There at the moment are 30 groups confirmed for the 2026 World Cup.
Two might have secured their spot in subsequent 12 months’s event this Friday (14th): Croatia and the Netherlands.
However solely the staff that knocked Brazil out in Qatar 2022 succeeded.
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Memphis & Co. did not win, however are in an excellent place.
The day of European Qualifiers for the World Cup in Mexico, america, and Canada additionally noticed Germany in motion and far more.
Take a look at the highlights from the matches under.
Laws 📝
Solely the highest staff in every of the 12 teams qualifies straight for the World Cup within the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
The 12 groups ending second of their respective teams can be joined by the 4 finest groups from the Nations League that didn’t end 1st or 2nd within the Qualifiers, for a playoff that can award 4 extra spots.
🇭🇷 Croatia 3 x 1 Faroe Islands 🇫🇴
The shocking Faroe Islands confirmed that they had the precise to dream. They took the lead at 16′, after Turi scored with a deflection to open the scoring.
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Croatia’s dominance intensified. The anticipated equalizer got here after Gvardiol’s initiative at 23′.
The turnaround got here at 12′ of the second half. Arrange by Stanisic, Musa broke free from his marker and celebrated the aim.
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Perisic’s nice play down the left ended with a aim by Vlasic (70′).
Croatia reached 19 factors in Group L. Six greater than the Czech Republic, who secured their playoff spot earlier than the ultimate spherical.
With eight video games performed, the Faroe Islands would solely have had an opportunity with a win. However they stalled at 12 factors.
Croatia is heading to its seventh World Cup out of eight potential as an unbiased nation. They debuted in 1998, after they solely misplaced to France—the eventual champions—within the semifinals.
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They have been runners-up in 2018—once more overwhelmed by France—and in addition reached the semifinals in 2022, after they noticed future champions Argentina advance to the ultimate.
Additionally they participated within the 2002, 2006, and 2014 editions, however didn’t advance to the Spherical of 16.
The opposite group match was Gibraltar 🆚 Montenegro, with Montenegro profitable 2-1 away from dwelling.
Gibraltar took the lead at 20′, with Jessop. However the turnaround got here earlier than halftime with Adzic, a Juventus prospect, at 33′, and Krstovic from the penalty spot (42′).
Montenegro reached 9 factors, leaving Gibraltar with zero.
🇵🇱 Poland 1 x 1 Netherlands 🇳🇱
The guests had extra possession from the beginning on the Nationwide Stadium in Warsaw.
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However they struggled to create actual hazard for Grabara’s aim.
Then Poland struck on the counterattack. After Memphis misplaced the ball, Lewa obtained from Kaminski, spun previous Timber’s marking, and returned it to quantity 13 to attain (43′).
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The Dutch equalizer got here only a minute into the second half.
Memphis took benefit of a unfastened ball within the field to attain his fifty fifth aim for the Netherlands.
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That’s now 23 in World Cup Qualifiers. Eight within the present marketing campaign. Solely Haaland (14) has extra.
The sport opened up, with Poland needing to get again in entrance.
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However no extra objectives got here, repeating the rating from the reverse fixture.
The Netherlands reached 17 factors in Group G, in comparison with Poland’s 14.
A draw in opposition to Lithuania on the Johan Cruijff Area can be sufficient to substantiate their qualification.
Lewa & Co. are in bother. They will solely keep away from the playoffs if the Netherlands endure an unlikely heavy defeat and so they thrash Malta away.
The Dutch have a aim distinction benefit of 13—19 to six.
Earlier, Finland surprisingly misplaced at dwelling to Malta 1-0, ending their Qualifying marketing campaign with ten factors.
Their slim playoff hopes relied on a win after which hoping for Poland to slide up.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg 0 x 2 Germany 🇩🇪
The Luxembourg facet had the perfect probabilities of the primary half, threatening with Sinani and Dardari. The guests’ higher possession had no impact.
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German nerves eased due to Woltemade. Nice run by Sané—again within the squad—for the Newcastle striker to simply end it off (49′).
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The second was additionally from the previous Stuttgart participant.
He obtained from Baku and completed previous the keeper with nice talent (69′).
The win took the four-time world champions to 12 factors in Group A.
The identical tally as Slovakia, their rivals on the Purple Bull Area on Monday (seventeenth).
A “easy” win can be sufficient to safe direct qualification to their twentieth World Cup.
🇸🇰 Slovakia 1 x 0 Northern Eire 🇬🇬
Going through a rival nonetheless with an opportunity, Slovakia had what was anticipated: extra possession.
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But it surely was the guests who posed extra hazard within the first half.
Needing a win to struggle for a direct World Cup spot, Slovakia got here out stronger within the second half.
However they have been pissed off by VAR.
Skriniar had a aim disallowed for offside. Strelec for a foul.
However persistence paid off in stoppage time.
Nook kick, poor resolution by goalkeeper Peacock-Farrell, and a aim by Bobcek (91′).
They now have the aforementioned 12 factors, however nonetheless have an inferior aim distinction and thus stay in second place.
They’ll solely safe a direct spot in the event that they beat Germany in Leipzig.
Northern Eire stays at six factors and is out of competition.
All of the certified groups 👇🏽
AFC – Asia
🇦🇺 Australia – 🇰🇷 South Korea – 🇮🇷 Iran – 🇯🇵 Japan – 🇯🇴 Jordan (debut) – 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan (debut) – 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia – 🇶🇦 Qatar
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CAF – Africa
🇲🇦 Morocco – 🇹🇳 Tunisia – 🇩🇿 Algeria – 🇪🇬 Egypt – 🇬🇭 Ghana – 🇨🇻 Cape Verde (debut) – 🇿🇦 South Africa – 🇸🇳 Senegal – 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
Concacaf – Central and North America
🇨🇦 Canada (host nation) – 🇺🇸 United States (host nation) – 🇲🇽 Mexico (host nation)
Conmebol – South America
🇦🇷 Argentina – 🇧🇷 Brazil – 🇨🇴 Colombia – 🇪🇨 Ecuador – 🇵🇾 Paraguay – 🇺🇾 Uruguay
Europe
🏴England – 🇫🇷 France – 🇭🇷 Croatia
OFC – Oceania
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Allocation of spots
North and Central America: 6
This text was translated into English by Synthetic Intelligence.
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