Europe Defines Direct Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup
The European qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup concluded this Tuesday, defining the teams that secured their direct ticket to the tournament. Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Scotland, and Austria joined the list of qualifiers. Spain, despite drawing 2-2 at home against Turkey, secured first place in Group E. This result also equaled Italy’s unbeaten streak, with 31 games without losing in official matches. The match in Seville saw Dani Olmo score his 12th goal for the national team, although Deniz Gul equalized for Turkey, scoring Spain’s first goal conceded in the group stage.Turkey took the lead in the second half with a goal from Salih Özcan, but Mikel Oyarzabal equalized for Spain, securing the draw. Scotland achieved a 4-2 victory over Denmark, with a bicycle kick goal from Scott McTominay. This victory meant Scotland’s qualification for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.We wanted to finish without conceding goals. A bittersweet taste, but we are happy to qualify for the World Cup.
Dani Olmo
Austria secured their qualification with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Belgium thrashed Liechtenstein 7-0. Switzerland also qualified after drawing 1-1 against Kosovo. Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku each scored two goals for Belgium, which secured its fourth consecutive World Cup despite the absence of Kevin De Bruyne due to injury. Wales, with a hat-trick from Harry Wilson, secured second place in Belgium’s group after defeating North Macedonia 7-1. The 12 group winners qualified directly, while the runners-up will participate in the playoffs along with the four best group winners from the 2024-25 Nations League who did not finish first or second in their groups during the qualification. The playoffs will take place between March 26 and 31. The World Cup will be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.We’ve been on a journey. I spoke to them before the game, about how this is the opportunity we’ve waited for. What a night, eh?
Steve Clarke, Scotland coach
