
I remember France
2018 World Cup Champion, Lost to Argentina in the final Four years later, France will beat Ukraine at the Parc des Princes on Thursday to advance with one round to spare.
10 years have passed since the game deadly terrorist attack Paris, at the Bataclan concert venue, and also at the Stade de France, where France was playing against Germany. of Memorial Day will be observed on Thursday.
Two draws allow France to top the four-team group, which concludes with an away match against Azerbaijan on Sunday.
Ronaldo’s 6th
Portugal also need two points against Ireland on Thursday and bottom-placed Armenia on Sunday.
If that happens, Ronaldo, who turns 41 in February, will play in his sixth World Cup.
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will play for the record sixth time in the tournament, hoping to break the record tie with Lothar Matthäus, who played three games for West Germany and two for unified Germany between 1982 and 1998.
The Rise of Haaland
Norway last played in the Men’s World Cup in 1998, and Haaland was born two years later.
Haaland scored 12 of Norway’s Europe-best 29 goals as they advanced from Group I with a win over Estonia in Oslo on Thursday.
Norway’s goal difference was already 16 ahead of Italy ahead of Sunday’s return match at San Siro, having won 3-0 in June. Italy will first face their opponent Moldova.
After losing 2-0 to Slovakia in September, Germany has returned to the top of the group. Slovakia fell down the table after losing to Northern Ireland last month and are now level on points with Germany, but the goal difference should widen further when they face Luxembourg on Friday.
Germany will want to win both games to stay in the league. FIFA top 10 ranking Secure your top seed position in the tournament Lottery on December 5th in washington d.c.
The Netherlands need only a draw against Poland on Friday to all but qualify, while Switzerland can almost guarantee a spot by defeating Sweden in Geneva on Saturday.
playoff format
Sweden is new coach Briton Graham Potter has the expected safety net. 16 team playoffs After winning the Nations League group stage last year.
The playoff teams will be the 12 second-place teams in the qualifying group, plus the top four teams that won the Nations League group that finished third or lower in the World Cup qualifying group.
Four brackets of four teams each will be drawn, with single-game semifinals and finals to be played from March 26th to 31st.
The playoff lineup will be finalized after next Tuesday’s game. The FIFA rankings, updated the next morning, will determine the seed pot for the November 20 draw at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
Italy are currently ninth, but their four European play-off spots will be placeholders from the bottom pot four in the World Cup draw on December 5.
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