Cup

Who: Spain vs Turkiye
What: UEFA World Cup qualifier, Group E
Where: La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, Spain
When: Tuesday at 8:45pm (19:45 GMT)

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Unbeaten Spain (5-0-0) is guaranteed direct qualification into the FIFA World Cup 2026 if they beat Turkiye in their last Group E fixture on Tuesday in Seville.

Armed with a three-point lead – and a huge goal difference – Luis de la Fuente’s side are in a highly advantageous position to clinch a 13th consecutive appearance at football’s global showpiece.

Turkiye (4-0-1), for their part, still have a mathematical chance to steal the top spot from Spain in their Matchday 10 finale – but they will need to rain down a plethora of goals on the reigning European champions to avoid the runners-up spot.

Here is all to know about their Group E return clash:

Current Group E standings (one fixture remaining):

• Spain – 15 points (from five matches)
• Turkiye – 12 points (from five matches)
• Georgia – 3 points (from five matches)
• Bulgaria – 0 points (from five matches)

How can Spain qualify for the World Cup?

Spain currently sits at the top of their Group E with five wins out of five fixtures and have a perfect record with 15 points.

Scenario 1:

A draw or a win in their final match against Turkiye would seal their spot at the 2026 World Cup with an insurmountable lead in the group.

Scenario 2: 

A loss to Turkiye would mean both teams conclude the qualification period with 15 points from six matches – but with Spain having a vastly superior goal difference.

To finish first in Group E, Turkiye would have to pull off a stunning seven-goal victory away to Spain to pip La Roja for automatic World Cup qualification.

How can Turkiye qualify for the World Cup?

Turkiye sit in second position in Group E with 12 points – nine points clear of next-best Georgia.

Unless they can defeat Spain by seven goals, Turkiye will enter the UEFA playoff competition in March as the group runners-up.

Turkiye last took part in the World Cup finals in 2002, finishing a surprise third place in the tournament that was co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.

What happened the last time Spain and Turkiye played?

Mikel Merino’s hat-trick helped Spain thrash hosts Turkiye 6-0 in their last World Cup qualifier on September 7.

The home side had no answer to Spain’s dominance, undone time and again by the visitors’ speed and finesse, with a helpless Turkish defence torn apart on every counterattack.

That loss remains Turkiye’s only defeat in Group E.

Will Lamine Yamal play for Spain?

Barcelona star forward Lamine Yamal will miss Spain’s final World Cup qualifier against Turkiye as he continues to manage an ongoing groin issue.

Yamal, 18, underwent a small procedure in Barcelona on November 10 to try and fix the problem. Doctors estimate his recovery time from the surgery at 7-10 days.

Head-to-head

Spain has never lost to Turkiye in the six international fixtures they have played since 2005.

• Spain – won 5
• Turkiye – won 0
• Draws – 1

Form Guide:

Spain: W-W-W-W-W (UEFA World Cup qualifiers, most recent result last)

Turkiye: W-L-W-W-W (UEFA World Cup qualifiers, most recent result last)

Spain team news

In addition to Yamal’s unavailability, Spain heads into the Turkiye fixture without other key players Dani Carvajal, Pedri and Rodri.

Dean Huijsen is also questionable with a groin issue and is likely to be a game-time decision for De la Fuente.

Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored eight goals in his last eight international appearances, will again be the No 1 choice to lead the line for Spain on Tuesday.

Turkiye team news

The Turkish Football Federation has officially ruled out Inter Milan midfield star Hakan Calhanoglu against Spain after he picked up a wrist injury during the previous international match against Bulgaria on Saturday.

Calhanoglu, who is the top goalscorer in Italy’s top-flight Serie A this season, will likely be replaced in an attacking midfield position by Isak Vural, who has been brought into the squad.

Head coach Vincenzo Montella will almost certainly be without Galatasaray defender Kaan Ayhan, who is highly questionable after he was substituted on Saturday with a groin injury.

Midfielder Ismail Yuksek will serve a one-match ban after picking up a second yellow card in the qualifying campaign against Bulgaria.

Predicted starting lineups:

Spain: Simon (goalkeeper); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, Ruiz; Torres, Oyarzabal, Baena

Turkiye: Cakir (goalkeeper); Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Vural, Kocu; Aydin, Guler, Yildiz; Akturkoglu

What the coaches had to say:

De la Fuente:

The Spain head coach is not taking his team’s unbeaten Group E run for granted before Tuesday’s fixture with Turkiye.

“Our aim is to qualify for the [FIFA] World Cup,” he said.

“Regardless of the results in this phase, we want to win to secure our place in the qualifiers, and that means fighting, working hard and doing things right to give ourselves the best chance of winning.

“It’s very difficult to win and we want to continue on our path, but one game at a time and one day at a time,” De la Fuente said.

“Every now and then it’s good to keep our feet on the ground. What this team is doing is very difficult, but we want to keep improving.”

Montella:

The Turkiye head coach has deployed a strong tactical game plan against Spain, but concedes his side’s chances of overtaking the European champions in the points table are slim.

“It [the fixture] won’t have much effect on the points table, but it’s important for us nonetheless,” he said. “I believe in my players.”

When and where is the FIFA World Cup 2026?

The tournament is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The first match will be played in Mexico City on June 11, while the final will be staged in New Jersey, US, on July 19.

Due to the expansion of the tournament – from 32 teams to 48 – the 39-day event is the longest in its history.

Portugal recovered from a shock loss to Ireland on Thursday to qualify, while Norway is through for the first time since 1998.

Portugal booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup with a 9-1 victory over Armenia on Sunday, while an Erling Haaland brace rubber-stamped Norway’s place in the global showpiece as they romped to a 4-1 win in Italy.

After being held by Hungary and then stunned by the Republic of Ireland last time out, Portugal sealed top spot in Group F at the third time of asking with a resounding win over bottom-side Armenia.

In the absence of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, star midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves both scored hat-tricks as the Portuguese ran riot in Porto.

Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao were also on the scoresheet.

“The most important thing was qualifying for the World Cup,” Paris Saint-Germain linchpin Neves told RTP.

“For me, as I always say, the team always comes before the individual. I’m very happy to have scored my first goal for the national team, and my second and third as well.”

Portugal will compete in a seventh consecutive edition of the World Cup, a tournament which the Euro 2016 champions have yet to win.

“We’re at the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!” Ronaldo posted on social media.

The striker could miss the start of the tournament depending on whether FIFA extend his suspension beyond the mandatory one-match ban he served against Armenia.

Ireland sewed up the playoff place in the group thanks to Troy Parrott’s 96th-minute hat-trick goal, handing them a 3-2 win over third-placed Hungary.

Daniel Lukacs gave the hosts the lead in Hungary after four minutes, before Parrott levelled from 12 yards shortly afterwards.

Barnabas Varga’s 37th-minute goal looked to have been enough for Hungary to seal second spot until 23-year-old Parrott notched his fourth and fifth international goals this week.

Parrott was the hero with his brace in Thursday’s 2-0 defeat of Portugal, and he struck to equalise again for Ireland with 10 minutes remaining in the Hungarian capital.

The AZ Alkmaar forward then sparked wild Irish celebrations as he prodded home Liam Scales’s knockdown deep into injury time to send Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side into March’s playoffs.

‘Absolutely insane’

Italy needed a miracle in Milan to pip Norway to first place in Group I due to the visitors’ gargantuan goal difference advantage.

Pio Esposito scored early at the San Siro to give the home side the faintest of hopes, but they were unable to again break down stubborn Norwegian defending as Stale Solbakken’s side held firm.

Antonio Nusa levelled just after the hour before Haaland, inevitably, netted twice in 60 seconds to turn the tie on its head. Jorgen Strand Larsen then put gloss on the result in injury time as Norway romped to an eighth win from eight outings.

It will be Norway’s first appearance at the World Cup in 28 years.

“I’m happy, but more relieved. There’s a lot of pressure and stuff, and I feel it. But it’s fun,” Haaland, who netted 16 goals across the campaign, told TV 2.

“It’s indescribable. Absolutely insane. The way we did it is absolutely incredible. It’s huge,” Martin Odegaard said.

Israel beat Moldova 4-1 but finished six points adrift of second-placed Italy, who go into the playoffs.

France booked their place in next year’s tournament in North America with a win over Ukraine earlier in the week, and a much-changed side concluded their campaign with a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan.

Ukraine saw off Iceland 2-0 thanks to two strikes inside the final 10 minutes from Oleksandr Zubkov and Oleksii Hutsuliak to claim second place in Group D.

Thomas Tuchel’s England completed a perfect group-stage performance as they won 2-0 against Albania to finish their campaign with a 100 percent record, featuring 22 goals scored and zero conceded – a European record for a team playing at least six qualifying matches.

“I think it’s as good [a squad] as we’ve ever had,” Harry Kane, who scored both England goals, told ITV.

“I think when you look at the starting 11, you look at the players coming off the bench, we’re going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.”

With Albania already assured of second place, Serbia beat Latvia 2-1 in a dead-rubber in Group K’s other match.

The accomplished manner in which Rogers has taken to the England stage has given Tuchel a wonderful conundrum, while the searing heat at next summer’s World Cup means he is likely to deploy “starters” and “finishers”, Bellingham and Rogers can do both.

Rogers has an avid admirer in Tuchel. He has made 10 appearances under him, starting six games and playing for a total of 531 minutes. Bellingham has started four, playing 374 minutes in total.

Tuchel will not duck big decisions. He will not indulge in star systems or simply pack his team with the biggest names.

So who will start?

For all Rogers’ impressive work, Bellingham has proved he can deliver game-changing moments at the highest level, his status also confirmed when Albania’s Kristjan Asllani asked him to swap shirts at half-time rather than risk leaving it until the end.

Phil Foden will be in Tuchel’s thinking, with the German saying he does not see the Manchester City forward as a winger, and instead “as a mix between a nine and a 10”.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer also has the ability and class to force his way into the squad if he can recover from his groin injury.

In reality, however, it looks like a choice between Bellingham and Rogers.

Bellingham’s greater experience of the rarefied air of major competitions will surely just give him the edge when Tuchel names his team for England’s first World Cup game.

DR Congo reach inter-confederation playoffs for 2026 World Cup after beating favourites Nigeria on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo kept their hopes of a World Cup place alive as they edged Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time to win the African qualifying playoffs in Morocco.

DR Congo now await the draw on Thursday for the inter-confederation playoffs in March where six teams will chase two places at the 48-team finals.

Captain Chancel Mbemba converted the decisive kick on Sunday after Congolese substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, brought on a minute before the shootout, made two saves in the shootout.

Frank Onyeka had Nigeria ahead in the third minute but Meschack Elia equalised for the two sides to be level 1-1 after extra time.

The mini-tournament in Rabat was for the best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups, whose fixtures were completed last month with the nine winners automatically booking a berth at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States next year.

Nigeria, who have been to six previous World Cups, were off to a perfect start as the Congolese cleared an early cross but only onto the edge of their penalty area where Onyeka snapped up the ball and powered home an effort, helped into the net by a slight deflection off Axel Tuanzebe.

But the Congolese could have been level within nine minutes had Ngal’ayel Mukau not put his close-in effort over the crossbar after Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali had flapped at the ball.

They did equalise in the 32nd minute after Alex Iwobi had been stripped of possession inside the Congolese half, and a quick counter saw Cedric Bakambu square for Elia to score despite the efforts of Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi to intercept the ball.

A clever backheel at a corner early in the second half from Bakambu saw Nwabali make a sharp stop, and there looked a decent penalty shout for the Congolese as Noah Sadiki was upended by Benjamin Fredrick in the Nigeria box in the 55th minute, but the referee did not show any interest, and there was no VAR check.

DR Congo looked more ambitious as the contest wore on, but it was characterised by a wary approach from both sides, keen not to make any mistakes with so much at stake.

Nigeria needed extra time to get past Gabon in their Thursday semifinal and looked much more fatigued than their opponents, who beat Cameroon inside 90 minutes in their semi later the same night.

There were two opportunities in extra time on either end, with Nigerian substitute Tolu Arokodare heading over and then with the last effort of the game, Mbemba had his effort saved by Nwabali.

DR Congo went on to hold their nerve in the shootout and still have a chance to compete at their first World Cup since 1974, when the country was still known as Zaire.

Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Tunisia have already qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup from Africa.

Bolivia from South America and New Caledonia from Oceania have already reached the six-team continental playoffs.

In Asia, the UAE host Iraq in their second leg on Tuesday to decide another playoff entrant. The first leg was 1-1.

Also included will be the best two group runners-up from the North American, Central American and Caribbean federation once normally qualifying ends on Tuesday.

Europe has its own playoff system for the remaining non-automatic berths for the 48-team World Cup.

Follow the build-up, analysis, and live text commentary of the CAF playoffs final for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Italy won the European Championship in 2021, but have not played at a World Cup finals since 2014 when they beat England but lost to Costa Rica and Uruguay and failed to make it beyond the group phase.

Their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign could not have got off to a worse start.

A tame 3-0 loss in their opener against Norway, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scoring one of the goals, led to manager Luciano Spalletti publicly announcing his own sacking two days later, though he still took charge of the following 2-0 home win over Moldova.

From then on, Italy have been playing catch-up, with flawless Norway winning their opening seven qualifiers, scoring 33 goals in the process, including 14 for Haaland.

Italy turned to Gennaro Gattuso, a former combative midfielder who helped AC Milan twice win the Champions League and Italy secure their last World Cup trophy in 2006.

Despite managing AC Milan and then winning the Coppa Italia with Napoli, a 23-day spell at Fiorentina saw him leave without taking charge of a game, before he only lasted seven months at Valencia and five months at Marseille.

His most recent appointment had been with Croatian club Hajduk Split, and many felt him becoming Italy manager was a mistake.

“When I heard Gattuso was in line it just seemed to demonstrate the giant collapse of Italy,” Italian football journalist Mina Rzouki told the Euro Leagues podcast.

“There were so many clips going around on social media about that Italy team just before they won the World Cup and you are talking about Paolo Maldini, [Fabio] Cannavaro, [Alessandro] Nesta, [Francesco] Totti, [Alessandro] Del Piero and it was just an embarrassment of riches.

“Now when you look at Italy over the last few seasons, even though they won the Euros, there was just a fall – but the one thing you could rely on was that Italy created these great coaches. Yet none of these great coaches were called up or have succeeded. Spalletti did not succeed.”

Horncastle added: “The players have had their backs against the wall after losing to Norway in June and now the approach that is being imposed on Italy by the Italian media is ‘you have to win all your remaining games and have to score lots and lots of goals’.

“Italy had a great coach in Luciano Spalletti, although, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out. Gattuso is a more famous manager for his press conferences than the football he has put on the pitch.”

Kylian Mbappe hit a brace while Michael Olise and Hugo Ekitike also scored as France thrashed Ukraine 4-0 to secure World Cup qualification, after an evening marked by tributes to the victims of the 2015 Paris attacks.

Captain Mbappe coolly chipped in from the spot 10 minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes on Thursday, and the impressive Olise doubled France’s lead on 76 minutes.

Mbappe then struck again and Ekitike swept in a first goal for his country, as France got the win they required to clinch their spot at the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A minute’s silence was impeccably observed before kickoff by the 41,000 spectators as France marked the 10th anniversary of the attacks in and around Paris on November 13, 2015.

Most of the 130 victims of the attacks were killed at the Bataclan concert hall in the capital, where they were attending a concert.

One person also died near the Stade de France in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where multiple explosions took place as suicide bombers attempted to enter the ground during a friendly between Les Bleus and Germany.

Didier Deschamps was the coach then and remains in charge now, with the approaching World Cup to be his final tournament before stepping down.

With one game still to come in Azerbaijan on Sunday, France have an unassailable six-point lead over both Iceland and Ukraine at the top of European qualifying Group D.

Winners of the World Cup in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, France maintain their record of having made it to every edition of the tournament since missing out on a place in the US in 1994.

While they can look forward to the draw for the finals, which takes place in Washington, DC, on December 5, Ukraine and Iceland meet each other on Sunday in a showdown to decide who continues into the playoffs next March.

France’s only slip-up in qualifying came in a draw in Iceland last month, although they have rarely found their fluid best during a low-key campaign.

Mbappe and Olise were in fine fettle here at Paris Saint-Germain’s home ground, though, while Bradley Barcola came closest to scoring in the first half with a curling effort from outside the area that was tipped onto the woodwork and behind for a corner.

Real Madrid superstar Mbappe, the France captain, then chipped in from the spot to open the scoring early in the second half after Olise had been fouled inside the area.

Olise, of Bayern Munich, really came into his own after being shifted from the right to a more central role.

It was shortly after setting up Ekitike to hit the post that Olise turned and fired in France’s second goal, and Ukraine caved in towards the end.

Mbappe scored from close range in the 83rd minute after Ekitike had been denied, taking him to 55 goals for his country and to within two of all-time top marksman Olivier Giroud’s tally of 57.

Liverpool’s Ekitike then rounded off a fine move to wrap up the victory with his first senior international goal.

Deschamps said the performance was professional rather than spectacular, but enough to complete the mission.

“Always appreciate the good moments, even if it seems logical and natural for the France team to qualify. The objective was to qualify here tonight in a heavy, weighty context. The first half was difficult against a low block,” he said.

“I enjoy it, even if it’s not the first time – the France team has to be there at every major tournament.”

Elsewhere, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea in the second half of a shock 2-0 defeat at Ireland.

Ronaldo now risks a two-game ban, which would see him missing the first match of the World Cup tournament if Portugal qualifies.

Portugal will host last-place Armenia in the final qualifying game on Sunday, when Hungary hosts Ireland at the same time. Portugal top Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.

Earlier, Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved even closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo. The win virtually secures a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year’s tournament.

Already-qualified England beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to keep a perfect record in Group K and are yet to concede a goal.

Albania beat Andorra 1-0 in the same group to secure the runner-up spot.

Belief that Northern Ireland could seal second spot ahead of Slovakia surged after they were comfortably the superior team when these sides met in Belfast last month, winning 2-0 with a performance that the side’s record goalscorer David Healy said was perhaps their best ever under O’Neill.

In the weeks since, however, there is a growing feeling that tables have turned somewhat.

Slovakia were missing influential pair Stanislav Lobotka and David Hancko for the game at Windsor Park with both expected to be back in Francesco Calzona’s starting line-up at the Kosice Football Arena this time around.

Northern Ireland, however, will be without three-quarters of the midfield that so impressed in the reverse fixture with Shea Charles and Ali McCann injured, while Ethan Galbraith is suspended.

How the manager fills such considerable holes in his line-up has been the key talking point since his squad was confirmed last week.

In Napoli’s Lobotka, O’Neill believes Slovakia can again call upon one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe.

“He’s an excellent player and he plays at the top level of the game with Napoli, but we look at Slovakia as a team, we don’t look at them as one player or two players,” he said.

“It won’t change the way Slovakia try and play. We have to deal with that as a team, it’s not one individual player.

“We don’t envisage any dramatic change in their strategy or how they look to play tactically, but they’ll obviously be stronger.”

Victor Osimhen’s brace against Gabon puts Nigeria through to CAF World Cup playoff final on Sunday against DR Congo.

Star forward Victor Osimhen scored twice in extra time to clinch a 4-1 semifinal victory for Nigeria over Gabon on Thursday and set up a Confederation of African Football (CAF) 2026 World Cup qualifying final against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Captain Chancel Mbemba was the Congolese hero in the second semifinal, scoring in the first minute of added time to beat eight-time World Cup qualifiers Cameroon 1-0 in torrential rain in Rabat.

Nigeria will face DRC on Sunday in the Moroccan capital, and the winners qualify for a six-nation FIFA inter-continental tournament in March. The African playoffs involved the best four group runners-up.

Bolivia and New Caledonia have already secured slots in the playoffs; Iraq or the United Arab Emirates will represent Asia; and there will be two qualifiers from the Central America/Caribbean region. Europe are excluded.

After semifinals among the four lowest-ranked teams, the winners of the two finals will secure places at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Nigeria are seeking a seventh appearance at the global showpiece and DRC a second, having played in the 1974 tournament when the central African country was called Zaire.

Osimhen squandered a great chance to give Nigeria victory at the end of added time, firing wide with only goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba to beat.

But the 2023 African Player of the Year atoned on 102 minutes, firing across Mbaba into the far corner after being set up by Benjamin Fredrick.

He struck again on 110 minutes, controlling a long pass before once again beating the goalkeeper with a shot into the far corner.

After conceding an 89th-minute equaliser in regular time, Nigeria regained the lead when substitute Chidera Ejuke scored his first goal for the Super Eagles after 97 minutes.

Osimhen’s impact

Akor Adams had put Nigeria ahead on 78 minutes, and Mario Lemina levelled after 89 minutes.

Nigeria had a purple patch midway through the opening half with Osimhen coming close three times to breaking the deadlock.

The 26-year-old Galatasaray striker headed wide twice, then had an appeal for handball turned down after a VAR review.

There was another VAR check on the hour after Nigeria full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel pulled the shirt of Aaron Appindangoye in the box, denying the defender a chance to connect with a free-kick.

After a lengthy review, Gabonese appeals for a penalty were turned down by the South African referee.

The deadlock in a tense showdown was finally broken when Adams intercepted a misplaced Gabon pass, rounded Mbaba and scored.

There was an element of luck about the Gabon equaliser as goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali appeared to have the shot from Lemina covered until it took a deflection and sneaked into the corner of the net.

DRC deny Cameroon

With just six world ranking places separating Cameroon and DRC, a close encounter was expected, and so it proved with few clear-cut scoring chances in a cagey clash before Mbemba struck.

Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo had the best opportunity for Cameroon midway through the second half, but his low shot was just off target.

A little earlier, Congolese veteran Cedric Bakambu was foiled by goalkeeper Andre Onana, who pushed away his shot at the expense of a corner.

Group winners Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia secured the nine automatic qualifying places reserved for Africa.

Troy Parrott scores twice in first half to keep Ireland’s hopes of reaching next tournament alive with a famous victory.

Ireland have stunned Portugal 2-0 to keep their narrow path to next year’s World Cup open and make the Nations League winners wait to book an automatic spot on a night where their captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off.

Ireland, who have not qualified for a major tournament in a decade and last reached a World Cup in 2002, needed at least a draw on Thursday to keep their qualification hopes alive and a first half Troy Parrott double capped their best performance in years.

They still need a win in Budapest on Sunday to claim a spot in next March’s playoffs after second-placed Hungary won 1-0 in Armenia. A draw at home to bottom-placed Armenia is likely the most Portugal need to secure automatic qualification.

But they will have to do it without Ronaldo, whose initial yellow card for lashing out with an elbow to the back of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea was upgraded after review to his first ever red card for Portugal in his 226th appearance.

Portugal, who were moments away from securing their seventh successive World Cup appearance a month ago before a stoppage-time Hungarian equaliser in Lisbon, fell behind on 17 minutes after Liam Scales headed a fizzed-in corner back across goal and Parrott could not miss.

Well worth the lead, Ireland went inches from doubling it when Chiedozie Ogbene struck the post with a fine effort before in-form AZ Alkmaar striker Parrott found the bottom corner with a brilliant finish from similar distance just before the break.

Ireland, who defended gallantly in the reverse fixture before going down to a late goal, did not require a repeat once Ronaldo received his marching orders on the hour, sarcastically clapping the delighted home fans as he departed.

Portugal, who are assured at least a playoff spot, are two points clear of Hungary at the top of Group F with a superior goal difference. The Irish are one point further back.

Parrott told RTE that it was “probably the best night” of his life.

“It is such a relief and overwhelming feeling to see the hard work paying off,” he said.

“We all knew how important this game was for us, especially given the other result tonight [Hungary beat Armenia]. I am just overwhelmed, I don’t know what words to give now. I am over the moon.”

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson praised the backing of the fans and suggested they may have gotten to Ronaldo.

“I can only praise the supporters. We have amazing fans as always. They have a lot of say in this win, they give us energy and help us at crucial times. They deserve this win,” he said.

“[Ronaldo[ lost his focus a little bit. Maybe it was the fans as well that helped a little bit. He was frustrated and reacted in a way that he knows he shouldn’t.”

Elsewhere on Thursday, Two goals from star striker Kylian Mbappe helped send two-time champions France to the 2026 World Cup with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine.

Midfielder Michael Olise and substitute forward Hugo Ekitike added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.

Late goals from Gianluca Mancini and Francesco Pio Esposito helped Italy to a 2-0 win away against Moldova on Thursday, keeping alive their faint hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup with their fifth consecutive victory.

The result lifted Italy to 18 points, three behind group leaders Norway, who earlier beat Estonia 4-1, with the two sides meeting on the final qualifying matchday on Sunday. The Azzurri now face what looks an impossible task, needing to win and overturn Norway’s goal difference of 17.

England eased to a mundane 2-0 victory over Serbia with goals from Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze to make it seven wins from seven games in their World Cup qualifying campaign at a rain-soaked Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

Serbia put up more resistance than in the 5-0 home drubbing by England in September and Dusan Vlahovic twice went close to equalising but the defeat means his side can no longer finish in the top two and earn a playoff shot.

Albania will finish as runners-up and are guaranteed a playoff place after they beat Andorra 1-0 away.

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Ireland host Portugal in Dublin.

Who: Ireland vs Portugal
What: UEFA World Cup qualifier, Group F
Where: Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland
When: Thursday at 7:45pm (19:45 GMT)

Click here to follow our live coverage.

Unbeaten Portugal (3-1-0) will seal direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 if they beat Ireland in their penultimate Group F fixture at the Aviva Stadium.

Armed with a five-point lead, Roberto Martinez’s team are in the box seat to seal a seventh consecutive appearance at football’s global showpiece.

Ireland (1-1-2), for their part, still have a mathematical chance to keep their World Cup aspirations alive by causing a huge upset on Thursday night against an opponent that is fifth in the FIFA world rankings.

They are currently third in the group – but only a point behind second-placed Hungary with two matches still to play. Ireland last qualified for the World Cup in 2006.

Here is all to know about their Group F return clash:

Current Group F standings (two fixtures remaining):

• Portugal – 10 points (from four matches)
• Hungary – 5 points (from four matches)
• Ireland – 4 points (from four matches)
• Armenia – 3 points (from four matches)

How can Portugal and Ireland still qualify for World Cup in Group F?

Scenario 1: 

Group leaders Portugal require a win against Ireland to ensure direct World Cup qualification into next year’s tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In this scenario, Portugal would have 13 points – an insurmountable lead over the other three teams in the group with just one match remaining.

Scenario 2:

If Portugal were to draw its final two fixtures against Ireland and Armenia, they would also finish top of the Group F standings with 12 points from six matches.

Scenario 3:

If Portugal lose its final two matches against Ireland and Armenia, and Hungary – which currently has five points – wins its final two fixtures against Armenia and Ireland, then Hungary would move top of Group F with 11 points vs Portugal’s 10 points.

If Ireland win their final two games, and Portugal lose their final two games, then the teams would be level on 10 points at the top of the standings with the group winner being decided by goal difference.

All 12 group winners in Europe qualify directly for the World Cup while the runners-up go on to the playoffs for the remaining finals places taking place in March.

What happened in Portugal’s last match against Hungary?

Portugal were on the brink of punching their ticket to the World Cup as they led Hungary 2-1 in stoppage time in Lisbon, knowing a win would confirm first place in Group F.

However, Hungary snatched a late draw when Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai finished from close range in injury time.

What happened the last time Portugal played Ireland?

The teams last played on October 11 in Lisbon.

Portugal’s Ruben Neves scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a dramatic 1-0 home win in Group F after his teammate Ronaldo had a penalty saved earlier in the match as Ireland threatened to hold the unbeaten hosts to a draw.

Is the 2026 World Cup Ronaldo’s last major international tournament?

Yes. With Portugal on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup, Ronaldo confirmed the tournament in North America will be his swansong on football’s biggest stage.

“Definitely, yes, because I will be 41 years old [at the World Cup],” said Ronaldo, who is also the top scorer in history with 143 international goals.

“I gave everything for football. I’ve been in the game for the last 25 years. I did everything. I have many records in the different scenarios in the clubs and also in the national teams.

“I’m really proud. So let’s enjoy the moment, live the moment.”

Head-to-head

This is only the 18th meeting between the European sides with Portugal winning 10 and Ireland winning four.

Ireland’s last win came in a friendly in 2005, courtesy of Andy O’Brien’s solitary strike in Dublin. There have been four subsequent matches, of which Portugal have won three.

Ireland’s last competitive win against Portugal came in a European Championships qualifier in 1995.

The fixture dates back to 1946 and began with a 3-1 home win for Portugal in a friendly.

Portugal’s form

W-W-W-W-D (most recent result last)

Ireland’s form

D-D-L-L-W (most recent result last)

Portugal team news

Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has withdrawn from Martinez’s squad after he suffered a groin injury in his side’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Wolves on Saturday. Rafael Leao is the most likely replacement for Neto.

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Pedro Goncalves is also out for a month after an undisclosed injury playing against Santa Clara on the weekend.

“[I’m] out of these next two games and not being able to be present in the World Cup qualifiers. Something I always dreamed of was representing the National Team, and not being able to go hurts. Now it’s time to recover properly, even though I’m not doing what I love the most! Thank you to the team for the effort until the end! We still have a lot to achieve,” Goncalves wrote on social media.

Ronaldo, who has yet to score away to Ireland in four career meetings, will lead the line for Portugal.

Ireland team news

In a big blow to Ireland’s chances, star striker Evan Ferguson is out of the Portugal fixture with an ankle issue and is in doubt for their final World Cup match against Hungary, which may decide who finishes second in Group F.

Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson will also be without three other injured regulars in the squad: Callum O’Dowda (minor knock), Mark Sykes (shin) and Sammie Szmodics (knee).

Ryan Manning and Jayson Molumby are serving one match suspensions.

Predicted starting lineups:

Ireland: Kelleher (goalkeeper); O’Brien, O’Shea, Collins; Coleman, Cullen, Taylor, Johnston; Ebosele, Azaz; Parrott

Portugal: Costa (goalkeeper); Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Fernandes, Vitinha, Neves, Bernardo, Ronaldo, Leao

What the coaches had to say:

Hallgrimsson:

“If Armenia wins or there is a draw, a win in Hungary is enough for us, so that is two of four scenarios for us,” the Ireland manager said.

“If Hungary win, we need at least a draw, but if they win by two or three goals, we will need a draw [against Portugal] and win by maybe three goals away in Hungary.

“We will know what we need in this game against Portugal before we kick off, which is a benefit to us, but it doesn’t change how we start and play the game, but may need to take calculated risks as the game progresses.”

Martinez:

“November is always a difficult stage. Even so, our focus is on qualifying for the World Cup. … We have to improve, especially in the final 20 minutes of games,” Portugal’s manager said.

As he tried to calm the concern after defeat at Nottingham Forest, manager Daniel Farke admitted Leeds United supporters could be described as “emotional”.

Which could go a long way to explaining why Joe Rodon has fitted in so well with them.

The Wales defender not only wears his heart on his sleeve, but displays it on his face.

You didn’t have to be a body language expert to see the 28-year-old’s City Ground frustration as Leeds managed to concede three goals for a second week in a row.

Nor what it has meant to be a match-winner in the Premier League after his first top-flight goals last month.

As Leeds’ former title-winning centre-back Jon Newsome puts it: “He wouldn’t make a very good poker player”.

But Rodon has become something of an ace in the pack at Elland Road, with his fan favourite status going beyond just simply showing what it means.

And you don’t make a near century of consecutive league appearances – and mentions alongside Norman Hunter as a result – for pure passion alone.

Instead, Rodon is showing why he had been tipped for the very top after breaking through at Swansea, and what Wales fans heading to Liechtenstein this weekend have known for some time.

“He has all the attributes to belong in the Premier League,” said boss Craig Bellamy. “When we were at Burnley [in the Championship], we wanted to bring him in. We felt he was a player for the high level.

“What we’re seeing now is that player.”

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) playoffs begin on Thursday with four teams – Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – slugging it out to decide which nation will progress to the FIFA intercontinental playoff tournament in March, which is the final hurdle for qualification into the World Cup 2026 in North America.

The four teams were the best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups – and the playoff winner will keep alive their nation’s hopes of becoming the continent’s 10th representative at next year’s finals.

Here is all to know about the CAF playoffs:

Where are the African playoffs being held?

Morocco’s capital Rabat will host the African World Cup playoffs, using three different stadiums for the three matches.

Al Barid Stadium and Moulay El Hassan Stadium will be used for the semifinals.

The newly built Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which will host the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on January 18, will be the venue for the CAF playoff final.

What time do the African playoff matches start?

The two sudden-death semifinal playoffs will be played at the following times:

• Nigeria vs Gabon: Thursday, November 13 at 5pm (16:00 GMT) at Moulay El Hassan Stadium
• Cameroon vs Congo DR: Thursday, November 13 at 8pm (19:00 GMT) at Al Barid Stadium

The winner-take-all final will be played at the following time:

• CAF final (Teams TBD): Sunday, November 16 at 8pm local (19:00 GMT) at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

How was the draw made for the CAF playoff matches?

The draw was based on the current FIFA world rankings of the four teams as of October 17.

Nigeria was ranked highest (#41), followed by Cameroon (#54), Congo DR (#60) and Gabon (#77).

Based on the rankings, FIFA implemented a No.1 (Nigeria) vs No.4 seed (Gabon) matchup for the first semifinal and a No.2 (Cameroon) vs No.3 (Congo DR) second semi.

What does the African playoff winner still need to do for World Cup qualification?

The winner of Sunday’s CAF playoff must still overcome teams from other continents in a FIFA intercontinental playoff scheduled for March in Mexico to decide the final two qualifiers for the World Cup.

The intercontinental playoff will feature two teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and one team apiece from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).

How many African nations have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026?

Nine African countries have already qualified via direct entry from the CAF group stage: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.

When and where is the FIFA World Cup 2026?

The tournament is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The first match will be played in Mexico City on June 11, while the final will be staged in New Jersey, the US, on July 19.

Due to the expansion of the tournament – from 32 teams to 48 – the 39-day event is the longest in its history.

What are the African squads for the CAF playoffs?

⚽ Cameroon:

Goalkeepers: 
Andre Onana (Trabzonspor, Turkiye), Devis Epassy (Dinamo Bucuresti, Romania), Simon Omossola (Saint-Eloi Lupopo, Congo)

Defenders: 
Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (Beijing Guoan, China), Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders, US), Jean-Charles Castelletto (Al-Duhail, Qatar), Jackson Tchatchoua (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Darlin Yongwa (Lorient, France), Flavien Enzo Boyomo (Osasuna, Spain), Aboubakar Nagida (Rennes, France), Malcom Bokele (Goztepe, Turkiye)

Midfielders: 
Frank Anguissa (Napoli, Italy), Martin Hongla (Granada, Spain), Jean Onana (Genoa, Italy), Yvan Neyou (Getafe, Spain), Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion, England), Arthur Avom (Lorient, France), Wilitty Younoussa (Rodez, France)

Forwards: 
Vincent Aboubakar (c) (Azerbaijan Neftci, Azerbaijan), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (New York Red Bulls, US), Moumi Ngamaleu (Dynamo Moscow, Russia), Christian Bassogog (Al-Okhdood, Saudi Arabia), Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United, England), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Diriyah, Saudi Arabia), Frank Magri (Toulouse, France), Danny Namaso (Auxerre, France), Patrick Soko (Almeria, Spain), Karl Etta Eyong (Levante, Spain)

⚽ Congo DR:

Goalkeepers:
Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege, Belgium), Timothy Fayulu (Noah, Armenia), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre, France)

Defenders:
Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian, Scotland), Gedeon Kalulu (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Steve Kapuadi (Legia Warsaw, Poland), Joris Kayembe (Racing Genk, Belgium), Arthur Masuaku (Sunderland, England), Chancel Mbemba (Olympique de Marseille, France), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley, England), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United, England)

Midfielders:
Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow, Russia), Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Glasgow Celtic, Scotland), Edo Kayembe (Watford, England), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier, France), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos, Greece), Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille, France), Charles Pickel (Espanyol, Spain), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland, England), Mario Stroeykens (Anderlecht, Belgium)

Forwards: 
Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis, Spain), Samuel Essende (Augsburg, Germany), Brian Cipenga (Castellon, Spain), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor, Turkiye), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids, Egypt).

⚽ Gabon:

Goalkeepers: 
Francois Junior Bekale (Hafia, Guinea), Loyce Mbaba (Stella d’Adjame, Ivory Coast), Lukas Mounguenou (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Demba Anse Ngoubi (Mosta, Malta)

Defenders: 
Aaron Appindangoye (Sivasspor, Turkiye), Jonathan do Marcolino (Bourg-en-Bresse, France), Jacques Ekomie (Angers, France), Bruno Ecuele Manga (Paris 13 Atletico, France), Yannis Mbemba (FC Dordrecht, Netherlands), Johan Obiang (Orleans, France), Mike Kila Onfia (Hafia, Guinea), Anthony Oyono and Jeremy Oyono (both Frosinone, Italy)

Midfielders: 
Oumar Samake Nze Bagnama (Stade Abdijan, Ivory Coast), Eric Bocoum (Gol Gohar, Iran), Guelor Kanga (Esenler Erokspor, Turkiye), Mario Lemina (Galatasaray, Turkiye), Didier Ndong (Esteghlal, Iran), Andre Biyogho Poko (Amed, Turkiye)

Forwards: 
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Olympique de Marseille, France), Teddy Averlant (Amiens, France), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC, US), Alan do Marcolino (Lusitania Lourosa, Portugal), Randy Essang Matouti (Khenchela, Algeria), Noha Lemina (Yverdon Sport, Switzerland), Bryan Meyo (Oympique Lyonnais, France)

⚽ Nigeria:

Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa), Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania), Maduka Okoye (Udinese, Italy)

Defenders:
Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France), Semi Ajayi (Hull City, England), Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England), Benjamin Fredericks (Dender, Belgium), Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal), William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia)

Midfielders:
Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England), Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkiye), Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium), Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England), Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, US)

Forwards:
Akor Adams (Sevilla, Spain), Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham, England), Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla, Spain), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy), Olakunle Olusegun (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkiye), Moses Simon (Paris FC, France)

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has named his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Evan Ferguson included despite struggling with an ankle problem.

The forward – on loan at Roma from Brighton, who scored in the 1-0 win against Armenia in October, picked up the injury against Parma on 29 October. However, he is included in the 25-man squad for the final two group games that begin at home to Portugal on Thursday, 13 November (19:45 GMT) before a trip to Hungary on Sunday, 16 November (14:00 GMT).

Hallgrimsson’s side go into the final round of matches in Group F sitting in third, one point behind Hungary who travel to Armenia in the first of their games, knowing qualification for the 2026 World Cup could be out of their grasp with a game to spare should they lose to runaway leaders Portugal.

Missing for that game will be Jayson Molumby and Ryan Manning through suspension, but both are included in the squad.

There is a return for Mark Sykes despite his club Bristol City revealing he would miss their next two games after sustaining a gash on his leg in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat by Blackburn Rovers.

With Callum O’Dowda out, Jimmy Dunne retains his place in the squad after coming in as a late replacement for the October internationals, while American-born 26-year-old Kevin O’Toole receives a call-up with the left-sided New York City player eligible through his grandfather.

However, there is no call for Celtic’s Johnny Kenny – despite scoring three goals in his last two games, including the opener in the League Cup semi-final win over Rangers at the weekend – even though Hallgrimsson is without the injured Sammie Szmodics.

Craig Bellamy laughs when asked about Rubin Colwill, the 23-year-old forward currently impressing for Cardiff City.

“He’s big for you, isn’t he?,” Bellamy asks the reporter who brings up his name.

Not that Bellamy is not a fan of the nine-cap midfielder, to the contrary.

However, Colwill has not always featured in Bellamy’s Wales squads despite playing a starring role in Cardiff’s League One promotion bid and their quarter-final EFL Cup run.

“Rubin is able, there’s still one or two bits that we need more from, but he’s capable,” insists Bellamy who has plenty of other reasons to be a regular at Cardiff City Stadium.

“For the first time in a long, long time, I’ve really enjoyed coming away from Cardiff games with a smile,” he added.

“Last year was difficult, the atmosphere was down, but now I get to see a number of Welsh young players playing in a way I like.

“I only see them improving and selfishly I just see that this is going to benefit the country, so I’m over the moon with that.”

Remember when soccer was being touted as the next big sport in the U.S.? Well, it looks like that moment has finally arrived.

Or not. It all depends on who you ask and how you interpret what they tell you.

On one hand, there’s the recent Harris Poll that found 72% of Americans profess an interest in soccer, a 17% increase from 2020. A quarter of those are “dedicated” fans and 1 in 5 say they are “obsessed” with the sport.

On the other hand, there’s the stark decline in attendance and TV viewership for the country’s top two domestic leagues, MLS and the NWSL, and the underwhelming crowds that showed up last summer for the FIFA Club World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

LAFC fans lift up a banner honoring Carlos Vela during a ceremony to honor him before a match against Real Salt Lake at BMO Stadium on Sept. 21.

(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

These contrary findings — a growing fanbase at the same time attendance and viewership numbers are falling off a cliff — come at an important inflection point for soccer in the U.S., with the largest, most ambitious World Cup kicking off at SoFi Stadium in fewer than 200 days.

“The short answer is yes, the World Cup will be a watershed moment for soccer in America. However, it’s unlikely to immediately lead to a significant increase in ticket sales for MLS and NWSL. Soccer fandom in America develops differently from that of other sports,” said Darin W. White, executive director of the Sports Industry Program and the Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University, which next year will launch a major five-year study to explore how soccer can become mainstream in the U.S.

“The World Cup will bring millions of new Americans into the pipeline. Over the next few years we expect these new fans to progress through the pipeline, giving soccer a substantial enough fan base to tip the scales and help make soccer part of the ongoing mainstream sports conversation. I am confident that the World Cup will enable soccer to reach that critical mass.”

Steven A. Bank, a professor of business law at UCLA who has written and lectured extensively on the economics of soccer, isn’t as optimistic.

“The risk isn’t that U.S. soccer will be in the same place in 10 years, but that it will have regressed,” he said.

“For the World Cup to benefit domestic leagues’ attendance, ratings, and revenue, as well as youth and adult participation rates in playing soccer, it will have to be the catalyst for more domestic investment in the game. The question isn’t whether the World Cup will convince enough people to become fans or to move from casual to dedicated or obsessive fans. It’s whether it will convince enough wealthy people and companies to risk the kind of money necessary to compete with the top leagues for the top talent.”

U.S. captain Christian Pulisic drives the ball during an international friendly against Ecuador at Q2 Stadium on Oct. 10 in Austin, Texas.

(Omar Vega / Getty Images)

That investment could be a boost to both first-tier domestic leagues, which saw their attendance and TV rating fall dramatically this year. After setting records in both 2023 and ‘24, MLS watched its average attendance fall 5.4% — to 21,988 fans per match — this season. According to Soccer America, 19 of the 29 teams that played in 2024 saw their attendance drop; more than half saw declines of 10% or more.

The TV audience also appears to be relatively small, although the fact Apple TV, the league’s main broadcast partner, rarely releases viewer data has hampered efforts to draw any firm conclusions. MLS said last month that its games attracted 3.7 million global aggregate viewers a week on all its streaming and linear platforms, an average of about 246,000 a game on a full weekend. While that’s up nearly 29% from last year, the average viewership figure is about 100,000 smaller than what the league drew for single games on ESPN alone in 2022, the last season before Apple’s 10-year $2.5-billion took effect.

NWSL also saw overall league attendance fall more than 5%, with eight of the 13 teams that played in 2024 experiencing declines. And TV viewership in the second year of the league’s four-season $240 million broadcast deal was down 8% before the midseason July break, according to the Sports Business Journal.

That follows a summer in which both the expanded Club World Cup and the Gold Cup struggled to find an audience. Although the 63-match Club World Cup drew an average of 39,547 fans per game, 14 matches had crowds of fewer than 20,000. The Gold Cup averaged 25,129 for its 31 games — a drop of more than 7,000 from 2023. And five matches drew less than 7,800 people.

“There’s a danger of taking this year’s decline out of context,” said Stefan Szymanski, a professor of sports management at the University of Michigan and author of several books on soccer including “Money and Soccer” and “Soccernomics” (with Simon Kuper). “Last year was a record year. It’s really about the diminishment of the Messi effect.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a moment of crisis. And the way MLS is looking at this strikes me that they’re entirely focused on a post-World Cup [bump], which they think they’re going to get. I’d be skeptical myself about that. I don’t think it will do that much for them.”

Szymanski said the World Cup could hurt the league by underscoring the huge difference in the quality of play between elite international soccer and MLS.

“Americans are not dumb,” he said. “They know what’s good quality sport [and] not good quality sport. And they know that MLS is low level. The only way, in a global marketplace, you can get the top talent to have a truly competitive league is to pay the salaries.”

Which brings us back to Bank’s conclusion that fixing soccer in the U.S. isn’t about the soccer, it’s about the money being spent on the sport. For next summer’s World Cup to have a lasting impact, the “bump” will have to come not just from an increase in attendance and TV viewership but in investment as well. And, as Szymanski argues, that means additional investment in players as well.

“If all it does is attract eyeballs for this competition,” Bank said “I’m not sure it does more than the Olympics does every four years when it temporarily raises the profile of a few sports for some people who were not casual fans before.”

England have been drawn with Spain in their qualifying group for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Spain beat the Lionesses in the 2023 World Cup final, but England gained revenge when they beat the world champions in the Euro 2025 final in July to retain their European title.

Iceland and Ukraine have also been placed in Group A3 alongside Sarina Wiegman’s side.

Qualifying for the World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, follows the same format as the Nations League and is split into three tiers.

Only the four group winners in League A will automatically qualify for the finals, with the remaining teams having to go through the play-offs for the remaining eight places.

Scotland have been paired with Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg in Group B4, while Wales will face the Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro in Group B1.

Northern Ireland have been placed in Group B2 with Switzerland, Turkey and Malta, and the Republic of Ireland are in Group A2 alongside the Netherlands, France and Poland.

The qualifiers will be played across six matchdays, on a home and away basis, during 2026, starting on 3 March and finishing on 9 June.

Uefa has been allocated 11 places for the 32-team 2027 World Cup.

An additional European team could also qualify through Fifa’s intercontinental play-offs.

Half Yours has won the Melbourne Cup, with Jamie Melham becoming only the second female jockey to win Australia’s most famous horse race.

Goodie Two Shoes, trained by Ireland’s Joseph O’Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan, finished in second place, with Middle Earth in third.