World Cup Qualification Guide: What Hopefuls Need From This International Break

What do World Cup Hopefuls Need From The Final Qualification Rounds to Reach the Tournament?

The final international break until March is here - cue the sigh of relief from the majority of fans who detest missing club football - and it could seldom be more important, with World Cup qualification to be decided this week.

Co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico all automatically qualified, whilst Japan, Australia, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, New Zealand, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, England, Cote D'Ivoire and Senegal have also booked their tickets.

With the remainder of the automatic spots still up for grabs this week, let's look at who needs what to join the list above.

Asia

The United Arab Emirates and Iraq both made it through to the fourth round of Asian Football Confederation qualifying, but finished second in two groups consisting of three teams.

As such, they will face off in a fifth round two-legged play-off match on the 13 and 18 November to decide which club still has hope of making it to North America next summer.

The winner of the tie then advances to the inter-confederation play-offs that take place in March 2026, against two teams from CONCACAF (North/Central America) and one from CAF (Africa), Bolivia of CONMEBOL (South America) and New Caledonia of OFC (Oceania).

Bolivia 🇧🇴 joins New Caledonia 🇳🇨 in the Interconfederation Playoffs.

Four spots left to go:

🇳🇨 OFC (Oceania)
🇧🇴 CONMEBOL (South America)
1 AFC (Asia)
2 CONCACAF (North/Central America/Caribbean)
1 CAF (Africa)#FIFAWorldCup

— The International Window (@windowintlpod) September 10, 2025

Africa

Gabon, DR Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria were the four best runners-up from the first round group stages, and have moved into the second round.

Gabon will play Nigeria in the first semi-final, with Cameroon facing DR Congo and both games will be a one-off event with extra-time and penalties necessary if needed.

The two winners will then meet in the final, with the victor from that game on 16 November entering the aforementioned inter-continental play-offs.

North and Central America

The drama in the federation that will host the World Cup is far from over, despite three of the teams automatically qualified as hosts.

Suriname, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua secured passage to the third qualifying round by finishing either as group winners or runners-up in their respective second round groups.

Remarkably, 10 of 12 countries still have hopes in tact of reaching the World Cup finals this week, with only Bermuda and Nicaragua unable to directly qualify, even though the latter could still make the inter-continental play-offs.

Winning their respective group would ensure straight passage to next year's tournament, whilst the two best runners-up make the inter-continental play-offs.

Group A

CONCACAF World Cup qualifying Group A is insane 🔥 pic.twitter.com/E4btkL9XrD

— dedo ⚽️ (@dlicps) October 15, 2025

Guatemala will qualify in first if they beat Panama and then Suriname, which would mark their first ever finals appearance.

Both Suriname and Panama have the chance to take top spot should they win both of their last two matches, although as they have already met twice, this outcome would see the automatic place decided by goal difference.

El Salvador have to beat Suriname and Panama if they are to stand a chance at automatic qualification, although they would need other results to go in their favour and a helping hand with their goal difference.

Group B

Jamaica take the lead in Group B 📈 pic.twitter.com/4xaSx2spcy

— Concacaf (@Concacaf) October 15, 2025

Jamaica are in pole position to top this group, as even if they can only draw against Trinidad and Tobago, they then face the closest challengers Curacao at home, with a win in that game ensuring their qualification.

Curacao know they have to beat Jamaica in their final group game if they are to win the group, whilst they also must beat Bermuda on 14 November should the Reggae Boyz get past Trinidad.

Trinidad and Tobago must first beat Jamaica and then Bermuda if they want any hope at progressing automatically, plus hope that Jamaica and Curacao draw on the final matchday and then Curacao fail to Bermuda for them to sensationally win the group.

Group C

Another thrilling night in Group C! ⚡ pic.twitter.com/r0bTY4ryIl

— Concacaf (@Concacaf) October 14, 2025

All Honduras need to qualify is beat Nicaragua on 14 November and hope that Costa Rica draw to Haiti, although dropping points and a winner in the Haiti-Costa Rica clash would mean they would have to win the showdown days later away at Costa Rica.

For Haiti to win the group, they would need to beat Costa Rica and then Nicaragua, whilst hoping that Honduras drop points either to Nicaragua or Costa Rica.

Nicaragua can't automatically qualify in first but they can still make the inter-continental play-offs as group runners-up, which they will achieve should they defeat both Honduras and Haiti and results elsewhere go in their favour.

Europe

Only England have qualified from the UEFA groups, meaning almost everything is still to play for for the European nations.

Only the group winners of the 12 pools make it straight through, with the runners-up and four best Nations League group winners entering the European play-offs in March.

Group A

Germany and Slovakia are level on points with nine apiece, whilst Northern Ireland are on six and Luxembourg out of contention with zero.

Both Germany and Slovakia will automatically progress if they get something from their games against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland respectively, and then beat each other in a winner-takes-all showdown.

Should they both draw or Slovakia fail to beat Northern Ireland assuming the Germans beat the team in bottom place, Die Mannschaft would only need to avoid defeat in their final match.

Northern Ireland would have to defeat both Luxembourg and Slovakia plus hope Germany slip up somewhere, but they do have the fallback of being a Nations League group winner even if they miss out on second.

Group B

Switzerland lead the way on 10 points, with Kosovo the only other side who could displace them on seven.

Switzerland will make it if they beat Sweden on 15 November and Kosovo slip up against Slovenia.

However, if Switzerland slip up or Kosovo defeat Slovenia, the two face each other on 18 November and whoever wins that will top the group.

Group C

Denmark and Scotland are the only hopefuls of automatic progression with both deadlocked on 10 points, as Greece and Belarus have already been eliminated.

Either the Danes or the Scots will qualify by matching each other's result against Belarus and Greece respectively and then beating one another in the final match.

Should Denmark beat Belarus, they will likely only need to avoid defeat to Scotland due to their better goal difference of +6 coming into the break.

Group D

France only needs to beat nearest challengers Ukraine on 13 November to finish first, no matter how they fare against already-eliminated Azerbaijan.

Ukraine need to get a result against France and then likely beat Iceland and hope that France slip up to Azerbaijan.

Iceland would need to beat both Azerbaijan and Ukraine by a decent score line and hope France loses to Ukraine and Azerbaijan for them to top the group.

Group E

Spain only need to beat Georgia on 15 November to practically guarantee their automatic progression due to them having +12 better goal difference than the Turks, who are three points behind them.

This would mean that assuming Turkey beat Bulgaria, they would need to maul the Spaniards in the region of five plus goals on the final matchday to overthrow them from the top.

Even if Turkey beat Bulgaria and Spain lose to Georgia, Turkey would still need to defeat Spain as drawing would mean they miss out on goal difference.

Group F

Portugal will qualify by beating any of Republic of Ireland or Armenia, whilst even two draws would be enough for them.

Hungary need to beat Armenia and Republic of Ireland and pray that the Portuguese don't get more than one draw from their two games, and even that might not be enough due to their inferior goal difference.

The Republic of Ireland need to win their final two games and hope results go in their favour - meaning Portugal also lose to Armenia - for them to sneak into first.

Group G

Netherlands only need a point when they travel to second-placed Poland on 14 November to qualify.

Should they lose, they would need to match Poland's result against Malta in theirs at home to Lithuania to almost certainly go through on goal difference.

Poland need to beat Netherlands and then better their result on the final matchday, or draw to the Dutch and then beat Malta and hope Lithuania pull out a miracle victory against Netherlands, all whilst a 13-goal swing goes in their favour.

Group H

Austria will qualify with a win over Cyprus should Bosnia and Herzegovina fail to beat Romania.

If Austria draw to Cyprus and Bosnia have the same outcome against Romania, it would go down to a winner-takes-all clash between the two on 18 November - where Austria would only need a draw and Bosnia a win to qualify.

Romania have slim hopes themselves, but would need to beat Bosnia and San Marino and hope Austria lose to both Cyprus and Bosnia for that to happen, and even then goal difference may deny them.

Group I

Norway lead Italy in this group by three points and have a +16 superior goal difference to them.

If the Norwegians beat Estonia on 13 November then they have virtually qualified even if Italy beat Moldova, due to Italy then having to beat Norway on 16 November by a mammoth goal margin.

Italy will have to beat Moldova and hope Norway slip up against Estonia for them to then progress with a win on the last matchday.

Group J

Belgium can secure top spot by beating Kazakhstan on 15 November.

Should they lose that, a win against Liechtenstein would still see them through, and even a draw could be enough if North Macedonia were to fail to beat Wales due to the Belgians' superior goal difference.

North Macedonia must beat Wales and hope Belgium take no more than one point from their two games if they are to certainly progress, as two draws for Belgium would see the sides end on 16 points apiece but likely with Belgium top on GD.

The Welsh have to beat both Liechtenstein and North Macedonia, plus hope that Belgium take no more than one point from their two games if they are to finish top.

Group K

England have already topped Group K, leaving Albania and Serbia to fight it out for the play-off spot.

Albania are in pole position with 11 points, whilst Serbia have 10 and do still have to play England at Wembley.

Group L

Luka Modric will get a World Cup send-off if his Croatian side take only a point from either Faroe Islands or Montenegro.

Czech Republic are strong favourites to defeat Gibraltar, but even then would still need Croatia to lose both games and turn around a 15-goal deficit in the process.