As the road to the FIFA World Cup begins, nations across the globe are gearing up for the intense battles that will decide their place on football’s grandest stage. Every qualifier carries immense weight. The teams will not only be fighting for points on the table, but the players will also be fighting for their chance to feature in the tournament.
Serbia 0-5 England
- Serbia Goal Scorers: N/A
- England Goal Scorers: Kane 33′; Madueke 35′; Konsa 52′; Guehi 75′; Rashford 90′ (Pen)
- Player of the Match: Declan Rice
England move seven points clear at the top of Group K in the UEFA World Cup Qualification after a 5-0 thrashing of Serbia. This victory marks England’s first dominant victory under Thomas Tuchel.
Ezri Konsa grabbed his first goal in England colours, and his centre back partner Marc Guehi also found his name on the score sheet. There were smiles all around the England camp after Marcus Rashford scored his first England goal in almost two years.
Hungary 2-3 Portugal
- Hungary Goalscorers: Varga 21′, 84′
- Portugal Goalscorers: Silva 36′; Ronaldo 58′ (Pen); Cancelo 86′
- Player of the Match: Joao Cancelo
A pulsating 5-goal thriller ended with Portugal taking home all three points to top their Group F for the UEFA World Cup Qualification. Hungary were clinical in front of goal; however, Vargas’ brace was silenced by Joao Cancelo’s late curling effort from outside the box. Cristiano Ronaldo also found himself on the scoresheet with a record-breaking goal, becoming the joint-highest goalscorer in World Cup qualification history.
France 2-1 Iceland
- France Goalscorers: Mbappe 45′ (Pen); Barcola 62′
- Iceland Goalscorers: Gudjohnsen 21′
- Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappe
Iceland entered the game as underdogs; however, they took a lead in 21 minutes as Andri Gudjohnsen capitalized on an error by Olise. Mbappe stepped up to take the penalty at the end of the first half and slotted it home comfortably.
This goal named him as the outright second-highest goalscorer for France, leaping above Thierry Henry’s tally of 51. The Real Madrid star then set up an easy finish for Barcola, giving the hosts the lead. Aurelien Tchouameni was sent off in the 68th minute, receiving a red card for a dangerous tackle.
Norway 11-1 Moldova
- Norway Goalscorers: Horn Myhre 6′; Haaland 11′, 36′, 43′, 52′, 83′; Odegaard 45+1′; Aasgaard 68′, 76′, 79′ (Pen), 90+1′
- Maldova Goalscorers: Ostigard 74′ (OG)
- Player of the Match: Erling Haaland
Norway thumped Moldova 11-1 with Erling Haaland netting five goals and providing two assists. His five-goal haul marked the most scored by a man in a European qualifier since Austria’s Hans Krankl in 1977.
Thelo Aasgaard also scored four goals despite coming off the bench in the 64th minute. This victory maintained their perfect record in the World Cup qualifying, picking up 15 points from five games and now sitting six points clear of Italy in Group I.
Turkiye 0-6 Spain
- Turkiye Goalscorers: N/A
- Spain Goalscorers: Pedri 6′, 62′; Merino 22′, 45+1′, 57′; Ferran 53′
- Player of the Match: Mikel Merino
Spain breezed past Turkiye to earn six points from two matches in their qualifying campaign, sitting on top of Group E. Pedri opened the scoring early on and set the tone for the rest of the match.
Mikel Merino picked up the match ball after curling a fantastic shot from around 25 yards out to secure his hat-trick. Despite not scoring themselves, Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal registered five assists among themselves.
Conclusion
These matches capture the intensity, passion, and unpredictability that surround international football. England, Portugal, France, Spain, and Norway have all enjoyed a strong international break, moving one step closer to securing a place in the 2026 World Cup. These encounters serve as proof that the journey to the World Cup is just as compelling as the destination itself.
Written by: Thillai Ritvik
