Germany and France wrapped up convincing FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifying victories on Friday night, while Switzerland took another big step towards booking their spot at the global finals by beating Sweden.
North Macedonia remain top of their group after digging in to draw away at Belgium, while Ukraine came out on top in an eight-goal thriller against Iceland. Northern Ireland, meanwhile, proved too strong for Slovakia.
Group A
Germany goals: Raum (12), Kimmich (21 pen & 50), Gnabry (48)
Germany continued to revive their qualifying campaign with a comfortable victory over a Luxembourg team who played most of the game with ten players. They are now top of Group A on goal difference.
Julian Nagelsmann’s team thought they opened the scoring in the fourth minute when a powerful strike from Serge Gnabry found the net after deflecting off Nick Woltemade but the effort was ruled out for handball. Full-back David Raum then broke the deadlock in the 12th minute with a beautifully-taken free-kick from outside the area.
Soon afterwards, Luxembourg’s evening took a disastrous turn for the worse when defender Dirk Carlson was shown a red card for a handball in the area in challenging Gnabry. Captain Joshua Kimmich took the resulting spot kick to double Germany’s lead. Shortly into the second half, Germany scored two goals in as many minutes through Gnabry and Kimmich to put the game out of Luxembourg’s reach.
Northern Ireland goals: Hrosovsky OG (18), Hume (81)
Northern Ireland delivered an impressive team performance to beat Slovakia and stay firmly in contention for World Cup qualification.
The Irish made a bright start count when Ethan Galbraith’s driven cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Slovakia midfielder Patrik Hrosovsky. Slovakia were second-best throughout, but were inches away from levelling when David Strelec sent a shot wide. Trai Hume’s fabulous finish from outside the area then put the result beyond doubt. The win means Northern Ireland join Slovakia and Germany on six points in Group A.
Group B
Kosovo backed up their stunning 2-0 win over Sweden last time out with a hard-fought goalless draw against Slovenia.
Both teams struggled to create clear openings in a tight encounter in Pristina. Benjamin Sesko came closest for the away side, forcing a smart save from Arijanet Muric, but defences were largely on top. The result means Kosovo remain second in the group behind runaway leaders Switzerland, while Slovenia are third.
Switzerland goals: Xhaka pen (65), Manzambi (90+4)
Switzerland silenced Solna to stride towards the section’s automatic ticket to North America. Murat Yakin’s men are now five points clear of second-placed Kosovo, and eight above their latest victims.
Breel Embolo and Alexander Isak both hit the post in the first half. The latter also unselfishly cut the ball across goal for Lucas Bergvall, who somehow spurned a sitter.
Viktor Johansson stopped the Swiss going ahead by repelling a Ruben Vargas header just before the hour, but he was powerless to prevent Granit Xhaka smashing a spot-kick into the roof of the net after Alexander Bernhardsson had tripped substitute Mohameth Sow. Sweden should have equalised, only for Bergvall to miss his second gilt-edged opportunity of the contest, and 19-year-old Johan Manzambi sealed Switzerland’s success with a deflected strike.
Group D
France goals: Mbappe (45+2), Rabiot (69), Thauvin (84)
France overcame pesky Azerbaijan at the Parc des Princes to edge closer to World Cup 26.
Chances in the early moments for Kylian Mbappe and Malo Gusto made it a nervy start for Azerbaijan, but following that opening flurry, they settled in nicely and looked set to reach intermission unscathed. Mbappe had other plans though, and struck for the opener when he slalomed past a quintet of red shirts before powering home.
The goal settled French nerves, and after Hugo Ekitike lashed a shot off the post, Mbappe set up Adrien Rabiot’s header to double the lead. The night was then capped in storybook fashion, as Florian Thauvin scored for the first time in six years for his country on a left-footed smash inside the area.
Iceland goals: Egill Ellertsson (34), Gudmundsson (59 & 75)
Ukraine goals: Malinovsky (14 & 45+4), Hutsuliak (45), Kalyuzhni (85), Ocheretko (88)
Ukraine recorded their first victory of the campaign in a thrilling end-to-end contest inspired by Ruslan Malinovsky, who was making his international comeback after a year-long absence following a serious ankle injury.
Malinovsky opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he converted a dangerous left-wing cross from Vitaly Mykolenko for his first international goal in three years. Iceland almost grabbed an equaliser when Albert Gudmundsson struck the crossbar from close range. But they managed to level the scores in the 34th minute when Mikael Egill Ellertsson cut in on the left wing and squeezed the ball past Ukraine keeper Anatoliy Trubin at the near post.
On the stroke of half-time, Ukraine scored two quick goals to transform the game. First came an opportunistic strike from Oleksii Hutsuliak after Iceland failed to clear their lines and then, deep into stoppage time, Malinovsky found the net from distance for his brace.
Iceland thought they had snatched a point after Gudmundsson netted with a diving header and then levelled the scores with a crisp left-footed finish 15 minutes from time. But there would be another twist in the tale and Ukraine ensured the victory thanks to late long-distance efforts from Ivan Kalyuzhni and Oleh Ocheretko.
Group J
North Macedonia bagged a bodies-behind-the-ball draw in Ghent that keeps them top of the pool. Belgium remain a point behind with a game in hand, but will be desperately disappointed not to have emerged victorious.
Rudi Garcia’s Red Devils thrilled flair-seekers in the first half in Ghent, with Jeremy Doku dazzling, but failed to force Stole Dimitrievski into a save. That changed after the break, with the Valencia goalkeeper denying from Kevin De Bruyne, Doku and Lois Openda. Despite countless corners and attempts, however, the Belgians could not find a way past Blagoja Milevski’s battalion.
Kazakhstan goals: Kenzhebek (26 & 59), Zainutdinov (28), Kassym (81)
Kazakhstan swept aside already-eliminated Liechtenstein at Astana Arena. Galymzhan Kenzhebek was the star of the show, scoring a brilliant brace. He followed up a spectacular curling effort in the first half with another sweet strike in the second as the home team dominated.
Baktiyor Zainutdinov and Alibek Kassym were also on target for Talgat Baysufinov’s side, who move on to six points in Group J.
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.
