From Fast Risers To Fallen Giants: World Cup 2026 Qualifiers To Watch

Suriname v Panama

There are only 3 automatic places disposable via nan Concacaf World Cup qualifiers because nan USA, Mexico and Canada person secured their spots as hosts, though nan 2 champion runners-up caput into nan inter-confederation playoffs. Suriname person made it to nan last information of qualifying only erstwhile earlier and will beryllium hoping to footwear disconnected their run pinch a triumph erstwhile they big Panama successful Paramaribo connected Thursday. Managed by nan erstwhile Netherlands goalkeeper Stanley Menzo, they person been steadily climbing Fifa’s rankings since allowing players calved successful nan Netherlands pinch Surinamese practice to correspond nan nationalist broadside and person nan Huddersfield defender Radinio Balker successful their ranks.

Jamaica v Trinidad and Tobago

Steve McClaren’s broadside won an entertaining friends against Trinidad and Tobago astatine Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium astatine nan extremity of May successful nan Unity Cup but things will get overmuch much superior erstwhile nan sides meet again successful Kingston connected Wednesday. They person some qualified for nan World Cup erstwhile earlier – Jamaica successful 1998 and Trinidad and Tobago successful 2006 – and guidelines a chance of grabbing apical spot successful a group that besides includes Curaçao and Bermuda. Jamaica, who look nan second first connected Friday, are nan favourites to advancement fixed they are nan highest-ranked squad astatine 70th, but nan Trinidad manager, Dwight Yorke, would emotion to get 1 complete connected his erstwhile coach astatine Manchester United.

Rumarn Burrell scores Jamaica’s 2nd extremity pinch an overhead footwear during their 3-2 Unity Cup triumph complete Trinidad and Tobago successful May. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images

Colombia v Bolivia

It has been 31 years since Bolivia won successful Colombia and they request a repetition connected Friday to support live immoderate hopes of qualifying automatically. With 2 rounds to play of nan mammoth 18-match Conmebol schedule, Colombia will beryllium guaranteed a spot successful nan finals, aft failing to make it successful 2022, if they tin triumph successful Barranquilla, though a tie could beryllium capable if Venezuela do not triumph successful Argentina connected nan aforesaid evening. Bolivia’s champion dream whitethorn beryllium reaching nan inter-confederation playoffs by finishing seventh. They big already qualified Brazil successful their last lucifer connected Wednesday.

Uruguay v Peru

A tie for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay would unafraid a 5th consecutive qualification for nan World Cup, though they will beryllium without Federico Valverde and Darwin Núñez for nan gathering pinch Peru connected Friday successful Montevideo. Peru cognize only a triumph will support live their chances of finishing seventh and they are besides relying connected Bolivia and Venezuela to gaffe up. The erstwhile Newcastle subordinate Nolberto Solano scored nan past clip Peru hit Uruguay away, successful 2004, and they will dream to group up a expansive finale against Paraguay successful nan past information of fixtures.

Marcelo Bielsa, nan Uruguay coach, reacts connected nan sidelines arsenic Argentina’s Leandro Paredes holds nan shot during their World Cup qualifier successful March. Photograph: Matilde Campodonico/AP

Paraguay v Ecuador

At nan 2010 World Cup successful South Africa, Paraguay were knocked retired successful nan quarter-finals by David Villa’s melodramatic extremity 7 minutes from clip and they haven’t been backmost since. That looks group to alteration contempt nan manager, Gustavo Alfaro, presiding complete conclusion to Brazil successful June. La Albirroja person nan opportunity to seal their qualification successful Asunción connected Friday erstwhile they look Ecuador, whom Alfaro managed astatine nan past World Cup. Sebastián Beccacece’s squad person booked their spot for adjacent twelvemonth but are hoping to clasp disconnected Brazil for 2nd spot successful nan Conmebol array and will beryllium nary pushovers.

Israel v Italy

The caller Azzurri manager, Gennaro Gattuso, who was appointed aft Luciano Spalletti was sacked successful June, faces an uphill conflict to revive their hopes of qualifying for nan World Cup for nan first clip since 2014 erstwhile he originates his tenure against Estonia connected Friday. The Nagyerdei Stadion successful nan Hungarian metropolis of Debrecen will big Italy’s qualifier against Israel connected Monday earlier nan sides are scheduled to meet again successful Udine adjacent period successful a fixture that nan city’s politician has called to beryllium postponed complete information concerns. Gattuso needs 2 victories successful nan world model to springiness his broadside a fighting chance of overhauling Norway, who spell for a 5th qualifying triumph successful a statement against Moldova connected Tuesday.

Hungary v Portugal

Six of nan groups successful European qualifying incorporate only 4 countries truthful location is nary room for mistakes erstwhile nan teams statesman their campaigns this week. Tuesday’s gathering betwixt Dominik Szoboszlai’s Hungary and a star-studded Portugal broadside still boasting nan 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is nan astir eye-catching lucifer of nan first 2 rounds this week. Hungary haven’t qualified for nan World Cup since 1986 and person precocious hopes of ending their agelong hold successful a group that besides contains nan Republic of Ireland and Armenia. Marco Rossi’s broadside recreation to Dublin connected Saturday earlier nan showdown successful Budapest.

Egypt v Burkina Faso

The Pharaohs powered their measurement to nan apical of their Caf qualifying group pinch 5 wins and a tie from their opening six games and look poised to seal qualification for only nan 3rd time. After hosting Ethiopia connected Friday, Egypt must recreation to Ouagadougou to play their main rivals, Burkina Faso, and they cognize 2 wins would beryllium enough. Mohamed Salah – who successful his only erstwhile quality astatine nan World Cup successful 2018 had conscionable returned from wounded aft clashing pinch Sergio Ramos successful nan Champions League last – will want to guarantee they make it this clip having seen Sadio Mané’s Senegal hit them successful a punishment shootout successful a playoff 3 years ago.

South Africa v Nigeria

Pressure is mounting connected Nigeria aft a mediocre commencement to their qualifying campaign. They missed retired successful 2022 and spell into nan seventh information of games pinch only 1 victory. The Super Eagles person drawn each 3 location games 1-1 and must hit Rwanda successful Uyo connected Saturday earlier a showdown pinch nan group leaders, South Africa, 3 days later successful Bloemfontein. However, Fifa is yet to determine what reward to enforce connected Bafana Bafana for fielding Teboho Mokoena – who should person been suspended for picking up 2 yellowish cards successful erstwhile matches – erstwhile they hit Lesotho successful March.

Nigeria’s Paul Onuachu wins a header during their World Cup qualifier against South Africa successful June 2024, which vanished 1-1. Photograph: Victor Modo/Alamy

Cape Verde v Cameroon

The Blue Sharks person made astonishing advancement since reaching nan quarter-finals connected their African Nations Cup debut successful 2013 and are successful a awesome position to suffice for their first World Cup. They person a one-point advantage complete Cameroon successful Group D and invited nan Indomitable Lions, who are hoping to make it to their ninth finals, connected Tuesday successful Praia aft travelling to Mauritius. Libya and Angola are not retired of it fixed that nan 4 champion second-placed teams successful Africa’s 9 groups will look disconnected to beryllium nan continent’s sole representatives successful nan inter-confederation playoffs.