Memphis Depay became the Netherlands’ outright record scorer as they dug deep to overcome Lithuania in FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifying, while a Florian Wirtz wonder goal helped Germany grind out victory over Northern Ireland.
Belgium and Spain had no such trouble. Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku dazzled as the former thumped Kazakhstan, with Mikel Merino, Pedri and Lamine Yamal were exceptional as the latter ran riot in Türkiye. Elsewhere, a FIFA Puskás Award contender from Eljif Elmas helped North Macedonia cruise, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inspired Georgia, and Robert Lewandowksi got a goal and an assists as Poland won.
Group A
Germany goals: Serge Gnabry (7), Nadiem Amiri (69), Florian Wirtz (72)
Northern Ireland goal: Isaac Price (34)
Germany hit back from their shock defeat to Slovakia with a hard-fought victory over Northern Ireland in Cologne. The home side hit the front when Serge Gnabry raced clear and dinked a delightful finish over goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Northern Ireland steadily gained a foothold in the game and levelled in some style. Justin Devenny whipped a corner to the back post, which Isaac Price met with an unstoppable volley. Germany applied sustained pressure in the second half and made it count when Nadiem Amiri slotted in from David Raum’s cross. Florian Wirtz soon made it three, curling a sensational free-kick into the top corner.
Slovakia goal: Thomas Rigo (90)
Rigo’s 11th-hour effort snatched Slovakia victory in Luxembourg. Jeff Strasser’s side had the better of the game, playing interchanging football and creating several good chances. They found visiting goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in superb form, however, with Milan Skriniar helping him with one magnificent tackle on Aiman Dardari.
Group E
Georgia goals: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (30), Nika Gagnidze (44), Georges Mikautadze (65)
The showdown started at an electric pace, with Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and Bulgarian counterpart Svetoslav Vutsov pulling off fine saves. As the half wore on, Georgia – and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – began to take control. They got their reward when Bulgaria gifted the Paris Saint-Germain winger the ball, and his shot slipped under the body of Vutsov. The advantage was amplified when Zuriko Davitashvili’s gorgeous pass between two defenders set up Nika Gagnidze, whose firm finish went through Vutsov’s legs. Georges Mikautadze completed the victory in Tbilisi, cannily dinking the ball over Vutsov after the goalkeeper had failed to gather Giorgi Kochorashvili’s strike.
Spain goals: Pedri (6 & 62), Mikel Merino (22, 45+1 & 57), Ferran Torres (53)
A Pedri gem put Spain ahead. The 22-year-old conned his way past Mert Muldur and passed the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Mikel Merino then bagged a brace, the first following a free-flowing team move and the second after more Pedri genius. The latter and Lamine Yamal then combined to lay on the fourth for Torres. Merino then completed his hat-trick, before Pedri sealed an emphatic success.
Group G
Lithuania goals: Gvidas Gineitis (36), Edvinas Girdvainis (43)
Netherlands goals: Memphis Depay (11 & 63), Quinten Timber (33)
A cushioned Memphis Depay volley broke the deadlock following a pinpoint pick-out from Cody Gakpo. It saw the 31-year-old outrank Robin van Persie and become the Netherlands’ outright leading marksman. Quinten Timber capitalised upon a defensive mix-up to double the lead, but Gvidas Gineitis’s excellent finish pulled one back before a thumping header from Edvinas Girdvainis equalised. The Kaunas contest would nevertheless belong to Depay, who headed home the winner from a brilliant Denzel Dumfries cross.
Poland goals: Matty Cash (27), Robert Lewandowski (45+2), Jakub Kaminski (54)
Finland goal: Benjamin Kallman (88)
Robert Lewandowski scored his 86th international goal as Poland beat Finland in Chorzow. The Poles took the lead midway through the first half when full-back Matty Cash rifled a low drive into the bottom corner. Lewandowski doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time, alighting on a lofted pass from Piotr Zielinski before applying the finish. Jakub Kaminski put the result beyond doubt with a close-range effort early in the second half, with Benjamin Kallman’s late strike for Finland merely a consolation. Poland move level on points with the Netherlands, who remain top on goal difference.
Group J
Belgium goals: Kevin De Bruyne (42 & 84), Jeremy Doku (44 & 60), Nicolas Raskin (51), Thomas Meunier (87)
Brilliant Belgium leapfrogged Wales in the standings as De Bruyne overtook Eden Hazard and went second on their all-time leading marksmen. Rudi Garcia’s men took total control from the outset, but struggled to breach Kazakhstan’s deep defensive wall and their goalkeeper Mukhammedzhan Seisen, who was in inspired form in the opening stanza. The home side brushed aside their frustrations with two goals in as many minutes as half-time approached, first through a world-class strike into the top corner from De Bruyne, followed by an exquisite curling effort from Doku. Nicolas Raskin extended Belgium’s lead in the 51st minute when he poked home Doku’s dangerous centre to net his first international goal. Doku scored his second of the evening from a tight angle on the hour mark. De Bruyne’s landmark goal came seven minutes from time, with Thomas Meunier sealing the rout from distance.
North Macedonia goals: Eljif Elmas (15), Enis Bardhi (52), Darko Churlinov (56), Lirim Qamili (82), Luka Stankovski (90)
A mind-blowing Eljif Elmas goal got Skopje rocking. The Napoli winger rode five challenges before scrambling the ball over the line. Bojan Ilievski played a one-two and produced a palatial cross for Enis Bardhi to volley home the second, and Darko Churlinov employed impeccable technique to guide the third into the top corner. North Macedonia continued to pile on the pressure but couldn’t add to their advantage. Substitute Lirim Qamili added the fourth, taking Ezgjan Alioski’s ball forward on this chest and stabbing it past goalkeeper Benjamin Buechel, before Luka Stankovski completed the rout.
Quotes
“A ‘normal’ team might not have achieved such results. What I mean is that we didn’t let up, everyone contributed. Let’s not think that these two matches were necessarily easy. We made them easy for ourselves. Scoring so many goals against Kazakhstan is unexpected, because they’re a team that’s worth more than what they showed tonight. Those goals are a bonus and we know they could be important. We hope not, but just in case, at least it’s a potential extra point.”
Rudi Garcia, Belgium coach
“It was a perfect match, with the intensity that the game needed right from the start. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but everything went our way and the credit goes to the team, who gave their all.”
Pedri, Spain player
“We all knew the match against Slovakia was a disaster. We knew we took far too little energy on to the pitch, and in my opinion, we did a better job of that today.”
Florian Wirtz, Germany player
How qualifying works
The first round will follow a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the section winners securing World Cup slots. The continent’s four remaining berths will then be settled in a 16-team UEFA play-off competition involving the 12 group runners-up and four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners.
