England, Portugal, and Norway Edge Closer to 2026 World Cup Berths
England and Portugal are nearing victory in their 2026 World Cup qualification groups with two matches remaining, while other European teams aim to clinch spots in the upcoming fixtures.
Norway could secure their first World Cup berth since 1998 with a single win, potentially sending Italy to a third consecutive tournament absence.
Under Thomas Tuchel, England made a strong statement last month by defeating Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade, maintaining a clean sheet across five qualifying matches.
They will not play again in Group K until Tuesday, when a win against Latvia in Riga would guarantee a spot at next year's tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, provided Serbia do not defeat Albania on Saturday.
England hold a seven-point advantage over Albania with three games remaining, while Serbia trail by one point but have an extra fixture to play.
Several players previously not deemed first-choice excelled against Serbia, leading Tuchel to omit regulars such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish from his latest selection.
"Keep pushing," Tuchel urged those left out of the squad, ahead of a friendly against Wales on Thursday.
"This decision applies only to the current squad, it was the strongest camp yet for team spirit and cohesion, this was our best performance so far.
We chose to retain the same group to solidify what we have built."
The match between Serbia and Albania may determine which team secures second place and advances to the play-offs.
Portugal on course for early qualification
Portugal scored eight goals in their opening two qualifiers in September and will likely require just two more victories during this international window to secure top spot in Group F.
Roberto Martinez's team will secure qualification with wins against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday and Hungary on Tuesday, unless Armenia defeat both opponents.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted three times in September, including a goal in a narrow 3-2 win over Hungary in Budapest, sealed by a late Joao Cancelo penalty.
Portugal are aiming for a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance.
Norway has had a remarkable qualifying campaign, scoring 24 goals in five straight victories to stand on the brink of the finals.
Erling Haaland, still awaiting his first major tournament appearance, has already netted nine goals in their group, following five in the 11-1 win over Moldova last time out.
Norway will play Israel on Saturday, knowing a win would end their 28-year World Cup absence if Italy fail to beat either Estonia or Israel in Group I.
However, the Scandinavians will be without captain Martin Odegaard, who is unavailable due to a knee injury sustained playing for Arsenal last weekend.
"We lost our captain, and we must adapt," coach Stale Solbakken said.
"Naturally you feel frustration and disappointment, but quickly you must adopt a constructive approach."
Italy, four-time World Cup winners, will be eager to avoid the play-offs after elimination at that stage for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments against Sweden and North Macedonia respectively.
France, victorious in 2018 and runners-up three years ago, could also qualify with wins against Azerbaijan and Iceland, should Iceland draw with Ukraine.
Spain, current European champions, also have a chance to secure their place in North and Central America if they defeat both Georgia and Bulgaria, though multiple other results in Group E must align.
Croatia and Switzerland may also confirm qualification in the coming week.
Germany, however, faces limited room for error in Group A following a surprise loss to Slovakia in their opening qualifier.
Julian Nagelsmann's side meet Luxembourg on Friday before travelling to Windsor Park to face Northern Ireland three days later.