England roared into the 2026 World Cup early, the pitch in Riga shaking under their dominance, while drama unfolded across Europe as Portugal were held and Spain piled up goals.
Belgium and Germany strengthened their bids for the 2026 World Cup with crucial victories on Monday, while France and Switzerland dropped points in tight encounters.
South Africa's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered a major setback on Friday night as they were held to a frustrating 0–0 draw by ten-man Zimbabwe in a tense qualifier.
With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, Brazil's preparations are already taking shape, and Real Madrid forward Rodrygo finds himself under increasing pressure to secure his place in the squad.
Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko has withdrawn from Ukraine's national team ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against France and Azerbaijan due to a recurring injury.
England have kicked off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Latvia at Wembley on Monday, but it was far from a stroll in the park.