World Cup Qualifiers: England, Portugal, and Norway Close In as Italy Braces for a Playoff Panic
8 October 2025
Europe's World Cup Qualifiers Heat Up
England, Portugal and Norway are pressing steadily toward securing their spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer, as the European qualifying groups enter the final stretch. With playoff slots and group wins still to be decided, several nations eye a place in the finals while the clock ticks toward October fixtures.
Norway could clinch a World Cup berth for the first time since 1998 with a single win, a milestone that would widen the gap for Italy and raise the specter of a third successive absence for the four-time champions.
England, under German manager Thomas Tuchel, produced a commanding display last month, hammering Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade and extending their run without conceding in five qualifiers.
England will not return to Group 11 until Tuesday, when a win over Latvia in Riga would seal automatic qualification, provided Serbia do not beat Albania on Saturday.
England lead the group by seven points with three games remaining, while Serbia occupy third with one more game in hand.
Several players who had not been regulars earlier shone against Serbia, prompting Tuchel to omit big names from his latest squad. Tuchel said the decision was camp-specific and praised September's camp for spirit and teamwork, adding that the entire group would stay to solidify what had been built.
The Serbia-Albania clash could decide which team finishes second and earns a playoff spot.
Portugal’s Quest for a Seventh Straight World Cup
Portugal could qualify this month by winning their next two matches against Ireland and Hungary, unless Armenia beats them in the same group.
Portugal have scored eight goals in their first two qualifiers, including three by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who also plies his trade with Al Nassr.
Portugal is aiming for a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance.
Norway began the qualifiers in style, scoring 24 goals in five matches, with Erling Haaland on nine goals, including five in the 11-1 rout of Moldova.
Norway host Israel on Saturday, knowing a win would bring a return to the finals after 28 years if Italy fail to beat Estonia or Israel in the group.
Norway captain Martin Ødegaard will miss the match after picking up a knee injury playing for Arsenal.
Coach Ståle Solbakken said: “We lost our captain, and we must cope. We are angry, but we must move forward constructively.”
Italy’s Nightmarish Playoff Path Avoidance
The four-time world champions want to avoid the playoff after suffering there in both 2018 and 2022, losing to Sweden and North Macedonia respectively.
Italy will face Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday, but all eyes will be on the next clash against Israel in Udine on Thursday.
Italy beat Israel 5-4 in a dramatic clash last month in Hungary, a result that kept their fate within reach for now.
France, the 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up, could seal qualification with two wins over Azerbaijan and Iceland, provided Iceland’s match with Ukraine ends in a draw.
Spain, European champions, also hope to clinch by beating Georgia and Bulgaria, but they would need favorable results elsewhere in Group 5.
Croatia and Switzerland could also seal qualification in the coming week.
Germany faces a tight run, after a surprise loss to Slovakia; they host Luxembourg on Friday before a meeting with Ireland three days later, with Julian Nagelsmann having to manage a delicate phase as the road narrows.
In this crowded race, the drama remains high and the stakes even higher, with every goal potentially reshaping the playoff map.
Punchline 1: If this were a sniper drill, the net would be the target—the only thing sharper than a header here is the post-match analysis that follows.
Punchline 2: In football, timing is everything; these qualifiers prove that even a small misstep can turn a calm evening into a data-heavy press conference, and somehow we all still tune in for the encore.
