Unstoppable Spain and Switzerland Seal Perfect Qualifying Records as Belgium and Romania Deliver Stunning Victories
What a whirlwind Tuesday night it was, wrapping up the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with ten games that had me biting my nails at every turn. Spain, our reigning European champs, kept their unbeaten streak alive but had to settle for a 2-2 draw against a scrappy Turkish side that certainly refused to lie down. From Dani Olmo’s early strike to Mikel Oyarzabal’s late equalizer, La Roja showed grit, though Turkey’s push meant their journey’s not over—they’re eyeing those playoffs now. Across the groups, surprises and heartbreaks spilled in equal measure—Switzerland cruised without a loss, while Sweden found themselves at rock bottom despite a late equalizer vs Slovenia, thanks to a tough campaign. Belgium flexed their muscle with a staggering 7-0 rout, and Romania utterly demolished San Marino 7-1, turning heads everywhere. The drama sets the stage for the playoffs in March 2026, where 16 teams will battle fiercely for the remaining World Cup spots—a mix of group runners-up and top Nations League performers. Trust me, you won’t want to miss a beat of what’s coming next in this qualification saga.
There were 10 matches on Tuesday as the group stage of European qualifying came to a close
Spain maintained their unbeaten run in World Cup 2026 qualifying as they drew 2-2 with Turkey to end the campaign as group winners.
The European champions were hoping to make it six wins from six and thought they were on their way to achieving that after Dani Olmo put them ahead after just four minutes in Seville.
The visitors hit back through Deniz Gul shortly before half-time before taking the lead after the break courtesy of Salih Ozcan.
But any hopes of a memorable Turkish victory were quashed when Mikel Oyarzabal netted the equaliser on 62-minutes as La Roja look towards next summer, while Turkey head to the playoffs.
The other match in Group E saw Bulgaria overcome Georgia 2-1 in Sofia.
Switzerland also ended their campaign without defeat following a 1-1 draw in Kosovo.
Ruben Vargas gave the visitors the lead two minutes after half-time but Florent Muslija levelled for the hosts, who will carry their hopes of qualification into the playoffs.
In the other game in Group B, Sweden brought their dismal campaign to a close with a 1-1 stalemate against Slovenia.
Graham Potter’s side fell behind to a Timi Max Elsnik goal but equalised through Gustav Lundgren with three minutes remaining.
Sweden finished bottom of the group, without recording a single victory across their six matches. However, they will have a shot at redemption in the playoffs courtesy of their Nations League group win.
With Wales winning big in Cardiff, only a shock defeat to Liechtenstein would see Belgium surrender their grip on top spot in Group J.
As it was, they comfortably dispatched their opponents with Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku bagging a brace in a 7-0 thrashing.
Charles De Ketelaere also scored twice, while goals from Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele and Alexis
Saelemaekers completed the rout.
In Group H, Romania ended their campaign with a resounding 7-1 demolition of San Marino.
The visitors took a surprise lead after just two minutes but were undone courtesy of seven different goalscorers – although two were own goals – as the hosts romped to victory.
Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who clinched first and second place, respectively, played out a 1-1 draw in Vienna.
The Group C clash between Belarus and Greece ended in a goalless stalemate, a game in stark contrast to Scotland’s thrilling 4-2 victory over Denmark at Hampden Park that secured a first appearance for the Tartan Army at a men’s World Cup finals since 1998.
Who are the teams in the European playoffs?
The 16 teams will feature the 12 group runners-up plus the four best-ranked teams from the previous Nations League campaign who failed to finish in the top two of their qualifying group.
They will battle it out for the four remaining European spots at next summer’s World Cup, with the draw taking place on Thursday 20 November.
Pot 1: Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine.
Pot 2: Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia.
Pot 3: Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo.
Pot 4: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.
The teams in Pot 1 will play a one-off game at home to those in Pot 4, while the teams in Pot 2 will be at home to those in Pot 3.
The winners of each semi-final go into a one-legged final.
The matches will be held in March 2026, with the semi-finals on 26 March and the finals on 31 March.
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