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Who can qualify for 2026 World Cup in next round of European qualifiers / Photo: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA - AFP
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Who can qualify for 2026 World Cup in next round of European qualifiers
The penultimate round of European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Here, AFP Sport takes a look at which teams can book a place at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a match to spare:
Group A
(Germany, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg)
-- No team can qualify in the next round of fixtures. Luxembourg are already out of contention for the top two places that either give direct qualification for first place or a place in a playoff for second place.
Group B
(Switzerland, Kosovo, Slovenia, Sweden)
-- Switzerland will qualify for a sixth successive World Cup finals with victory over struggling Sweden on Saturday if Kosovo fail to beat Slovenia.
The Swiss will also qualify with a draw if Kosovo lose.
Group C
(Denmark, Scotland, Greece, Belarus)
-- No team can qualify in the next round of fixtures. Denmark and Scotland are already confirmed as the top two.
Group D
(France, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan)
-- Two-time World Cup winners France will qualify for the 2026 finals with victory over Ukraine on Thursday.
Group E
(Spain, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria)
-- European champions Spain will qualify if they see off Georgia on Saturday and Turkey fail to win against already-eliminated Bulgaria.
Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, will also wrap up top spot with a draw if Turkey suffer a shock defeat.
Group F
(Portugal, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia)
-- Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo will secure their ticket to the finals with a win over Ireland on Thursday, or with a draw if Hungary fail to beat Armenia.
Group G
(Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta)
-- The Netherlands will qualify with a win over Poland on Friday. Lithuania and Malta are already unable to finish in the top two.
Group H
(Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Cyprus, San Marino)
-- Austria will confirm first place if they beat Cyprus on Saturday and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not win against Romania.
Group I
(Norway, Italy, Israel, Estonia, Moldova)
-- Norway will reach their first World Cup since 1998 with a win over Estonia if Italy do not beat Moldova on Thursday.
A victory over the Estonians would all but secure a place for Norway, though, due to their far superior goal difference over four-time world champions Italy.
Group J
(Belgium, North Macedonia, Wales, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein)
-- Belgium will qualify if they win in Kazakhstan on Saturday, leaving North Macedonia and Wales to fight for second place.
Group K
(England, Albania, Serbia, Latvia, Andorra)
-- England have already qualified.
Albania can secure a play-off place if they beat Andorra and Serbia lose to England.
Group L
(Croatia, Czech Republic, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Gibraltar)
-- Croatia will seal top spot if the beaten finalists in 2018 avoid a shock home defeat by the Faroe Islands on Friday.
The third-placed Faroes will be out of top-two contention with a loss.
Q.Rios--HdM
