☑️ Brazil’s nemesis secures 2026 World Cup spot, 🇳🇱 cruise through +

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·14. November 2025

☑️ Brazil’s nemesis secures 2026 World Cup spot, 🇳🇱 cruise through +

Now there are 30 teams confirmed for the 2026 World Cup.

Two could secure their place in next year's World Cup this Friday (14th). Cases of Croatia and the Netherlands.

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But only the team that defeated Brazil in Qatar in 2022 succeeded.

Memphis & Co. didn't win, but they are in a great position.

The European qualifiers day for the World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada also featured Germany in action and much more.

See below the highlights of the matches.

Regulation 📝

Only the leading team of each of the 12 groups goes directly to the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

The 12 teams that finish in second place in their respective groups will be joined by the four best from the Nations League that did not qualify in 1st or 2nd in the qualifiers for a playoff that will guarantee four more qualified teams.

🇭🇷 Croatia 3 x 1 Faroe Islands 🇫🇴

The surprising Faroe Islands showed they had the right to dream. And they took the lead at 16', after Turi scored with a deflection.

Croatia's dominance intensified. And the expected equalizer came after Gvardiol's initiative at 23'.

The turnaround came at 12' of the second half. Set up by Stanisic, Musa shook off the defense and celebrated.

📸 STRINGER - AFP or licensors

Perisic's brilliant play on the left ended with Vlasic's goal (70').

Croatia reached 19 points in Group L. Six more than the Czech Republic, which secured its playoff spot before the final round.

With eight games played, the Faroe Islands would only have a chance in case of victory. But they stopped at 12 points.

Croatia is heading to its seventh World Cup out of eight possible as an independent nation. They debuted in 1998, only stopping against France - who would be champions - in the semifinals.

They were runners-up in 2018 - surpassed by the same France - and also reached the semifinals in 2022, when they saw future champions Argentina go to the final.

They also participated in the 2002, 2006, and 2014 editions. But without advancing to the round of 16.

The other group match was Gibraltar 🆚 Montenegro. Montenegro won 2 x 1 away.

Gibraltar took the lead at 20', with Jessop. But the turnaround came before halftime with Adzic, Juventus' gem at 33', and Krstovic from a penalty (42').

They reached nine points. Leaving Gibraltar with zero.

🇵🇱 Poland 1 x 1 Netherlands 🇳🇱

The visitors had more possession from the start at the National Stadium in Warsaw.

But the mission to pose a real threat to Grabara's goal was not being successful.

Then Poland was lethal on the counterattack. After Memphis lost the ball, Lewa received from Kaminski, turned on Timber's marking, and returned it for the number 13 to score (43').

📸 WOJTEK RADWANSKI - AFP or licensors

The Dutch equalizer came in the first minute of the second half.

And with Memphis taking advantage of a rebound in the area to score his 55th goal with the Netherlands.

📸 WOJTEK RADWANSKI - AFP or licensors

Now there are 23 in World Cup qualifiers. Eight in the current one. Only Haaland (14) has more.

The game opened up. And with Poland needing to take the lead again.

But no new goals were scored, repeating the score from the first leg.

The Netherlands reached 17 points in Group G, against 14 for the Poles.

A draw against Lithuania at the Johan Cruijff Arena will confirm their qualification.

Lewa & Co. complicated their situation. They can only avoid the playoffs with an unlikely Dutch defeat by a good goal difference and a thrashing of Malta away.

The Netherlands' goal difference advantage is 13 goals - 19 x 6.

Earlier, Finland surprisingly lost at home to Malta 1 x 0, ending their participation in the qualifiers with ten points.

The slim chance to fight for a playoff spot depended on a win before hoping for the Poles to slip.

🇱🇺 Luxembourg 0 x 2 Germany 🇩🇪

The Luxembourg side had the best chances in the first half. They posed a real threat with Sinani and Dardari. The visitors' greater possession did not have an effect.

The German tension eased thanks to Woltemade. A great move by Sané - who was called up again - for the Newcastle striker to just finish (49').

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2025 Getty Images

The second was also from the former Stuttgart player.

He received from Baku and skillfully beat the goalkeeper (69').

The victory took the four-time world champions to 12 points in Group A.

The same score as Slovakia, their rival at the Red Bull Arena on Monday (17).

They only need a draw to compete in their 20th World Cup.

🇸🇰 Slovakia 1 x 0 Northern Ireland 🇬🇬

Against a rival still with a chance, Slovakia had what was expected: more possession.

But it was the visitors who posed more danger in the first half.

With the mission to win or win to fight for a direct spot in the World Cup, the Slovak team returned better for the second half.

But they were frustrated by VAR.

Skriniar had a goal disallowed for offside. And Strelec for a foul.

But persistence was rewarded in injury time.

A corner kick, a mistake by goalkeeper Peacock-Farrell, and a goal by Bobcek (91').

Goleirão viajou! Bobček aproveitou a falha do goleiro Peacock-Farrell e marcou nos acréscimos o gol da vitória da Eslováquia contra a Irlanda do Norte. #futebol #eliminatorias #copadomundo
– Freitag, 14. November 2025