England, Portugal, Norway Close In on 2026 World Cup Qualification

Posted : 08 October 2025

England and Portugal are on course to secure top spots in their respective 2026 World Cup qualifying groups with two matches remaining. Several other European nations are also within reach of booking their places at next year’s finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Norway are on the brink of a historic qualification, needing just one more win to reach their first World Cup since 1998, a result that could push Italy toward missing their third consecutive tournament.

Thomas Tuchel’s England have been dominant in qualifying, recording a convincing 5-0 win over Serbia in Belgrade last month.

The Three Lions have yet to concede a goal in five matches and boast a seven-point lead over Albania, with Serbia trailing by another point but holding a game in hand. England can officially qualify on Tuesday with a win over Latvia in Riga, provided Serbia fail to beat Albania on Saturday.

Tuchel surprised many by omitting stars like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish from his latest squad. The England boss explained that he wanted to reward the players who excelled in September, emphasizing the importance of maintaining team spirit and continuity.

Meanwhile, Portugal are also closing in on qualification after a blistering start to their campaign. Roberto Martinez’s men scored eight goals in their first two September fixtures and need just two more wins this month, against the Republic of Ireland and Hungary to secure Group F’s top spot.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains key, scoring three goals in September, including one in the dramatic 3-2 win over Hungary sealed by Joao Cancelo’s late penalty. Portugal are aiming for their seventh consecutive World Cup appearance.

Norway’s qualifying campaign has been equally impressive. The Scandinavian side have scored 24 goals in five consecutive wins, driven by Erling Haaland’s remarkable form, nine goals so far, including five in the 11-1 demolition of Moldova.

A home victory over Israel on Saturday could secure their qualification if Italy drop points against Estonia or Israel. However, Norway will be without captain Martin Ødegaard, who suffered a knee injury while playing for Arsenal. Coach Ståle Solbakken acknowledged the setback but urged his team to stay focused.

Italy, four-time world champions, face growing pressure to avoid another qualification disaster after missing the last two World Cups. They will be desperate to avoid the play-offs, having fallen at that stage to Sweden in 2018 and North Macedonia in 2022.

Elsewhere, France could secure qualification with wins over Azerbaijan and Iceland, provided Iceland draw with Ukraine. Spain, the reigning European champions, also have a chance to qualify if they defeat both Georgia and Bulgaria, though they will need other results to go in their favor. Croatia and Switzerland could join them in sealing qualification in the coming days.

Germany, however, find themselves in a more precarious position. After suffering a shock defeat to Slovakia in their opening qualifier, Julian Nagelsmann’s side cannot afford further slip-ups. They face Luxembourg on Friday before traveling to Belfast to take on Northern Ireland in a crucial double-header.

England, Portugal, Norway Close In on 2026 World Cup Qualification

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