England and Portugal are on the brink of sealing their places at the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare, as the European qualifying campaign approaches a decisive phase. Norway are also within touching distance of a historic return to the tournament, while Italy face the prospect of missing out on a third consecutive World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel’s England have been the standout team in Group K, cruising through the qualifiers without conceding a goal in five matches and most recently dismantling Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade. The Three Lions sit seven points clear of Albania with three games remaining, while Serbia are a further point behind but hold a game in hand.
England are not back in competitive action until Tuesday, when a victory over Latvia in Riga would guarantee qualification for the 2026 finals — provided Serbia fail to beat Albania on Saturday.
Tuchel has opted for continuity after several fringe players impressed in the win over Serbia, omitting stars Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish from his latest squad.
“Keep on pushing,” Tuchel said when asked about the omissions. “It’s a decision for this camp. September was the best in terms of team spirit and teamwork, so we decided to keep the same group to build on that.”
England face Wales in a friendly on Thursday, but the pivotal fixture remains Tuesday’s qualifier. Meanwhile, Serbia’s clash with Albania could prove decisive in the race for second place and a potential playoff spot.
In Group F, Portugal are poised to confirm qualification after a blistering start under Roberto Martínez, scoring eight goals in their two September fixtures. Back-to-back wins over the Republic of Ireland on Saturday and Hungary on Tuesday would secure top spot — unless Armenia pull off unlikely victories against both those opponents.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains central to Portugal’s charge, netting three goals last month, including one in a dramatic 3-2 win over Hungary sealed by a late João Cancelo penalty. The Selecão are now on the cusp of a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance.
Norway are enjoying their best qualifying campaign in decades, scoring 24 goals in five straight victories to move to the brink of their first World Cup since 1998. Erling Haaland has been in prolific form, scoring nine goals so far — including five in an 11-1 demolition of Moldova.
A win over Israel on Saturday could secure Norway’s place at the finals if Italy fail to beat either Estonia or Israel in Group I. However, coach Ståle Solbakken will have to navigate the crucial match without captain Martin Ødegaard, who suffered a knee injury playing for Arsenal.
“We lost our captain, and we have to live with that,” Solbakken admitted. “You get angry and upset, but then you have to think constructively.”
Italy, four-time world champions, are desperate to avoid the playoffs after failing to qualify via that route in both 2018 and 2022, losing to Sweden and North Macedonia respectively.
Elsewhere, several European heavyweights are also closing in on qualification. France, champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, will book their place if they defeat Azerbaijan and Iceland, provided Iceland take points off Ukraine.
Spain, the reigning European champions, could also secure qualification with victories over Georgia and Bulgaria, though their fate depends on other results in Group E. Croatia and Switzerland are similarly well-positioned to seal their places in the coming week.
Not all traditional powerhouses are cruising. Germany face mounting pressure in Group A after a shock opening defeat to Slovakia, leaving them with minimal room for error. Julian Nagelsmann’s side face Luxembourg on Friday before a tricky trip to Northern Ireland three days later.
With qualification on the line and reputations at stake, the next round of fixtures promises high drama across Europe — and could confirm the presence of several major nations at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
