Spain and Switzerland end campaigns unbeaten while Belgium and Romania record big wins
There were 10 matches on Tuesday as the group stage of the European qualifiers came to a close
Spain maintained its unbeaten run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, after drawing 2-2 with Türkiye, to end the season as leaders of the group.
The European champions were hoping to make it six wins from six and thought they were on their way to doing so after Dani Olmo put them ahead after just four minutes in Seville.
The visitors responded through Deniz Gul shortly before half-time before taking the lead after the break thanks to Salih Ozcan.
But any hopes of a memorable Turkish win were dashed when Mikel Oyarzabal scored a 62nd-minute equaliser, with La Roja looking forward to next summer as Türkiye heads to the qualifiers.
The other match in Group E saw Bulgaria beat Georgia 2-1 in Sofia.
Switzerland also ended its campaign undefeated after a 1-1 draw in Kosovo.
Ruben Vargas put the visitors ahead two minutes after the end of the first half, but Florent Muslija equalized for the hosts, who will carry their hopes of qualifying for the qualifiers.
In the other match in Group Two, Sweden ended its bad campaign with a 1-1 draw against Slovenia.
Graham Potter’s side fell behind to Timmy Max Elsnick’s goal but equalized through Gustav Lundgren three minutes from time.
Sweden ranked last in the group without achieving any wins in its six matches. However, they will have a chance to make amends in the qualifiers thanks to their group win in the UEFA Nations League.
With Wales’ big win in Cardiff, it is only a shock defeat to Liechtenstein that will see Belgium relinquish its grip on top of Group J.
They saw off their opponents with ease, with Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku scoring twice in a 7-0 thrashing.
Charles De Kittilari also scored two goals, while goals were scored by Hans Vanaken, Brandon Michel and Alexis
Saelemaekers completed the rout.
In Group Eight, Romania ended its campaign with a landslide victory over San Marino 7-1.
The visitors surprisingly took the lead after just two minutes, but it was pulled back thanks to seven different goalscorers – although two were own goals – as the home team cruised to victory.
Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which finished first and second respectively, tied 1-1 in Vienna.
The Group C match between Belarus and Greece ended in a goalless draw, a game in stark contrast to Scotland’s thrilling 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park, which ensured the Tartan Army’s first appearance in a men’s World Cup finals since 1998.
Who are the teams participating in the European qualifiers?
The 16 teams will include the 12 group runners-up as well as the four best-ranked teams from the previous Nations League campaign that failed to finish in the top two in their qualifying group.
They will compete for the remaining four European places in next summer’s World Cup finals, with the draw taking place on Thursday, November 20.
Pot 1: Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Ukraine.
bowl 2: Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia.
Pot 3: Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo.
Pot 4: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.
Teams in Pot 1 will play one home game against teams in Pot 4, while teams in Pot 2 will play at home against teams in Pot 3.
The winners of each semi-final advance to the one-game final.
The matches will be held in March 2026, with the semi-finals on March 26 and the final on March 31.
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2025-11-18 23:23:00
